Mr Tan Yew Hock's argument that collective sales destroys communities obscures the multi-fold benefits of such sales (Collective sales destroying communities; June 9).

The obvious one is the maximising of site usage in our land-scarce island.

Older estates are rejuvenated when new facilities are developed in their place.

While it is true that there are residents who have built strong relationships within the community, the reality is that they are in the minority.

Many residents will confirm this. Another testament to the minority narrative can be found in neighbourhood committees (NCs), which were set up to build community bonding among residents in private estates.

They constantly face challenges in getting owners to join the committees or participate in organised NC or community club (CC) social activities, compared to residents' committees.

In fact, it is the younger generation of owners who seem more willing to sign up.

The rejuvenation of older estates will enlarge the pool of younger and more active volunteers who will inject more vibrancy into the neighbourhood.

Christopher Tang