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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1977
NO ROOM FOR +QUEUE-JUMPING+ IN PUBLIC HOUSING
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FROM TIME TO TIME, GROUPS OF PEOPLE ATTEMPT TO JUMP THE QUEUE+ AND GET INTO PUBLIC HOUSING WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE PROCEDURES EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TO ABIDE BY.
THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, MR. DONALD LIAO, SAID THIS TODAY IN A LUNCHEON SPEECH TO THE ASSOCIATION OF PAST CHAIRMEN OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS.
MR. LIAO SAID SUCH ATTEMPTED QUEUE-JUMPING COULD NOT BE PERMITTED SINCE NOT ONLY WOULD IT THROW THE GOVERNMENT'S CLEARANCE PROGRAMME OUT OF BALANCE, AFFECTING SUCH BIG PROJECTS AS THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, BUT ALSO IT WOULD BE QUITE UNFAIR TO OTHER PEOPLE WAITING PATIENTLY IN THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACES IN THE QUEUE.
REVIEWING THE WORK OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, TO WHICH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WORKS AS ITS EXECUTIVE ARM, MR. LIAO GAVE DETAILS OF THE BREAK-DOWN OF WORKLOAD TO THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES SUPERVISING SPECIALIST SECTORS OF PUBLIC HOUSING SUCH AS MANAGEMENT, OPERATIONS, THE BUILDING PROGRAMME, FINANCE, APPEALS AND THE HOME OWNERSHIP COMMITTEE.
CONCERNING HOME OWNERSHIP, MR. LIAO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME HAD GRIPPED THE IMAGINATION OF THE LESS PROSPEROUS MAJORITY OF OUR POPULATION SINCE IT HELD OUT TO THEM THE VERY REAL HOPE OF A HOME OF THEIR OWN VIRTUALLY AT COST. PRICE.
HE SAID: +ALREADY PREPARATIONS ARE WELL ADVANCED FOR THE FIRST SIX HOME OWNERSHIP SITES, PILING WORK HAS STARTED AT SOME AND APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE CALLED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR.+
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