One of the difficulties some of my residents face are leaks in their flats. This can be very distressing, especially if the leaks cause further damage to the flat.
The Toa Payoh portion of my constituency has some of the oldest blocks in Singapore, and it is inevitable that leaks occur from time to time as a result of the deterioration of materials.
By and large, the HDB and Town Council respond and repair the leaks quickly. However, in some cases, it takes a very long time. One problem is when the source of the leak is unknown.
Why does the source matter?
You see, if the leak is from the unit above, it is the HDB's jurisdiction, but if it is coming through the external walls, it is the Town Council's. The external walls are regarded as common property, which the Town Council is required by law to maintain. The floor/ceiling separating two units is not common property, and will be governed by the HDB lease.
The division of responsibility is important as HDB funds and Town Council funds are different and cannot be used to effect or subsidise repairs they are not responsible for. So, the division makes legal sense. But it gives rise to real, practical problems, with the residents bearing the consequences of the delay.
We need better, more practical solutions to such problems.
One resident offered me a simple and interesting solution: give the HDB and Town Council a prescribed period of time to discover the source of the leak; if neither is able to prove that it is not responsible, both agencies must share the responsibility of effecting the repairs. That way, there is fairness and the resident is not kept waiting and wondering, and more importantly, suffering. It also incentivises the agencies to act as quickly as possible. I think this is an idea worth exploring.
This also shows the power of collective wisdom. No one person has a monopoly of good ideas. If more of us apply our minds to look for reasonable, practical solutions to real problems, without instinctively pushing responsibility to someone else, good and fair solutions will inevitably be found.
Hri Kumar
*Comment first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/notes/hri-kumar/practical-measures/741053015941298