To further assist and facilitate the owners and occupants of Hock Kee House (HKH) to move out from the building, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has enhanced its special financial assistance package and extended the deadline for the relocation. This decision has been made by the Government after considering all the feedback of many owners and tenants that LTA has been in touch with as well as the feedback that was channeled through the taskforce set up by the Member of Parliament for the area Mr Othman Harun Eusoff.

Deadline Extension

Due to the difficulties faced by many owners/occupiers in finding suitable alternative premises, the deadline given to owners/occupiers of HKH to vacate the building will be extended by a further three weeks. Instead of 12 September 2005, the owners/ occupiers now have up to 3 October 2005 to move out of HKH.

Enhanced Special Financial Assistance Package

LTA is mindful that the financial assistance it is providing comes from public funds, and must be spent judiciously. After careful examination of the individual situations of almost all the owners/occupiers in HKH, LTA has decided to make a further and final enhancement to the special financial assistance package which will be given to the owners over and above the usual compensation under the Land Acquisition Act:

LTA will increase the assistance package to be given to each unit by 50% of the original amount. This is to take into account the owners' needs and the need to assist the occupiers/tenants (specifically those operating businesses from the shop units and garage units) to relocate.
LTA will also increase the advance payment of $10,000 for owners to 50% of the total enhanced special financial assistance package. This revised advanced payment will be paid to the owners from 23 August 2005 upon their agreement to move out of HKH by the new deadline. The remaining 50% of the enhanced package will be paid to the owners when the owners/tenants have vacated the building and returned the keys and have arranged for the occupier/tenant to vacate the building.
For those owners who are able to move out earlier than 3 October 2005, their rental from the date of their relocation to 3 October 2005 will be reimbursed, so that they would not be worse off.

The LTA and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) would like to thank the taskforce set up by Mr Othman Haron Eusofe, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC, for the invaluable role it has played in being an effective interface between the authorities, and the owners and tenants. LTA will continue to assist the owners and tenants to find suitable premises and also provide any other necessary assistance to help them expedite their relocation.

Issued by:
The Land Transport Authority
19 August 2005