MP Louis Ng: I will continue pushing for allowing cats in HDB flats
SINGAPORE — Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament Louis Ng said on Tuesday (7 January) that he “won’t give up” pushing for allowing cats in HDB flats.
The comments by the animal welfare activist on his Facebook page on Tuesday came after National Development Minister Lawrence Wong replied to Ng’s parliamentary questions on the reasons for not allowing people living in HDB flats to keep cats and whether there would be a review of the rule.
“Looks like it’s still a “NO” to keeping cats in HDB flats but rest assured that I will continue to speak up about this,” said Ng, who is the founder and chief executive of ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society).
In his written reply to Ng on Monday, Wong said the government has to “strike a balance between residents who are pet lovers and those who are not”.
“Irresponsible pet ownership can lead to disamenities in the community and cause unhappiness,” Wong said.
In the case of cats, Wong noted disamenities include the shedding of fur, defecation and urination in public places, and caterwauling by roaming cats.
“Notwithstanding these concerns, HDB recognises that there are many residents who are cat lovers and who would like to keep cats in their flats,” he said.
HDB will continue to review and update its pet ownership policies, together with the National Park Boards and Animal & Veterinary Service, added Wong.
“While we would like very much to accommodate the wishes of all pet owners, we also have to take into consideration the views of other home-owners, and take a holistic and balanced approach in addressing this issue,” Wong said.
in his Facebook post, Ng said it is time to review the rule and that he has spoken up about it for many years.
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