PSP: Debate over Maju Forest is not just about housing. It’s also about how decisions are made.

On Tuesday, August 18, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding Maju Forest, a significant portion of which was recently announced for development into public housing. Concerns were raised about the decision, and on Sunday, August 16, over 2,000 people attended the Maju For The People Rally at Hong Lim Park, including members of the opposition. Party chief Leong Mun Wai, Organising Secretary Sani Ismail, and Women’s Wing head Wendy Low were among the attendees.

The PSP post stated that members had joined the rally to "listen, and to stand with those who believe that before another part of Singapore is changed forever, the case for doing so should be clearly made." The party emphasized that the debate over Maju Forest is not merely about the need for housing, which is an obvious requirement. Instead, it is "about how decisions are made."

Singaporeans today demand transparency and want to understand the reasoning behind government decisions, as well as have their questions answered. They want to know the alternatives considered, the assumptions made, the data that informed those decisions, and the ecological costs weighed against the need for development. In an earlier post on August 7, the PSP questioned whether Singapore had truly run out of land for public housing, reaffirming their belief that every reasonable alternative should be exhausted before making an irreversible decision to clear part of Maju Forest.

The party also noted that in Malay, the word "Maju" means progress, but today, progress should mean more than simply building faster or more. They would prefer to preserve Maju Forest instead of naming a new estate, road, or park connector after it. The Singapore Climate Rally organized the rally, advocating for the protection of Singapore's nature areas, greater transparency, and citizen participation in related decisions.

They also push for redefining progress in terms of wellbeing and fairness, rather than solely focusing on economic progress. In July, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) announced that Gillman Barracks, Sunset Way, and around 15 hectares of Maju Forest were slated for development for housing, with at least 10 hectares of forest at Gillman Barracks set aside for this purpose.