Businesses at Duxton Hill hit by anti-vice raids

[MarrickG]

FREQUENT raids and police patrolling have turned off pub-goers from patronising the Duxton Hill area at Tanjong Pagar.

Over the past two years, around 50 pubs in the area, notoriously known as the "new Joo Chiat or Geylang" were closed down due to vice raids.

Such closures have affected businesses in the area and according to Shin Min Daily News, businesses dropped by about 70 per cent.

In its heyday, the Duxton Hill area saw about 110 pubs and bars in 2008, compared to today's figure of only 60 nightspots that are still operating.

A spokesperson from the Singapore Police Force told the Chinese evening dailies that the main reason behind the closure of so many pubs in that area is due to vice trade.

Police conducted anti-vice raids thrice a week and in 2008, seven Filipino women were fined and arrested for exposing their breasts.

This is just one of the few examples of court cases that gave a glimpse of the action going on in the pubs.

Mr Cai, an owner of a pub at Duxton Hill for seven years, told the newspaper that the area was "colourful and vibrant in 2005", but has since died down drastically.
» 138 more nabbed in 13-hr raid on Geylang
» 170 arrests in massive Geylang crackdown

"Cars were parked along both sides of the roads and the valet parking business was doing well."

"Pubs plying the vice trade started sprouting up and that was when there was frequent trouble and fights," said Mr Cai.

"Police started to patrol the area and business went down seven fold", continued Mr Cai.

Although the area has been cleaned up, the bad image seems to have stuck.

Another pub owner told Shin Min Daily News that the only bustling days were Fridays and it is normally very quiet during the week.

Shop rental rates at the Duxton Hill area has also plunged - two years ago, the rent for a 2,100 square metre shop would cost $21,000. Today, it only costs $8,000 to rent the entire space.

Mr Cai was told by regular customers at his pub, that when they told their friends they were going to Duxton Hill for a drink, it was assumed they were patronising a sleaze joint or seeking female company.

Mr Liang, 58, a manager in a shipping company, frequents Duxton Hill for over 20 years and was often questioned by friends during 2005 to 2008.

"I'm a regular in this area and have a good relationship with the pub owners.

"I know they're not running a vice business, so I have no qualms in coming here to chat and drink," said Mr Liang.

 

[zuoom]

how many of these pubs do we really need?

 

[cheekenpie]

I bet you $50 that all the vice will be pushed to Potong Pasir if Lina can defend the turf!

 

[Equalisation]

Majority there are pinoy girls, YUCKS !!!

There are many at the drink stalls opposite Macdonald's at People Park Complex at night.

 

[Glaringly]

This country is running everything so haphazardly, looks like the authority suka suka issue license like nobody business, zero planning to say the least.

110 pubs in this small little area, and no one single bell is ringing before it even cross the half way mark? This is not your ordinary family shops!? So, where is the control and who is responsible for the side effect and negative influence?

Looking at the bigger picture of FTs flooding, isn't it tells the same lack of concern for the citizens at large. So when somebody big in PAP says let's grow the country by importing another 2 million FTs. The ministries just opens the floodgates and nobody, nobody in power is really interested in the sanitary of this country.

Seems like they only care about those connected and with their various businesses could reap from these property gains.

 

[Balls2U]

The Sinkies Fab 4?

 

[lifeafter41]

FREQUENT raids and police patrolling have turned off pub-goers from patronising the Duxton Hill area at Tanjong Pagar.

Over the past two years, around 50 pubs in the area, notoriously known as the "new Joo Chiat or Geylang" were closed down due to vice raids.

Such closures have affected businesses in the area and according to Shin Min Daily News, businesses dropped by about 70 per cent.

In its heyday, the Duxton Hill area saw about 110 pubs and bars in 2008, compared to today's figure of only 60 nightspots that are still operating.

A spokesperson from the Singapore Police Force told the Chinese evening dailies that the main reason behind the closure of so many pubs in that area is due to vice trade.

Police conducted anti-vice raids thrice a week and in 2008, seven Filipino women were fined and arrested for exposing their breasts.

This is just one of the few examples of court cases that gave a glimpse of the action going on in the pubs.

Mr Cai, an owner of a pub at Duxton Hill for seven years, told the newspaper that the area was "colourful and vibrant in 2005", but has since died down drastically.
» 138 more nabbed in 13-hr raid on Geylang
» 170 arrests in massive Geylang crackdown

"Cars were parked along both sides of the roads and the valet parking business was doing well."

"Pubs plying the vice trade started sprouting up and that was when there was frequent trouble and fights," said Mr Cai.

"Police started to patrol the area and business went down seven fold", continued Mr Cai.

Although the area has been cleaned up, the bad image seems to have stuck.

Another pub owner told Shin Min Daily News that the only bustling days were Fridays and it is normally very quiet during the week.

Shop rental rates at the Duxton Hill area has also plunged - two years ago, the rent for a 2,100 square metre shop would cost $21,000. Today, it only costs $8,000 to rent the entire space.

Mr Cai was told by regular customers at his pub, that when they told their friends they were going to Duxton Hill for a drink, it was assumed they were patronising a sleaze joint or seeking female company.

Mr Liang, 58, a manager in a shipping company, frequents Duxton Hill for over 20 years and was often questioned by friends during 2005 to 2008.

"I'm a regular in this area and have a good relationship with the pub owners.

"I know they're not running a vice business, so I have no qualms in coming here to chat and drink," said Mr Liang.

So these are the Foreign Talents that was brought in lock stock and barrel. It's true a majority of the ladies are from the Philipines. While I am not sure if the locals patronise the pubs there, but you do see lots of "Ang Mohs".

The problem is that there is a lot of Philipino guys working in Singapore too, where there is nationality of one countries, you are bound to have the other sexes too. I guess its what you called it as sticking to one's kind.

 

[halsey02]

Majority there are pinoy girls, YUCKS !!!

There are many at the drink stalls opposite Macdonald's at People Park Complex at night.

The pinoys used to populate People's Park Complex hawker centre after 8pm for years...that place had been replaced by the Mei Mei's...

Duxton Hill and the surrounds ( psst old man territory) used to be a very quiet area....by the way...that is No Porn Lui territory, he may not have watched porn...but his business district encourages one....oxymoron!

 

[Ramseth]

The pinoys used to populate People's Park Complex hawker centre after 8pm for years...that place had been replaced by the Mei Mei's...

Duxton Hill and the surrounds ( psst old man territory) used to be a very quiet area....by the way...that is No Porn Lui territory, he may not have watched porn...but his business district encourages one....oxymoron!

All the way from the Quays through Chinatown pubs to Duxton pubs, "staffed" by pinoy "lady-drink" girls for more than a decade. PRC girls are mostly on the other side across Eu Tong Sen Road with "massage" territory. This is Kreta Ayer-Tanjong Pagar "business" landscape.

 

[kingrant]

Right under the nose of you-know-who ? How can? Where're the PAPPy running dogs guarding this GRC? Who's the chief pariah dog?

 

[Ramseth]

Right under the nose of you-know-who ? How can? Where're the PAPPy running dogs guarding this GRC? Who's the chief pariah dog?

If nobody gives CID-AV the order to raid and clear, they won't and can't mount any serious raid. Just make sure not too many "consumer complaints" e.g. cheating, overcharching, stealing, fighting, rioting etc. Actually, these complaints have always been also minimal because most victims avoid police too.