Contractors painting over the North Vista Secondary School sign after having been allegedly splashed with paint by loansharks. Photo: Robin Choo North Vista Secondary School files police report, says it has no links to targeted persons
By [h=2]Stacey Lim[/h]
[email protected]
Published: 9:09 PM, November 23, 2015
Updated: 11:47 PM, November 23, 2015
SINGAPORE — North Vista Secondary School teachers and students who went back to the school today (Nov 23) during the final term break had a rude shock: Red paint was splattered on the wall that bore the school’s name and logo, situated next to its main gate.
On what looked like loan-shark graffiti, there were also posters listing the names and other details of a man and his son, who had acted as a guarantor for the former’s S$2,500 debt.
The posters stated that the son was a student from Rivervale Secondary School. There is no such school, and North Vista Secondary principal Regina Lee told TODAY that she had checked the names of the man and his son with the school’s database and found that they “had nothing to do” with the school, which is situated at Rivervale Link.
The school has lodged a police report. Responding to queries, the police said they received a call today at about 7.07am requesting assistance. They are investigating what they describe as a “case of mischief”.
A picture of the defaced wall and the posters was sent to this newspaper by members of the public. When TODAY visited the school at around 1.30pm, workers were seen cleaning up the wall. The posters had also been removed.
Residents nearby and North Vista Secondary students said they were shocked by the brazen act, believed to have been carried out by loan-shark runners. Nevertheless, the residents said loan-shark harassment was not a big problem in the neighbourhood.
Minister of State (Manpower) Teo Ser Luck, who is the Member of Parliament taking care of the area, said he has received feedback from a few residents who have been victims of loan-shark harassment.
Mr Teo said the town council is working closely with the police on such cases.
He added that the handful of affected residents had requested for closed-circuit television cameras to be installed outside their flats. These requests would be assessed on a case-by-case basis as there are privacy concerns, Mr Teo said.
He reiterated the need for residents to be the authorities’ eyes and ears on the ground.
“It is very important for neighbours to feedback to us and keep their neighbourhoods safe,” he said.
