SINGAPORE - About 1,700 flats were surrendered to the Housing Board over the past five years, including 700 that were given up due to reasons such as break-ups or divorces. These figures were revealed by Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann in Parliament on Tuesday (March 2), in response to Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC). Ms Sim said the 700 flats were surrendered to HDB mostly because of changes in their owners' circumstances within their minimum occupation period (MOP). These changes had made them ineligible to own a HDB flat, but the owners were not allowed to sell their flats on the open market as they had not fulfilled their MOP. The most common reasons for the surrender of these flats were divorce, break-ups between engaged couples, and the annulment of marriage, she said. The remaining 1,000 or so of the surrendered flats were flats with short leases, comprising studio apartments, two-room flexi flats bought on a short lease, and flats whose owners had opted for the Lease Buyback Scheme. Owners of short-lease flats who no longer wish to keep their flats, or who had become ineligible to do so, are required to surrender their flats to the HDB, said Ms S...