No commercial columbarium at temple site in Sengkang

SINGAPORE — Not only had it ignored land use gazettes by planning to build a commercial columbarium, the private firm that caused a brouhaha earlier this month among some Sengkang residents, who complained when they learnt that such a facility was coming up near their homes, is not even affiliated to any religious organisations.

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan revealed these details in Parliament today (Jan 29) as he ruled out the possibility of Eternal Pure Land building a commercial columbarium in Sengkang Link.

Without elaborating on when his ministry uncovered these details, Mr Khaw said this is the first case of a company without religious affiliations winning a tender for land slated for places of worship, and it happened because of wrong assumptions made by Housing and Development Board (HDB) officers assessing the bids.

“The Sengkang site is not intended for a commercial columbarium. The HDB awarded the site to Eternal Pure Land under the impression that the company (was) a vehicle for a religious organisation to build and own a Chinese temple,” he said. “We now understand that ... Eternal Pure Land is actually a private company without any religious affiliation.”

“The officers assessing the tender just assumed that it must be a company affiliated to some religious organisation and because they made the highest bid ... it was awarded to them,” Mr Khaw added.

He also said the Government will ensure that the original plan of building a Chinese temple is reinstated, and that it is in discussions with the company.

Mr Khaw was responding to questions from Members of Parliament (MPs) Seng Han Thong (Ang Mo Kio GRC), Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) and Lee Li Lian (Punggol East) on the criteria used to determine the winning tenders for sites zoned for places of worship.

The controversy started after some would-be residents of the Fernvale Lea Build-to-Order (BTO) expressed dismay over news that a columbarium would be built near their new homes. A petition was started by current and would-be residents around Fernvale Link, the proposed temple site, in a bid to stop the development, which is slated for completion by 2016.

Mr Khaw said today that apart from religious organisations, companies have also been allowed to participate in tenders for sites zoned for religious use since 1991, as some religious organisations set up firms to facilitate the ownership and development of such sites.

He added that the Government operates on the assumption that only those affiliated to religious organisations would take part in such tenders.

In Eternal Pure Land’s case, it did not cross the minds of the HDB officials evaluating the tender that a for-profit establishment would participate in a tender for a temple site, as this has not happened “for a quarter of a century”, Mr Khaw said.

He also acknowledged that some of the Government’s tender processes have not kept up with the times. A review — prompted by feedback from religious organisations that often lose out to bigger establishments in such tenders —  is under way to improve the land-tender process for places of worship, Mr Khaw said.

When contacted, by TODAY, MP for Sengkang West Dr Lam Pin Min said many residents had indicated to him that they were happy with Mr Khaw’s announcement today.