No earlier notice to JCC ‘due to market-sensitive info’

SINGAPORE — The authorities have responded to the maelstrom that an 18-month notice is inadequate for its acquisition of Jurong Country Club’s (JCC) site to make way for the terminus for the high-speed rail link, saying prior notice to the club was impossible given that such information is market-sensitive.

As with all compulsory acquisitions, land owners can only be notified on the same day of the announcement published in the Government Gazette, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said today (May 14) in response to a TODAY Voices letter.

“This is to ensure parity of information flow and transparency in order to prevent undue speculation or use of privileged information prior to the announcement of acquisition via the Government gazette,” said Ms Julie Sim, deputy director (corporate communications) at the SLA.

Under the Land Acquisition Act, there is no minimum notice period, said lawyer Fong Wei Li of Fortis Law Corporation.

After the acquisition was announced on Monday, JCC membership prices fell and members have been up in arms for various reasons, including the money the club invested in renovations recently. On Wednesday, TODAY reader Tong Hsien-Hui said in a Voices letter that members were justified in feeling aggrieved.

The high-speed rail linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur was first announced in February 2013, with three locations — Jurong East, Tuas West and the city centre — shortlisted for the Singapore terminus one year later.

Last week, it was announced that Jurong East was picked. The authorities later said the 67ha land parcel the JCC sits on was the only area considered.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority and Land Transport Authority told TODAY that the November 2016 acquisition date was set because the high-speed rail is a “major and complex” project.

“For the high-speed rail to be implemented expeditiously and without delay, we will need to begin work on the acquired land by around end-2016,” the agencies said. “This would include site survey, soil investigation and other site preparatory works to facilitate the construction and timely completion of the high-speed rail terminus.”

Infrastructure works and comprehensive redevelopment will also be progressively carried out, she added.

In its letter today, the SLA stressed that acquisitions are not undertaken lightly, adding that it understands these can be difficult for the affected parties.

“(We) do so only after careful study and consideration of all other alternatives. The acquisition of JCC is necessary as the land is needed for both comprehensive redevelopment and to build the terminus for the high-speed rail link to Kuala Lumpur,” wrote Ms Sim.

She reiterated that the land authority would work closely with affected parties “to facilitate the transition and mitigate the difficulties as far as possible”. SLA will meet with JCC management tomorrow.

Despite the explanations and reassurances, JCC members remain unsoothed. The 40-year-old club has 2,700 members, of which the majority are golfing members.

A JCC member for seven years who asked to be known as Mr Tan said members are at a loss as to what to do. “I’m pretty upset that I’ve to find somewhere else (to play golf) now, because I thought I had 20 years left on the lease,” said the 38-year-old banker, who called for fair compensation.

A timeline of three to five years to vacate the land would have been fairer, he added.

Golf club membership broker Fion Phua told TODAY that she has received numerous queries from JCC members since the news broke. She felt that to curb speculation of memberships, the authorities could have easily stopped the club from doing transfers.

Another member, retiree Loke Loo Pin, said it “made no difference” whether the land was returned earlier or later but wanted higher compensation for the short timeline.

“The compensation should be higher, so that you can play in a public course or use the money to buy another club membership,” the 72-year-old said.

Lawyer Amolat Singh feels there is no reason to treat JCC any differently from other acquisitions. He cited Pearls Centre owners and tenants were also given a similar timeline — two years — to move out for the construction of an MRT station.

“SLA has a point. This kind of thing is done overnight. It’s almost the same as the share market,” he said. “The whole idea to give everybody the fair share of equal misery.”