say no to a columbarium next to our future home!

Totally agreed!You are right!Im also a voter of PAP for many years.Hope they listen to SK residents voices.Find a good solution and have a win win situation for both parties.

#576: Choose a nickname - Subject 

 The matter seems to be left "unattended" by relevant authorities and MP/ministers. Wrong move... Very wrong move! This is unlike other matters, it's our homes! Cannot simply forget And move on without an explanation from the Ministers. We need to know the stance of our voted leaders, please dun ignore your people. PM has been on the news for visiting old folks homes, talking about how to improve the living condition of Singaporeans, but what about us, SK residents, A PAP ward which was voted in 2011 election. No news report? Seriously? Are we forsaken? Can you speak for us Sir?  We need your support now to show that the party really care for their voters by action for this situation. We need you to prove that not voting for opposition parties was the right choice 4 years ago. We dun welcome a profited driven columbrium in our neighborhood, i guess the developer didn't expect such reaction from the residents, they should have known better. The matter is national news now, everyone is casting doubts on the company, the business will goes downhill for sure. I dun think anyone wants to place their loved ones ashes in a location so hated by the surrounding people...

Has anyone heard back from HDB regarding refund?

Quite sure there will be strong demand for these SK units since a number of people in the social media welcome the thought of living beside or near to columbarium.

#579: -  

 The survey is not accurate cos I think majority of those readers/voters are not the residents of the affected areas. I dare the social media to conduct one for the residents in SK to uphold the integrity of the survey. Else can ignore the result cos it's not transparent. Still waiting for Mr.Khaw and PM to give their views and comments as I seriously think this matter will affects the votes from PAP's supporters. They need to give the residents an account of what happened and whether HDB and URA is doing anythings to rectify the blunders made. So far, nobody speaks up. What happened? It's like prayers that are not answered. 

This is going to change anything?

Just google streetdirectory.com, the plot next to the temple (Columbarium} shown an " "insititution" Anyone got any idea what that ? 

#582: -  

 Our PM is having a Facebook Q & A on 24th from 1145am to 1215pm. Could be an opportunity to ask him for help to remove the columbrium. 

#583: - Re:  

 Yes, let's make him hear the voices of Fernvale residents loud and clear. If one person does it, our dear PM will delete the comment. So we need to hit back in a large group. Admin, please set a time for us to gather online on 24 Jan. Then let's post all our frustrations at once in the Q&A page. Take screenshots (We can use it as proof later on) 

#584: - Re: Re:  

 That good idea...let do it......

WP's MP Lee Li Lian will be asking a question on the columbarium issue for the 29 Jan parliament sitting. 

Go Workers' Party!

Let's see how the minister replies to these questions tmr:

Ms Lee Li Lian: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many commercial companies are operating in land zoned for religious use; and (b) what are the considerations used by the Ministry to award such land to commercial entities.

Mr Seng Han Thong: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the criteria for awarding tenders for the development of places of worship; and (b) whether a for-profit organisation is allowed to participate in the tender process for such developments.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current criteria to determine the winning bid of tenders for places of worship; (b) whether it is the practice to allow non-religious business entities to bid for such projects; and (c) whether the Ministry will review its criteria on who can qualify for such projects so that religious groups can have a fair chance to compete in the bidding.

Guys! Our voices are heard! No more columbarium ! Yahoo!!

#590: -  

 Don't be too happy yet Fernvale residents. 

This is just a temporary ploy to give you all some reprieve and protect themselves from further accusations of shadiness when the directors of the company are no less reported to include the son of GCT and  brother of Ah Ching. 

The moment your hearts  turn soft and vote them again, just like how you are all already suffering under a PAP mp  now, they can do anything they like giving you answers that the company has re registered with religious affliciation and all kinds of cooked up excuses. 

If they ever win again, no Singaporeans will pity nor lend you our support like we did this time to block the building of the integrated massive vertical cemetery. 

Still, at least now the government publicly announced no columbraium. To me, it's enough. Life is simple.  And by the way, I do noticed there are people who are disappointed that the government 'give in' for some obvious reasons. The thing I want to say is at least for residents, we are now contented with the outcome, the removal of the columbraium - something we petition for... 

Haha, the government said no "commercial columbarium". They can still build a columbarium in Fernvale.  But can't make money from it. Let's see if Eternal Pure Land accepts that. 

I'm guessing they will abandon the project and close shop because their main goal of setting up the columbarium was to make money.

Why SengKang West residents should not be deceived by the Minister of National Development Khaw Boon Wan's statement in Parliament today in regards to the construction of a columbarium :

1. The tender awarded Eternal Pureland was not nullified by MND even though it breaches MND's protocol.

2. Minister Khaw even gave Eternal Pureland an olive branch by indicating an "non-commercial" columbarium will be allowed and Eternal Pureland can rope in an religious organization as its cover to run the columbarium at a profit. 

Way to go Mr. Khaw, always like his frank and direct style. My admiration to him.

Cant say the same to Mr. Lam, he's just too slippery. I hope PAP will not field him on the next GE.

Flipping at the speed of light...first, he appeased residents to accept now he's trying to claim credit for doing nothing..makes me puke

As long it's not profit driven temple with columbarium.

We live on a small piece of land, this is something we have to live with.

Life corp called for trading halt in asx. Good or bad news?

do not be too happy yet....the way the government wayang, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

you think they do not know about the tender? Of course they do, now too much heat so have to back down a bit, and guess who left holding the hot potato? Dr Lam! 

now what will happened next?  there are still ways for them to do it so just wait and see lor...

wayang is a long show....

#597: -  

It's not over yet.

Life Corp announcement on ASX:

2 February 2015

Temple and Columbarium Development

There have been recent press and Government comments in Singapore regarding the successful tender by Eternal Pure Land Pte Ltd, a wholly owned company of Life Corporation Ltd. (“Life Corporation”), for a long-term lease of a parcel of land.

The  permitted  use  for  the  land  is  as  a  development  of  a  Chinese  temple. Columbarium use is allowed within the development provided it does not exceed 20% of the total gross floor area of the development.

Life Corporation announced on 21 July 2014 that it was successful in its tender for the lease of that land at Fernvale Link, Singapore. The tender process was open and transparent.

Life Corporation provided all information required and requested in accordance with the tender conditions.

Notwithstanding this, recent public sentiment is that ownership of such land development should be by a nonprofit religious organization. Life Corporation understands these sentiments and it has always been its intention that the temple component of the development would be headed by religious individuals.

Life Corporation, since being awarded the tender, has made preliminary plans regarding the operation of the temple upon the completion of the temple building by 2017.

Life Corporation is sensitive to recent public and Government comments, and is currently exploring with the Government whether a mutually satisfactory and viable solution can be found in due course.

I have one question. A commercial columbraium will also take up max 20% space right? So what is the difference between such and a temple version? Temple should be smaller in size so less urns? If the developer collobrated with a religious entity, isn't it the same? It's still 20%! But the size of the building will determine the total urns allowable... Errrr.... Need to monitor the situation and see what government will do further.... Since they already admitted the lapses. Hope they dun further aggravate the already bad situation. Fingers crossed. Also if Bo bian, I want a temple that looks like a temple.

It is still a commercial columbarium if the original state-of-the-art integrated columbarium remains with some religious group taking up the rest of the space to justify its existence. Besides,  this is the  original plan of Life Corp which Khaw Boon Wan said does not coincide with MND's .  Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament that they will  restore the original intent of the site. That means the columbarium , if there is one, shld be ancillary to the temple and for the use of its devotees. A real temple is still the best solution. A real temple with a humble storage space for urns if necessary  - not a money-spinner like what is being planned by Life Corp with funeral services and services ancillary to a columbarium to boot. 

Life Corp / EPL should just be given another piece of land ( say near the existing columbariums or funeral parlours  in Mandai/ Sin Ming/  Choa Chu Kang/ Mt Vernon )  to develop their commercial columbarium  with the blessing of their neighbours. The ill will that has been generated at this site won't be good for the souls of the departed,  the bereaved,  the company that is selling the niches and all the individuals responsible for this sorry state of affairs.