‘Stop gaslighting people and stop saying $500K HDB flats are affordable’ — Writer Robin Low on HDB issue in Singapore

SINGAPORE — Author and social innovator Robin Low recently shared his two cents on the issue of public housing in Singapore. In a social media post he urged, “Please stop gaslighting people and stop saying $500k HDB flats are affordable.”

Mr Low took to social media on Thursday (Feb 9) to share his take on the matter of public housing in the nation. “When people say that HDB and housing are very affordable and brag about their ‘poor’ past, please exercise more empathy and stop gaslighting people,” he wrote, quoting,

‘My father died from tuberculosis, I was forced to leave school at the age of 15 and found a job in a plastics trading company where he worked 16 hours a day. I hustled and started a company and became successful. My advice is work hard and maybe you can own a few apartment buildings in HK, UK and a mall or two. Everything is so affordable.'”

Mr Low then countered this quote, writing, “I would ask you today, if your father died when you were 15 and forced to leave school to work 16 hours a day, do you think you can buy an HDB flat? Do you think HDBs are affordable?”

He then shared his original post to an online group dedicated to the opposition in Singapore, saying, “Please stop gaslighting people and stop saying $500k HDB flats are affordable.”

Many others echoed Mr Low’s sentiments in the comments section of the post.

“I am very worried for my kids’ future,” shared one. “Honestly I am very doubtful that they can even own a 2-room flat. Sorry used the wrong word “own”. We can’t own HDB flats only for 99 years.”

Another commented, “Precisely. In the 50s, 60s it was possible through hard work. I know of a contractor who didn’t even finish secondary school in the 60s who managed to buy 4 condos from his earnings. At that time, they were going for 250k, 300k a pop. Today the playing field is completely different. The difference between average wage, cost of living and property prices are at a level many multiples of that compared to our parents’ (and obviously grandparents’) time! Totally comparing apples with oranges here.”