# Issuance Of Correction Direction Under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act on Falsehoods on Ethnic Integration Policy

- **Source:** Ministry of National Development
- **Published:** 2024-07-31T16:00:00.000Z
- **Author:** Ministry of National Development
- **Original:** https://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/view/issuance-of-correction-direction-under-the-protection-from-online-falsehoods-and-manipulation-act-on-falsehoods-on-ethnic-integration-policy
- **Topics:** HDB & Public Housing, Commercial & Industrial, Government & Policy

## Featured rationale

The figures show that EIP limits materially shape eligibility in HDB transactions and may affect resale timelines, buyer pools and decisions by constrained flat owners.

## AI summary

MND ordered correction notices over false EIP claims, noting that nearly one in three HDB blocks and 11% of HDB neighbourhoods had reached their ethnic limits.

## Original article

The video posted by Mr Shaik Amar on his TikTok and Instagram accounts on 24 July 2024, and on his YouTube account on 25 July 2024, contains false and misleading statements regarding the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP).

The Minister for National Development has instructed the POFMA Office to issue a Correction Direction to Mr Shaik Amar in relation to this video.

The video is misleading in a number of ways. The POFMA Direction is being issued for the following two false statements of fact:

That the EIP offers no benefit to ethnic minority households; instead, it only causes them significant financial detriment when they sell their flats.

The EIP was introduced in the 1960s and has not been changed to date.

Benefits and Relevance of EIP Today

Mr Shaik Amar’s assertion that the EIP does not benefit ethnic minority households and only causes them significant financial detriment when they sell their flats is false.

The EIP was introduced to prevent racial enclaves and ensure racial diversity in HDB neighbourhoods, in support of racial harmony. The EIP benefits minorities in several ways.

Because of the EIP, HDB ensures that a defined proportion of flats are set aside for ethnic minority communities (“Minority Communities”) in all HDB neighbourhoods through its Build-To-Order (BTO) and Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises, and through open booking of flats. This is a significant benefit because the EIP guarantees that a specified minimum number of flats in HDB estates, including in highly sought after estates, are available for persons from Minority Communities. Flats in these areas are generally higher priced. But the significant Government subsidies given by HDB make them affordable.

Without the EIP, there will be a significant risk that the proportion of owners from Minority Communities in much sought-after areas will be much less, even at point of sale by HDB. The EIP, in this way, generally enables more persons from the Minority Communities to benefit when the flats are sold.

Mr Shaik Amar himself benefited from the EIP, because his household would not have been able to select an SBF flat if there was no EIP. During the SBF exercise where his household had booked their SkyOasis @ Dawson flat, all minority First-Timer applicants were invited to select a 3-room flat in Queenstown, including Mr Shaik Amar’s household. In comparison, only about 40% of Chinese First-Timer applicants were invited to select a flat because of the Chinese EIP limit. The value of flats in SkyOasis @ Dawson have now appreciated significantly. In this way the Government ensures the Minority Communities are also able to benefit from the increase in value that takes place when a flat bought from HDB is resold at a higher price.

It is misleading to focus on the point of resale, without setting out that the flat was obtained in the first place within the framework of the EIP.

As stated earlier, the EIP is applied at BTO, SBF, as well as open booking of flats in all estates. For the same reason, the EIP is also applied at point of resale of such flats.

This ensures that persons from Minority Communities continue to own HDB flats in different estates, including highly sought after housing estates. Without the EIP, over time, there will be fewer persons from Minority Communities owning flats in highly sought after housing estates. That will be detrimental to Minority Communities in several ways.

First, it will reduce the likelihood that there will be future owners from Minority Communities in such estates – and they would not be able to benefit from future increases in value. Second, segregation generally affects Minority Communities more than it affects a Majority Community, in this case the Chinese. The effects of such segregation are bad and can be seen in many countries all over the world.

The EIP was introduced in 1989 (and not the 1960s) to counteract the worrying trend of ethnic enclaves forming in certain HDB estates. Before the EIP, there were neighbourhoods where there was a significant concentration of minorities, and there were neighbourhoods where the Chinese formed more than 90%. The EIP was implemented to deal with this issue early. By setting limits on the proportion of each ethnic group allowed in a HDB block or neighbourhood, it has been possible to have ethnically diverse neighbourhoods across Singapore, and opportunities for interaction and understanding across races.

The EIP remains relevant today. Nearly one in three HDB blocks, and 11% of HDB neighbourhoods, have reached their EIP limits. Without the EIP, ethnic concentrations will increase. This happens in many places around the world. Without diversity in our HDB estates where the majority of Singaporeans live, opportunities for multicultural interactions will be reduced, and this will ultimately change the tone and complexion of our society. This is one of the ways in which the EIP benefits all Singaporeans, including the Minority Communities.

The racial harmony we enjoy in Singapore is the result of several carefully thought through policies. The EIP is one of them. Every week, there are hundreds of community and grassroots activities conducted all over Singapore. Residents of all ethnicities come together, and take part in these activities. This helps in building bonds between our people of different ethnicities. It builds up greater understanding and acceptance of each other. All of this would be reduced substantially if our housing estates were segregated.

Measures to Assist EIP-Constrained Flat Owners

It is false that all minority households suffer significant financial detriment when they sell their flats. The Government accepts and has publicly acknowledged that for some EIP-constrained flat owners, at point of resale, there can be differences in the prices that a potential Chinese buyer might be willing to pay, compared with a potential buyer from the Minority Communities.

Over the years, HDB has put in place a range of measures to assist these EIP-constrained flat owners, including giving EIP-constrained flat owners more time to sell their existing flat if they have purchased another one, and waiving the EIP limits in exceptional circumstances.

Further, in 2022, HDB implemented the EIP Buyback Assistance Scheme. As stated above, Mr Shaik Amar’s statement that the policy had not been changed since 1960s is false. This Buyback Assistance Scheme provides flat owners who are genuinely constrained by EIP limits with the fallback option of selling their flats to HDB at a fair price, based on prevailing market conditions. Households will need to have owned their flats for at least ten years and the flats should have been marketed at reasonable prices for at least six months. Those with extenuating circumstances can appeal to HDB for special consideration to waive these conditions. In assessing whether households qualify for assistance, HDB will consider their specific circumstances, such as the duration that they have been EIP-constrained for, and whether they have marketed their flats consistently at reasonable prices.

The flats bought back by HDB will be offered for sale through SBF exercises or open booking of flats. As with all flats sold through these modes, HDB will give a significant subsidy to the assessed market value of the flat to determine the sale price. Where Chinese EIP limits are reached, only buyers from the Minority Communities will be eligible to buy such flats, and they will benefit from the subsidies, like other buyers.

Ultimately, the EIP has ensured that no HDB neighbourhood in Singapore is exclusive to any single ethnic group and has thus achieved very real benefits for the Minority Communities.

Factual Clarifications

Mr Shaik Amar will be required to carry correction notices on his TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. These notices will state that the video posted on 24 July 2024 (on TikTok/Instagram) and 25 July 2024 (on YouTube) contains false and misleading statements, and will provide a link to the Government’s clarification. This will allow viewers to consider both versions and draw their own conclusions. While Mr Shaik Amar has taken down the videos on TikTok and Instagram, there is a need to address the falsehoods that may have been circulating amongst the public as a result of the publication of these videos. We note that the video remains on his YouTube account.

For the facts of the case, please refer to the Factually article “Corrections regarding falsehoods on Ethnic Integration Policy.” at URL: https://www.gov.sg/article/factually010824.

Date: 1 August 2024

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 就种族融合政策虚假信息根据《防止网络假信息和网络操纵法》发出纠正指示

Shaik Amar先生于2024年7月24日在其TikTok和Instagram账户、并于2024年7月25日在其YouTube账户发布的视频，载有关于种族融合政策（EIP）的虚假及误导性陈述。

国家发展部部长已指示防止网络假信息办公室（POFMA Office）就该视频向Shaik Amar先生发出纠正指示。

该视频在多方面具有误导性。本次发出POFMA指示，针对以下两项虚假事实陈述：

EIP对少数族群家庭没有任何益处；相反，只会在他们出售组屋时造成重大经济损失。

EIP于1960年代推出，至今未作更改。

EIP在今日的益处与相关性

Shaik Amar先生声称EIP对少数族群家庭没有益处，只会在他们出售组屋时造成重大经济损失，此说法并不属实。

EIP旨在防止种族聚居区形成，并确保组屋邻里的种族多元，以支持种族和谐。EIP在多方面惠及少数族群。

由于EIP，建屋发展局通过预购组屋（BTO）、剩余组屋销售（SBF）及公开抽签选购组屋，确保在所有组屋邻里为少数族群社区（“少数族群社区”）预留一定比例的单位。这是一项重要益处，因为EIP保障少数族群人士在组屋区——包括热门组屋区——可获得指定最低数量的单位。这些地区的组屋价格一般较高，但建屋发展局提供的显著政府津贴使其可负担。

若没有EIP，少数族群社区业主在热门地区的比例——即使在建屋发展局发售时——将显著偏低的风险很大。因此，EIP大体上使更多少数族群社区人士在组屋转售时受惠。

Shaik Amar先生本人也受惠于EIP，因为若没有EIP，其家庭将无法选购剩余组屋。在其家庭预订SkyOasis @ Dawson组屋的剩余组屋销售活动中，所有少数族群首次申请人均获邀在女皇镇选购3房式组屋，包括Shaik Amar先生的家庭。相比之下，由于华族EIP限额，仅约40%的华族首次申请人获邀选购单位。SkyOasis @ Dawson组屋的价值现已显著升值。政府以此确保少数族群社区也能从向建屋发展局购买的组屋以更高价格转售时所产生的增值中受益。

只聚焦转售时点而不说明该组屋最初是在EIP框架下取得的，具有误导性。

如前所述，EIP适用于所有组屋区的预购组屋、剩余组屋销售以及公开抽签选购。基于同样原因，EIP亦适用于此类组屋的转售时点。

这确保少数族群社区人士继续在不同组屋区——包括热门住宅区——拥有组屋。若没有EIP，随着时间推移，在热门住宅区拥有组屋的少数族群社区人士将减少。这会在多方面对少数族群社区造成不利。

首先，这将降低未来少数族群社区业主在此类组屋区出现的可能性——他们将无法从未来增值中受益。其次，隔离一般对少数族群社区的影响大于对多数族群（在此为华族）的影响。此类隔离的恶果可见于世界许多国家。

EIP于1989年（而非1960年代）推出，以应对某些组屋区出现令人担忧的种族聚居趋势。在EIP实施前，有些邻里少数族群高度集中，也有些邻里华族占比超过90%。实施EIP是为尽早处理这一问题。通过对组屋座或邻里内各族群所占比例设定上限，新加坡各地得以形成种族多元的邻里，并为跨种族互动与理解创造机会。

EIP在今日仍然相关。近三分之一的组屋座，以及11%的组屋邻里，已触及EIP限额。若没有EIP，种族集中将加剧。这在世界许多地方都会发生。若多数新加坡人居住的组屋区缺乏多元，跨文化互动的机会将减少，最终将改变我们社会的氛围与面貌。这也是EIP惠及全体新加坡人——包括少数族群社区——的方式之一。

我们在新加坡享有的种族和谐，是多项经过审慎思考的政策共同作用的结果。EIP是其中之一。每周，新加坡各地开展数以百计的社区与基层活动。各族裔居民齐聚一堂，参与这些活动。这有助于建立不同族裔人民之间的纽带，增进彼此理解与接纳。若我们的住宅区出现隔离，这一切将大幅减少。

协助受EIP限制组屋业主的措施

声称所有少数族群家庭在出售组屋时都遭受重大经济损失，并不属实。政府接受并已公开承认，对部分受EIP限制的组屋业主而言，在转售时，潜在华族买家可能愿意支付的价格，与潜在少数族群社区买家可能愿意支付的价格之间，可能存在差异。

多年来，建屋发展局已落实一系列措施协助这些受EIP限制的组屋业主，包括若已购另一套组屋则给予更多时间出售现有组屋，以及在特殊情况下豁免EIP限额。

此外，建屋发展局于2022年实施了EIP回购援助计划。如上所述，Shaik Amar先生声称该政策自1960年代以来未作更改的说法并不属实。该回购援助计划为确实受EIP限额限制的组屋业主提供后备选择，可按现行市况以公平价格将组屋售予建屋发展局。家庭须至少拥有组屋十年，且组屋须以合理价格推介至少六个月。有特殊情况者可向建屋发展局提出上诉，请求特别考虑豁免这些条件。在评估家庭是否符合援助资格时，建屋发展局将考虑其具体情况，例如受EIP限制的时长，以及是否持续以合理价格推介组屋。

建屋发展局回购的组屋将通过剩余组屋销售或公开抽签选购发售。与通过这些模式出售的所有组屋一样，建屋发展局将在经评估的市值基础上给予显著津贴以厘定售价。若华族EIP限额已满，则仅少数族群社区买家有资格购买此类组屋，他们将与其他买家一样受惠于津贴。

归根结底，EIP确保新加坡没有任何组屋邻里专属单一族群，从而为少数族群社区带来切实益处。

事实澄清

Shaik Amar先生须在其TikTok、Instagram及YouTube账户刊登纠正通知。这些通知将说明于2024年7月24日（TikTok/Instagram）及2024年7月25日（YouTube）发布的视频载有虚假及误导性陈述，并提供政府澄清的链接。这将让观众得以考虑双方版本并自行作出判断。虽然Shaik Amar先生已删除TikTok和Instagram上的视频，但仍有必要处理因发布这些视频而可能在公众中流传的虚假信息。我们注意到该视频仍留在其YouTube账户上。

有关本案事实，请参阅事实澄清文章《关于种族融合政策虚假信息的纠正》，网址：https://www.gov.sg/article/factually010824。

日期：2024年8月1日