If you have been wondering why people are suddenly talking about Maju Forest, no, it is not about the place where NSmen go for their IPPT or RT.
It is also not located at Maju Avenue near Serangoon Gardens and Chomp Chomp.
Instead, the debate involves plans to build homes on parts of two sites: Maju Forest at Sunset Way and Gillman Barracks near Telok Blangah.
Here is what happened.
HDB Proposed Two Future Housing Areas
On 10 July 2026, HDB released proposed plans for two future housing areas.
The first is at Sunset Way in Clementi, within an area commonly known as Maju Forest. The second is at Gillman Barracks, near Telok Blangah.
Usually, when new housing areas are announced, everyone would just be interested in whether they can get a flat there.
However, these two proposals attracted considerable debate.
What Is Maju Forest?
Maju Forest is a regenerating secondary forest located beside Clementi Forest and the Rail Corridor.
It also contains remnants of the former Jurong Railway Line.
HDB studied an area of about 23 hectares at Sunset Way. Much of the site has been zoned for residential use since the 1980 Master Plan.
Under the proposal released in July, about 15 hectares could be used for public housing, while approximately eight hectares would be retained.
The retained area is expected to include a natural freshwater stream, the vegetation surrounding it and greenery near the former railway line.
Authorities are also studying the possibility of creating a nature trail along the old railway route.
An environmental study recorded 286 plant species and 113 animal species in the area. Of these, 49 plant species and six animal species were considered to be of conservation significance.
In other words, the proposal does not involve clearing the entire forest.
What About Gillman Barracks?
The second proposed housing area is Gillman Barracks, a former British military garrison that is now an arts and lifestyle precinct.
The proposed development area covers about 40 hectares and is expected to contain both public and private homes.
The plans include about eight hectares of green spaces, including most of the native-dominated secondary forest and a forest stream.
However, the exact number of homes, housing mix and development timelines for both Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks have not been announced.
Why Are Some People Against the Plans?
The proposals led to objections from some residents, nature groups and heritage advocates.
For Maju Forest, concerns included the loss of forest habitat, the displacement of wildlife and whether the remaining green spaces would be sufficiently connected.
Some residents also raised concerns about traffic, construction noise and the loss of the green buffer surrounding Sunset Way.
An online petition calling for the preservation of the forest had received more than 38,000 signatures by 5 August.
More than 100 residents also attended an engagement session with HDB and local MPs in July.
There Were Concerns About Gillman Barracks Too
At Gillman Barracks, the concerns involved nature, heritage and the future of the existing arts precinct.
Hundreds of people attended community dialogues to discuss the plans.
Existing commercial tenancies at Gillman Barracks are expected to expire progressively by the second quarter of 2030. The proposed redevelopment will not cause the tenancies to end earlier.
The debate eventually reached Parliament.
What Was Said in Parliament?
On 4 August, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan responded to 18 parliamentary questions involving the two sites.
The discussion lasted almost 70 minutes, with 11 MPs and two NCMPs also speaking.
The Government’s position had two main parts.
First, Mr Tan said both sites had already been set aside for housing under Singapore’s land-use plans and that development would proceed.
He said many of the alternative locations suggested by MPs had already been earmarked for development, were required for other national uses or could not be developed quickly enough to meet near-term housing demand.
Second, he stressed that the layouts released in July were not final.
According to Mr Tan, the environmental and heritage assessments were not carried out merely to justify plans that had already been decided.
The studies and public feedback could still result in changes to the layouts, including how much greenery and heritage would be retained.
Could the Sites Be Preserved Completely?
During the debate, MPs asked whether the Government could use more brownfield land, consider alternative locations, make environmental reports easier for the public to understand or preserve the two sites completely.
Mr Tan said government agencies would first try to use vacant land and previously developed land.
However, he said there were no other suitable sites that could meet near-term housing demand in those areas.
In simple terms, housing development at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks will proceed.
However, the Government will review the environmental and heritage findings together with feedback received during the formal public consultation.
Engagement with residents, nature groups, heritage groups and other stakeholders will also continue.
The Final Plans Could Still Change
The final layouts may therefore look different from the proposals released in July.
Possible changes could involve the positioning of buildings, the size and shape of the greenery that will be retained, ecological corridors, heritage features and additional environmental safeguards.
Therefore, while parts of the two sites are expected to be developed, many details have not been finalised.
