2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“Board” means the Housing and Development Board established under section 3 of the Housing and Development Act 1959;
“commercial property” means any, or a part of any, flat, house or tenement which is permitted to be used under the Planning Act 1998 or any other written law for the purpose of carrying on any business or which is lawfully so used;
“develop” means to construct or cause to be constructed any housing accommodation, including any building operations in, on, over or under any land for the purpose of erecting any housing accommodation;
“developer” means a developer appointed by the Minister under section 4;
“executive condominium scheme” means the housing scheme established by the Minister under section 3(1);
“housing accommodation” means a horizontal stratum of the whole or part of a building, whether such stratum is on one or more levels or is partially or wholly below the surface of the ground, which is wholly constructed, adapted or intended for human habitation;
“minimum occupation period”, in relation to any housing accommodation under the executive condominium scheme, means a period of 5 years starting from the date of issue of the temporary occupation permit in respect of the housing accommodation;
“permanent resident” means any person who is not subject to any restriction as to the person’s period of residence in Singapore imposed under the provisions of any written law relating to immigration for the time being in force;
“public housing accommodation” means any housing accommodation developed and sold by the Board;
“temporary occupation permit” means a permit issued under section 12 of the Building Control Act 1989;
“transfer” includes a conveyance, sale, assignment, settlement, declaration of trust, assent, disposition of whatever nature, the vesting of any estate or interest in any housing accommodation by an instrument or under a vesting order of court and every instrument capable of vesting any estate or interest in any housing accommodation upon registration of such instrument by the Registrar of Titles, but does not include a mortgage, charge or reconveyance.
(2) If any question arises as to whether any property is commercial property within the meaning of this Act, a certificate under the hand of the Minister to the effect that such property is or is not commercial property is conclusive evidence for all purposes; and every such certificate is final and shall not be called in question in any court.
(3) The Minister may, subject to such conditions or restrictions as the Minister thinks fit, delegate to any person any of the powers conferred on the Minister under sections 4, 7, 8 and 9.