Not fair to compare prices of HDB flats today with those built decades ago

Hello.

On Tuesday, HDB revealed for the first time how new BTO flats are priced after recent questions about affordability. It wouldn’t be fair to compare prices of HDB flats today with those built decades ago, says industry expert Nicholas Mak.

But are PLH flats – a model to keep public housing in prime locations affordable – losing their shine just over a year since they were first launched? Buyers shouldn’t invest in hopes of a “lottery effect”, say NUS’ Sing Tien Foo and Zhou Xuefeng.

Young Singapore investors are still keen on crypto despite costly lessons from the FTX crash. Are investors doing enough due diligence? Richard Hartung asks if tests are the best way to protect them.

Even for those with lower risk appetite, investing and growing our money has never been easier, with local banks raising interest rates on their flagship saving accounts.

How about investing in our happiness instead? Trials confirm a four-day work week increases well-being and productivity. Some also swear by waking up at 5am and disciplined morning routines for a productivity boost. HR expert Adrian Tan tried it and isn’t convinced.

So what does it take for a person to be truly happy in fast-paced Singapore? Perhaps we’re looking for happiness in the wrong places, says the Institute of Policy Studies’ Melvin Tay and Mathew Mathews.

We hope you enjoy the selection of commentaries this week.

Charlene Tan

Editor, Commentary

In wake of tech layoffs, culled workers are biding their time

While more than a thousand workers in Singapore’s tech sector have been retrenched, other recruiters are trying to tap into this new pool of talent, says Yorlin Ng of Momentum Works.

Buyers of BTO flats in prime areas need to be far-sighted

It’s unlikely that public housing would have emerged in the city centre if market forces were left to freely dictate land use there, say these industry experts.

Could Anwar’s government bring back Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project?

Waking up at 5am is more posturing than productivity hack

If the idea of waking up at 5am for productivity makes you want to roll over and hit snooze until Saturday, don’t fret, says HR expert Adrian Tan.

Content creators make thousands of dollars on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or OnlyFans. Is this eco-system feeding a new generation who only wants to earn quick cash and eschew the traditional nine-to-five job? Steven Chia gets answers from Joanne Liew, Chief Studios and Content Officer at Gushcloud and Nicholas Lim, from the S R Nathan School of Human Development at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

In these times of rapid change and uncertainty, nostalgia for the simpler days of yore is what keeps us going back every year, says Karen Tee.

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