Settling In

Housing

Do you know that the Housing and Development Board, or HDB, has built more than a million flats in Singapore?

The HDB flat has become a Singapore icon synonymous with quality and affordable public housing which Singaporeans are proud to own. Clustered into towns, HDB neighbourhoods are vibrant living environments where different communities come together. Today, 80% of Singaporean households live in HDB flats.

In void decks, lift landings and other common areas, neighbours came to recognise each other and make friendly exchanges a daily habit. They may have a chat after a day of work, discover common interests and hobbies, or share what they were cooking for dinner. As neighbours from various backgrounds interacted on a daily basis, they picked up helpful phrases in different languages, sampled the cooking of their friends’ families and came to see how other Singaporeans celebrated the rites of life and rituals of passage.

Community Living

When you move into a HDB flat, you join over 80% of Singaporeans who live in public housing, a quintessential part of the Singaporean experience. Here’s what to expect as you live among neighbours and friends, and some tips to help you ease into your HDB experience.

Tips for your HDB experience

Community living

When you move into a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat, you join over 80% of Singaporeans who live in public housing, a quintessential part of the Singaporean experience. Here’s what to expect as you live among neighbours and friends, and some tips to help you ease into your HDB experience. 

Signs at the doorway
Before you get to know your neighbours, find out more about them from the signs outside their door. A Muslim family might have a small plaque outside their door with an excerpt from the Quran, while a Christian family might have a cross or crucifix there instead. Treat these religious symbols with respect.

 

Gift of friendship
If you’d like to say hello to your new neighbours with a simple gift, food and fruit is always a good idea. For Muslim neighbours, make sure packaged foodstuff has a halal label, and avoid gifts containing pork or alcohol. Hindus and some Buddhist or Taoist neighbours may not eat beef, as the cow is regarded as a sacred animal.  

Common spaces  
Help keep the common spaces clean and clutter-free. Avoid hanging laundry along the corridor outside your flat or at common areas such as playgrounds. If you have potted plants, keep the area neat by sweeping up stray leaves, and ensure that empty pots are free of stagnant water so mosquitoes do not breed.  

 

Party time
One of the joys of HDB living is being part of communal celebrations and festivals, such as weddings. Malay wedding receptions, which are sometimes held at void decks, are fun and festive affairs. In the morning, the groom arrives at his bride’s home, often accompanied by kompang (handheld drums) players and friends and relatives bearing bunga mawar (flowers in a palm tree-like arrangement).

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, which takes place around August and September every year, singers and dancers put up the getai, or a stage performance in the neighbourhoods. It is usually held in a combination of Mandarin and dialects such as Hokkien. All are welcome, so feel free to join the audience or watch from your window.

Silence is golden

 

Be considerate to your neighbours by moderating noise levels at home, especially between 10.30pm and 7am every day. If you have children, ensure that they do not make too much noise while playing, and that the volume on your television is turned down. 

Be equally mindful of these quiet hours if you are throwing a party. Retail shops are not allowed to sell alcohol after 10.30pm, and drinking alcohol in public spaces such as HDB void decks, playgrounds and parks is prohibited.

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Language

Situated as we are at the crossroads of the world, you’ll find many languages spoken here. Helping us understand each other are four official languages: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, and English.

Learn more about the four official languages in Singapore.

Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, English

Education

Schooling in Singapore is compulsory for Singaporean children aged six up to 15. In school, students have good educational opportunities, both within and outside the classroom.
 
Our schools play a big role in inculcating values and building competencies in our students to develop them into good individuals and useful citizens. As students understand and respect the customs and traditions of the many different races and faiths in Singapore, they appreciate Singapore’s socio-cultural diversity and strive to preserve our social harmony. There are festivals to celebrate and also learning journeys to cultural heritage sites, making them a fun part of school life. One example is the annual Racial Harmony Day on 21 Jul, when students reflect on and celebrate Singapore as a harmonious society built on a rich diversity of cultures.
 
Visit the Ministry of Education website to learn about the educational opportunities available for your child and admission requirements for our national schools. For an overview of educational options in Singapore, including foreign-system schools and privately funded schools, visit Education in SG.

 

Law & Order

Singapore’s unique multicultural harmony and stability are valued by its people. The principles of the rule of law and fairness to all are key pillars of our society.

 

Drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder carry the death penalty, while other serious offences such as armed robbery carry long prison sentences. Other laws protect the environment, maintain racial and religious harmony, and govern the proper use of computers and the Internet. All of us can pay our part to ensure continued peace and stability by being law-abiding.