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Questions to ask your PAP MP

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Forum: No success with job search after 2 years​


Oct 8, 2021

I refer to the letter from the press secretary to the Minister for Manpower, "Government listens to Singaporeans' concerns on jobs and livelihoods" (Sept 25).
It was mentioned that through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, more than 128,000 local job seekers have been placed into jobs and skills opportunities.
For relevance, the conversion factor - to show how many job applicants were successful in getting jobs - should also be indicated.
The letter said job seekers can approach Workforce Singapore to get suitable placements. Unfortunately, my own experience with the Workforce Singapore website leaves much to be desired.
I am a maritime professional with more than 35 years of service, and I was made redundant in September 2019.
Since then, I have made at least 125 job applications using the Workforce Singapore website and have not received a single invitation for an interview.

Last month, I appealed to Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng for help. He replied very promptly and forwarded my request to Careers Connect, Workforce Singapore.
I was contacted by both an officer and a career coach but after a few calls and e-mail exchanges, there has been no follow-up.
I have made no progress in my quest to get employment for about two years despite using the Workforce Singapore portal, as well as trying to communicate with its staff.
Based on the comments and feedback on various social media forums, I think I am not the only one in this situation.
I hope that the Workforce Singapore recruitment process will be reviewed and reinforced with more dedicated follow-up to ensure that all eligible citizens find gainful employment.

Rajkrish Kumaran
 

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Forum: Town councils need to up their game in Covid-19 fight​

Oct 8, 2021

Town councils play an important role in ensuring the health and safety of their residents during this pandemic.
I have visited many estates where lifts are clean, and hand sanitiser bottles are filled.
In my estate, though, the lifts are dirty, and hand sanitiser bottles are almost always empty.
The town council acts to refill the sanitiser only when I write in, and I have had to do so several times.
Town councils governing estates such as Sembawang, Kebun Bahru and Nee Soon seem to care a lot for the health of their residents. At these estates, sanitiser bottles are refilled regularly and there are phone numbers and e-mail addresses for residents to contact should they run out of sanitiser.
I hope all town councils will follow their example and help care for their residents.


Eugene Low Wen Qiang
 

bobby

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Forum: Sham....do you get 2 celeries because you hold 2 ministerial posts ?​


OCT 8, 2021

Hi Black Dog....you huat liao issit ?

Hold 2 ministers job (Minister for Law & Minister for Home Affairs) means you also work 10 days a week too ? Liddat say you will be the most highest paid minister in SG...even more than the PM liao.

Why not combine these 2 ministers jobs into 1 (Minister for Home Law) and create more productivity & save taxpayers money for cho bolan.

Huat ahhhh !!!!

Bobby
 

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Forum: No explanation for why noise barrier can't be put up at construction site​

Oct 9, 2021


There is upgrading work being done at the premises of the old Mayflower Primary School which involves a lot of piling, drilling and hacking. The site is directly opposite and about 100m away from Block 649, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.
As a resident of Block 649, I have asked a few times for a noise barrier to be built, but the National Environment Agency (NEA) replied four times that it is not mandatory for noise barriers to be erected at construction sites. But it did not explain why a barrier is not needed.
Because of the pandemic, many residents are working from home and suffering because of the noise.
I happened to drive by Lentor Avenue and saw another construction site which has a noise barrier. The nearest homes are in a condominium opposite the site, about 1km away.
I am puzzled by the fact that this construction site has a noise barrier but not the one opposite my home.

Kang Kim Seng
 

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MP, did the PAP government not foresee this scenario when it "liberalise" the electricity market: that suppliers will quit if they lose money?

Forum: Electricity retailer exiting market should compensate customers​

Oct 16, 2021

I have two contracts for electricity supply from iSwitch, one for me and the other for my mother.
On Wednesday, we received e-mails from iSwitch saying that it will be ceasing its electricity retail operations from Nov 11 because of current electricity market conditions.
The e-mail said: "You will not be required to pay any early contract termination charges." Of course we will not need to pay anything as we did not break the contracts, but since iSwitch broke the contracts, doesn't it need to compensate us?
Both our contracts are on a fixed-rate plan as we foresaw that electricity charges would go up.
I can only conclude that iSwitch had miscalculated when it priced its fixed-rate plans as electricity rates have gone up.
It would not be exiting the business if it were profitable.

By terminating our contracts, iSwitch will cause us to incur greater cost when we switch to other providers, as electricity charges by SP and other providers have gone up quite a bit.
Hence, it is only right for it to compensate consumers.

Wong Kwok Wai
 

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Forum: Residents asked to be patient until new vehicle noise standards kick in​


MAR 21, 2022

I live in a condominium close to the Pan-Island Expressway.
As the noise level was unbearable, the condo's management corporation asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) three years ago to conduct a sound measurement. The decibel level was found to be above the permissible level.
Through our MP, residents asked the LTA to build a sound barrier for the sake of our well-being. The LTA declined the request and asked us to be patient as the sound level would go down after new vehicle noise standards are adopted from next year.
It also said it plans to repave the pavement next year to better absorb sound.
But until all that happens, what about the possible effects on residents' health? Can I turn to the LTA for help if my mental health deteriorates or I experience hearing loss?
I have been enduring the noise for many years, but it has become worse after the trees that used to act as a sound barrier were recently pruned.

Jackie Tan Siew Wei
 

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Some Ang Mo Kio residents dismayed by top-up for similar-sized Sers replacement units; HDB exploring options​

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The HDB announced in April that four Ang Mo Kio HDB blocks had been selected under Sers. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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Michelle Ng
Housing Correspondent

June 16, 2022

SINGAPORE - When part-time hairdresser Janice Ong learnt in April that her Ang Mo Kio Housing Board block was among the four picked for the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers), she thought she would be getting a brand-new flat with little to no extra money out of her pocket.
So it came as a shock to the 54-year-old when she realised that she might have to fork out more than $100,000, if she were to pick a similar-sized four-room flat at the Sers replacement site.
"I thought I could live here for the rest of my life, but now that I've just finished paying for the flat, they want me to pay another $100,000," said Madam Ong, who moved into the flat at Block 562 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 around six years ago with her husband. Their two daughters and a son-in-law live with them.
Seven other residents - all above 50 years old - that The Straits Times interviewed were dismayed at having to fork out more money to buy a similar-sized replacement unit.
The HDB announced in April that four HDB blocks - Blocks 562 to 565 in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 - had been selected under Sers, a scheme aimed at rejuvenating older estates.
Completed in 1979, flats in these four blocks comprise mainly three- and four-room units. The 606 households affected by the government acquisition have been offered replacement flats with a fresh 99-year lease at Ang Mo Kio Drive, next to ITE College Central.

On Wednesday (June 15), HDB said it was aware of some residents who were concerned about having to top up money in order to buy a larger-sized replacement flat that is closer to the size of their existing units.


"We understand these concerns, especially from seniors who have informed us that they do not need the fresh 99-year lease that comes with the new replacement flats. We are looking at the residents' feedback and will continue to explore options to assist these families," said HDB, without elaborating on what these options are.
Under Sers, affected owners can opt to buy replacement flats with a fresh lease or sell their Sers flats with the rehousing benefits on the open market.
Professor Sing Tien Foo, director of the Institute of Real Estate and Urban Studies at the National University of Singapore, said a possible solution could be for the HDB to bundle the Lease Buyback Scheme in the replacement flats for Sers owners who do not require the fresh 99-year lease.

The scheme allows seniors aged 65 and above to sell back a portion of their lease to the HDB to receive a stream of income in their retirement years, while continuing to live in their flats.
"For the seniors, they can perhaps buy a replacement flat on a 40-year lease and the remaining 59 years will be taken care of by HDB, so they don't have to fret about taking a loan or forking out money," said Prof Sing.


ERA Realty head of research and consultancy Nicholas Mak said another possible solution would be for the HDB to sell Sers replacement flats on a shorter lease. But problems may arise if owners hope to resell on the open market, he noted.
"Mixing different lease tenures - some 99 years, some 50, some 40 - in one block is just chaos," he said.
A more straightforward - but harder to swallow - solution would be for owners to accept a smaller unit, said Mr Mak.
"If you have a four-room now and you downsize to a two-room flexi or three-room flat, you probably won't have to pay more money. The good thing is there's a 99-year lease, so the value is preserved because there's a reselling option down the road. Yes, the unit will be smaller but that's the way the cookie crumbles," he said.

HDB estimates the compensation amount for owners of smaller three-room flats would range from $290,000 to $340,000, while four-room flat owners - whose units are 92 to 93 sq m in size - may get $380,000 to $450,000.
The actual compensation amount to be paid to each household will be finalised later this year after an appointed private valuer assesses the units.

Eligible flat owners will also receive a Sers grant of up to $30,000 to buy a replacement flat. They will also get a $10,000 removal allowance, as well as have their stamp and legal fees for their next purchase covered.
The estimated selling price of the new replacement flats ranges from $169,000 to $247,000 for a two-room flexi unit.
Prices for a three-room unit range from $292,000 to $384,000 while four-room units, which come in either 80 or 90 sq m, range from $396,000 to $563,000.

HDB said its staff have been providing "personalised support" for residents, including conducting door-to-door visits to explain the Sers scheme and address concerns.
Madam Chen Wen Qing, 65, who shares a four-room flat with her father, Mr Chen De Quan, 87, is unwilling to move to a smaller replacement unit as they often have family members staying over.
"We've been in this home for more than 40 years and have finished paying back the loan. We just want to live peacefully, but now we're in a lot of distress. I'm just hoping that the Government will help us," said Madam Chen, who is unable to work due to health issues.
Retired librarian Ramakrishnan Govindasamy, 85, who lives with his wife, grandson and a helper in a four-room flat, said he is considering selling his unit at a price that allows him to buy an older, or smaller, HDB resale flat in the area.
"Realistically speaking, five years from now, my wife and I may or may not even be around, so why should I pay more money for the next flat, especially when I'm being asked to vacate my flat?"
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An artist's impression of the new replacement blocks in Ang Mo Kio Drive for residents affected by Sers. PHOTO: HDB
Associate Professor Walter Theseira of the Singapore University of Social Sciences said the issue of having to top up for a Sers replacement flat is not new, but is especially acute among seniors who are cash-poor.
The location of the Sers site could also have an impact on its sale price and attractiveness, he said.
Referring to the 2014 Tanglin Halt Sers exercise, Prof Theseira said an attractive location could give prospective buyers a strong incentive to purchase the Sers flat and its rehousing benefits.
"It's obvious that redevelopment of, say, Tanjong Pagar or Chinatown would produce very desirable replacement flats. Less so for an outlying estate like Ang Mo Kio."
ERA's Mr Mak said the owners' misguided expectations of a one-to-one swop might have stemmed from yesteryears when Sers was seen as a "lottery" by some people.
"Twenty years ago, perhaps the compensation amount was more generous but back then, the Sers flats had longer remaining leases. Now, because there are more ageing flats, HDB might be more cautious to not overcompensate owners," he added.
 

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"MP, I am hungry because I can't afford the higher food prices. How?"

Tampines coffee shop sold for record $41.68m; tenants say rent doubled​

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The $41.68 million deal topped the previous reported record of $31 million for a coffee shop in Bukit Batok in 2015. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
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Isabelle Liew

JUN 16, 2022

SINGAPORE - A coffee shop in Tampines changed hands for a record $41.68 million, and some tenants are thinking about terminating their agreements following a surge in rent.
A firm called G&G (21) lodged a caveat with the Singapore Land Authority in April for the coffee shop, 21 Street Eating House, in Block 201 Tampines Street 21.
The transaction is expected to be completed next month, local media outlet 8world reported on Wednesday (June 15).
The deal topped the previous reported record of $31 million for a coffee shop in Block 155 Bukit Batok Street 11 in 2015.
Based on Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority records, G&G's director, Mr Kiong Tai Weng, owns several other businesses including the 7 Stars coffee shop chain and U Stars supermarkets.
In 2014, he bought the Hong Kong Street Zhen Ji foodcourt in Block 151 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 for $7.4 million as the late founder was his mentor, The New Paper reported.
The 604 sq m Tampines coffee shop, which has 18 stalls, has 76 years left on its lease, according to a property title information search.

The purchase price of $41,682,168 works out to about $6,411 per sq ft (psf) - almost on a par with the average of $6,964 psf for ground level retail units in Far East Plaza and Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road sold this year, data from ERA Research and the Urban Redevelopment Authority showed.
Some tenants at the Tampines coffee shop told The Straits Times that rents there have surged since a new operator took over in April.
The owner of Zaleha Food Corner, who wanted to be known only as Madam Zaleha, 66, said rent doubled from $6,000 to $12,000.

"I've been doing business here for 23 years, but I think we cannot afford the rent now. Maybe I'll have to close my stall."
Madam Zaleha added that she has had to raise prices by between 20 cents and 50 cents, and worries she cannot pay her five workers their salaries.
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The 604 sq m Tampines coffee shop, which has 18 stalls, has 76 years left on its lease. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
The owner of Kumamoto Ramen, who wanted to be known only as Ms Jacquelyn, had to let two workers go, leaving one worker to man the stall since April.
"We've been making a loss since rent doubled and we can't increase our prices. That's why we're thinking of pulling out," said Ms Jacquelyn, who is in her 40s, adding that she is now paying nearly $10,000 in rent, which used to be about $5,000.
Another tenant, who declined to be named and runs two stalls at the coffee shop, said rent rose 30 per cent and he had to fork out an additional $10,000 in total for both his stalls.
"The location is good, but business is not great. We've been making a loss since April," he said.
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Some tenants at the Tampines coffee shop told The Straits Times that rents there have surged since a new operator took over in April. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Mr Nicholas Mak, ERA Singapore's head of research and consultancy, said there is optimism in the market as lunch and dinner crowds in food and beverage establishments have nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels.
He noted that the Tampines coffee shop is surrounded by Housing Board blocks, which is a good catchment area for potential customers.
"But it also faces competition - there are about four other coffee shops within a 10-minute walk," said Mr Mak.
"The buyers should be mindful of the competition. If they raise rents too high, tenants will just go elsewhere."
But the $12,000 rent did not deter the owner of Hua Xiang Mala Kitchen, who set up shop there in April.
The owner, who declined to be named, said business is stable.
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The Tampines coffee shop is surrounded by Housing Board blocks, which is a good catchment area for potential customers. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
The supply of coffee shops is limited as HDB stopped selling them since 1998, noted Huttons Asia's senior director of research Lee Sze Teck.
As most coffee shops have about eight to 10 stalls, the 18 stalls at the Tampines coffee shop could have pushed prices higher, he added.
"Buyers usually hold coffee shops for stable rental returns and seldom let go unless they receive a very good offer. Individuals and coffee shop chains are always on the lookout for such prized assets," he said.
 

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Forum: Ensure coffee shop prices remain affordable​

June 20, 2022

I read with consternation and astonishment that a coffee shop in Tampines was sold at a price that is on a par with retail units in Orchard Road malls (Tampines coffee shop sold for record $41.68m; tenants say rent doubled, June 16).
Another in Yishun also changed hands at around the same price (Coffee shop in Yishun sold for $40m in second such sale this year, June 19).
Free-market pricing has gone too far now, and will certainly affect the affordability of food in the HDB heartland.
Imagine going to a coffee shop - without the ambience of a mall setting and air-conditioning - and having to pay $10 for a simple plate of char kway teow or chicken rice.
Would exorbitant prices drive customers away? Would it affect the livelihoods of the workers?
Something should be done before this phenomenon spreads to other heartland coffee shops.
Perhaps the authorities could set a range of prices for food sold in heartland food centres and coffee shops to ensure it remains affordable to the average person.

Keith Wong
 

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Forum: Residents in some places at the mercy of high coffee shop prices​

June 24, 2022

Mr Jonathan Wong's contention that we should let sky-high transaction prices of coffee shops be, as these are purely commercial decisions that would be tempered by supply and demand, is an oversimplification of the real issues (Not Govt's business to intervene in commercial decisions, June 22).
HDB incorporated neighbourhood coffee shops into estates to serve the social purpose of giving nearby residents easy access to affordable meals.
In places where there are many households and no alternative coffee shops nearby, the residents are at the mercy of the high prices charged by the coffee shop stalls to recoup the high prices paid in rent.
And when one coffee shop starts charging high prices, it might embolden nearby coffee shops to raise their prices as well. The losers in the end are the residents.
In the days when there was less wealth inequality, a hawker would be very wary of raising his prices for fear of losing customers because everyone was very price-sensitive.
With rising wealth disparity, there is now a sufficient pool of willing payers for raised prices, leaving the lower-income groups out in the cold. And we're talking food here, not luxuries.
We are living in a country, not a pure commercial entity, and every person must feel that he has a place in it. In areas where the lower-income feel powerless to fight rich asset holders, the authorities should step in to look after their interests.

Peh Chwee Hoe
 

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Dealing with noisy neighbours from hell​

Those enduring the noise need all the help they can get - to have some peace and quiet.​

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Rosalind Ang
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Noise pollution has a host of potential ill effects apart from hours of lost sleep. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PEXELS

JUL 3, 2022


It’s 3am in the morning. I can hear the racket of mahjong tiles being shuffled next door.
The police had left mere minutes ago after warning my neighbours to stop for the night.
It was my life for more than 10 years.
I grew up in a four-room HDB flat. The neighbours opposite my unit would often play mahjong into the wee hours of the morning. They would also leave their front door and gate open.
As I didn’t have space in my bedroom for a study table, I had to set up a table in the living room and study through the mahjong noise.
My neighbours would also watch television with the volume turned to maximum.
My family’s unit wasn’t the only one affected by the noise. A woman who lived across the corridor had also confronted our neighbour about the birds they kept in cages near the window.

There were at least five birds and they would squawk non-stop throughout the day.
The woman told our neighbour that her sleep had been affected by the birds, but her complaints were ignored.
As it turns out, I wasn’t alone in facing such unruly neighbours.


In the past two years, the Housing Board saw an uptick in feedback relating to noise from residents’ activities, including renovation noise.
Such cases went up by about 25 per cent to 3,200 cases a month last year, compared with 2,500 cases a month in 2020.
In April, The Straits Times reported on a customer service officer who tolerated sounds of dragging furniture and children running and jumping from the unit above hers for about three years.
Her health deteriorated as a result of sleep deprivation and she had to stop working for six months.
She had taken her case to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) after trying mediation through the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) three times. Her efforts at mediation had been unsuccessful.

In May, digital media platform Rice Media published a report about a family living in Hougang who suffered 11 years of their neighbour allegedly making banging noises every night. They also reported facing verbal insults.
Their mediation attempts were likewise unsuccessful.
My family tried approaching our neighbours to speak to them. When our attempts at communication failed, we resorted to calling the police.
In response, the neighbours threatened to physically assault my father.
HDB’s advice to those facing neighbour disputes is to “communicate with your neighbours politely, listen to them and be willing to compromise” before seeking mediation services, according to its website.
Residents are advised to be considerate to neighbours and to observe the quiet hours between 10.30pm and 7am, according to general guidelines by the Municipal Services Office.
The effects of noise are not measured only in hours of lost sleep.
According to Harvard Medicine, noise pollution has a host of potential ill effects, such as causing or worsening cardiovascular disease, mental health and cognition problems, including memory impairment and attention deficits.
Noise pollution can also cause childhood learning delays and low birth weight.
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ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
Noise can be difficult to police because it comes from within other units. Unlike other pollutants such as smoke and litter, noise cannot be physically blocked from entering your home.
As a result, it is difficult to get concrete proof of the source of noise. You cannot simply close the windows or doors to block out the noise. Noise goes through walls, doors, ceilings and floors.
Some have resorted to drastic means after failed mediation attempts.
The customer service officer eventually rented a bedroom in a landed home elsewhere to stay in. The family in Hougang continues to document the daily banging they face on video-sharing platform TikTok.
They are not the only ones who have taken matters into their own hands.
In 2017, a family built a wall barbed with cacti and durian husk across the common corridor to keep out their neighbour, who often splashed a foul-smelling substance across their door and the corridor.
The neighbour was eventually arrested for being a public nuisance.
Residents at this Yishun flat have built a wall barbed with cacti to keep out a neighbour who has been splashing oil mixed with urine across their door and along the corridor in the early hours nearly every day. Balls of toilet paper and used sanit


A wall barbed with cacti and durian husk built by a family to keep out their neighbour. PHOTO: ST FILE
At present, the National Environment Agency publishes regulations limiting noise from vehicles, construction and industrial premises.
No specific limits are prescribed for residential noise.
Under the Community Dispute Management Framework (CDMF) to manage quarrels between neighbours, warring parties are encouraged to settle their problems through mediation before filing a case with the CDRT, which will pass judgment on the matter.
According to the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act, a person found guilty of causing annoyance or inconvenience to the occupier of any premises in the vicinity or to anyone lawfully using any public road or in any public place can be fined up to $1,000.
Anyone found guilty of breaching the requirement of a magistrate’s order to stop nuisance or to prevent nuisance from recurring can be fined up to $2,000.
In April, a community advisory panel was formed to tackle unacceptable neighbourhood noise from residents as well as outdoor spaces, such as basketball courts and coffee shops.
The panel aims to establish what unacceptable noise levels are when, for example, residents drag furniture, slam doors or play loud music, and look into the feasibility of a guideline for noise levels in decibels.
The panel will propose a set of community norms by the end of the year to serve as a benchmark and common reference for public advisories, and when facilitating mediation at the CDRT.
I often felt that there was nothing I could do if my neighbours refused to cooperate. It was incredibly frustrating as a home is a place for peace and quiet, and yet that peace is regularly broken by the inconsiderate antics of my neighbours.

In 2019, I finally found peace – my family moved out of the flat.
Appealing to a sense of civic responsibility and common decency works most of the time.
When that fails, the conflict resolution process that people face when dealing with neighbours from hell is often drawn out, exhausting and has no guarantee of easing the problem.
I hope that the panel gives some teeth to those dealing with irresponsible and uncooperative neighbours. Because they certainly need all the help they can get – and a good night’s sleep.
 

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Forum: Communication and mediation do not work with noisy, self-centred neighbours​

Jul 5, 2022

The majority of our population live in apartment buildings. Noise pollution, littering, obstruction in corridors, problems with pets and foul smells are common issues that arise in community living.
Panels have been set up to handle these problems, but none seems able to solve them.
The experience of many over the years has shown that HDB's advice on resolving neighbour disputes - to communicate politely, listen and be willing to compromise before seeking mediation - does not work with self-centred people.
Just look at Ms Rosalind Ang's description of how her neighbours resumed their 3am mahjong session just minutes after being warned by the police to stop - which may sound funny but is unfortunately what happened (Dealing with noisy neighbours from hell, July 3).
The law-abiding victims are the ones who suffer and eventually move out to avoid trouble.
This is a bad outcome and will encourage others to become uncooperative neighbours.
It is time to review the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order Nuisance) Act to more effectively deter such behaviour.

In our densely populated living environment, peace and quiet are critical to living in harmony. We should not allow the few uncooperative, selfish people to ruin the lives of the majority.

Goh Boon Kai
 

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Forum: Many seniors rely on hawker centres, affordable food prices​


July7, 2022

I share Forum writer Muhammad Dzul Azhan Sahban's concerns about rising food prices (Stallholders, consumers can take steps to mitigate rising food prices, July 4).
Singapore is a rapidly ageing society. As seniors age, they are less able to cook for themselves due to physical deterioration. Many live alone, which leaves hawker food as their only choice.
While the Government is building more hawker centres to ensure residents have access to affordable food (HDB ensures a good supply of eating houses with affordable food options, June 30), it will take time for them to be ready.
For now, privately owned coffee shops are the best alternative for some seniors who live too far away from a hawker centre, even if the food is pricier.
Landlords raising coffee shop stall rental rates seem to go against efforts to promote the hawker trade in Singapore. I see coffee-shop stalls changing hands often.
Perhaps the Housing Board could consider taking back the leases of privately owned coffee shops. Lower rental would help hawkers make a living, and provide seniors unable to cook for themselves with affordable food.

Ang Chiew Leng
 

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Forum: Not much residents can do about junk mail in letterboxes​

July 12, 2022

A few years ago, the letterboxes at my block were upgraded to include a locking mechanism that blocks the apertures and keeps out junk mail. This was a great innovation.
However, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it appears the locking mechanism has been disabled. Even newspapers are now being stuffed into our letterboxes for delivery. I now count about 10 to 20 trash leaflets weekly.
What is especially unacceptable is that there are people damaging our letterboxes just to ensure these leaflets get pushed in.
I have been locked out of my own letterbox because someone jammed the metal bar near the flap. For days, I have been trying to no avail to open my letterbox, even adding oil to my key. I can't even get my newspapers out.
What is the point of having closed circuit television cameras near the letterbox if vandalism continues to occur and residents continue to be inundated with junk mail?

Chew Soon New
 

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One rule for private operators, another rule for government-owned operator

Forum: Keep minimum age of 21 for gambling at all venues​

Aug 15, 2022

I welcome the new laws on social gambling in Singapore (New laws on social gambling in Singapore to take effect from Aug 1, July 31). They will set clear parameters for what is acceptable.
I am quite puzzled, however, by one of the changes under the new Gambling Control Act, which will make it an offence for those under 21 to gamble, except at Singapore Pools outlets where the minimum age is 18.
I do not understand the reason for this difference.
Gambling is a vice that should not be encouraged, especially among the young.
Hence, I do not agree that the laws should differentiate between gambling at a casino and gambling at a Singapore Pools outlet.
The minimum age should be 21 for all gambling forms and at all gambling venues.

Foo Sing Kheng
 

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Letter of the week: Handle feedback on fire hazards promptly​

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Burned rubble seen at the site of the fire at Block 236 Jurong East Street 21 that killed one person. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Aug 12, 2022

I was saddened to read that a resident had died in a home fire (1 killed in early morning fire in Jurong East flat, Aug 16).
It was reported that a neighbour who had to be rescued from the fire said the residents of the flat that caught fire had a habit of keeping things, such as household appliances and bags, in the common corridor.
He said he had raised the issue many times since 2012 with Jurong Town Council and the Housing Board, but it was never resolved.
Hoarding is a stubborn issue among some neighbours, and is also difficult to resolve. Sending residents warning letters does not lessen the fire risk in a neighbourhood.
I have two friends who have a neighbour with a hoarding habit. Any responsible home owner would be equally concerned for the safety of his family and home.
As a business owner of a residential facility, I am very familiar with the diligent, stern and prompt actions taken by the Singapore Civil Defence Force towards fire hazards and blockages.
The financial penalty on commercial properties which break the law is severe. This is necessary for the safety of the people present in the building.

For the safety of every home and dwelling place in Singapore, I ask that the authorities handle residential fire hazard feedback with equal urgency and action, before another fire or death occurs.

Andrew Soo
 

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"After having sent close to a hundred e-mails to various authorities over nine years about his next-door neighbours' hoarding habit and the attendant fire risk, Mr Kumar's worst fears came true when a fire broke out in the early hours of Aug 16."

"Since he bought his four-room flat in 2012, he had spoken to Yuhua MP Grace Fu several times and written to the Housing Board, National Environment Agency, his town council and even the Ministry of National Development (MND) to seek action on the hoarding."

"But Mr Kumar, who is staying with his tenants in a one-room rental flat provided by HDB while they can make other arrangements, feels that not enough action was taken to make sure that the hoarding would stop."

Neighbour of hoarders exhausted all channels to no avail in decade leading up to Jurong East fire​

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A photo taken in 2019 of the area outside Mr Kumar's flat where hoarded items were placed. PHOTO: MR KUMAR
Yong Li Xuan

Aug 29, 2022

SINGAPORE - After having sent close to a hundred e-mails to various authorities over nine years about his next-door neighbours' hoarding habit and the attendant fire risk, Mr Kumar's worst fears came true when a fire broke out in the early hours of Aug 16.
Noises that sounded like explosions from the outside of his ninth-storey flat at Block 236 Jurong East Street 21 roused Mr Kumar and his two tenants, who woke up to a wall of fire so high it licked the ceiling outside the flat.
Acrid, black smoke crept in through the gaps in the windows and doors, and filled the flat with the "poisonous" smell of burning plastic, he recalled.
"I thought my life would end there," said the 56-year-old, who declined to provide his full name.
Finally, the three men were rescued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Mr Kumar said the first thing he did was to ask the firefighters if his neighbours had managed to get out.
Ms Huang Xiumei, 50, survived. But her brother Mr Huang Mingquan, 48, perished in the fire.
Mr Kumar said he was saddened by his death, which need not have happened if the hoarding behaviour had been addressed. His experience reflects the daunting task that those living next to a hoarder face in trying to change their situation.

Since he bought his four-room flat in 2012, he had spoken to Yuhua MP Grace Fu several times and written to the Housing Board, National Environment Agency, his town council and even the Ministry of National Development (MND) to seek action on the hoarding.
In a response to queries from The Straits Times, Ms Fu, who is also Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said Mr Kumar's feedback was taken seriously and HDB, the town council and grassroots leaders had worked to engage his neighbour.
"I understand that the family has been unresponsive, ignoring the calls of HDB and the town council," she said. "Over time, their immediate family members have moved out. Only the owner and his sister resided in the flat."

But Mr Kumar, who is staying with his tenants in a one-room rental flat provided by HDB while they can make other arrangements, feels that not enough action was taken to make sure that the hoarding would stop.
He said that though the corridor would be cleared by the authorities after his complaints, items would soon accumulate again. And so the cycle continued.
"To be frank, I was expecting the fire any time," he added. "I tried my level best to convince the authorities, each and every one, that there's a fire issue. But nobody took care of it."
Among the items his neighbours collected were plastic bottles, cans, shoes and old clothes, piled up in plastic bags.
"It smelled like rotten food," he said. "Really suffocating."
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The inside of the burnt flat, where many items had been stored. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Mr Kumar said it was so bad that he did not want to go home when he was out or leave his home once he returned, as he dreaded walking past the hoard of items.
"Other people always open their doors. But once I open my door, the smell comes in," he said. "I hate this place."
He said that in 2012, he applied for a Build-to-Order (BTO) flat at Skyline II, a development at Bukit Batok Street 22. But when it was time to collect the keys in 2017, he could not sell his current place, even after a three-month extension from HDB before payments would be due.
Mr Kumar said three property agents conducted 20 viewings over six months, but no one made an offer because of his neighbours.
He said he had to forfeit $30,000, which was the deposit for the BTO flat and other fees.

In 2013, the family decided that his homemaker wife and three-year-old daughter, who is allergic to dust, would return to India to live with his in-laws. Mr Kumar's 22-year-old son still lives in the flat, but was overseas when the fire occurred.
"I want to make a living. That's why I didn't go back with them," the IT analyst said, still hopeful that he could one day sell the flat and reunite with his family. "I miss my daughter a lot. I didn't experience her childhood with her."
Asked if he had tried to engage his neighbours, Mr Kumar said he could not communicate with them, as they spoke Mandarin.
He said he hopes the authorities will take stricter enforcement action against hoarders, for instance by conducting periodic checks and taking action if there is persistent and excessive clutter in a flat.
"From my perspective, they're not taking enough action. It's not effective," he said.
 

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Forum: Some seniors still have trouble getting polyclinic appointments with mobile apps​

Aug 31, 2022

I refer to the letter, "Mobile apps may present challenges to seniors" (Aug 25).
I am a senior and last week I wanted to see a doctor for pain in my feet. To book an appointment at Queenstown Polyclinic, I called the appointment hotline several times for two days.
Each time, an automated message told me the operators were busy, and I should try the OneNUHS app or wait on the line.
On the third day, I finally managed to get an appointment. Those were three very painful days.
While at the polyclinic, I had to wait for 45 minutes at the reception to get a referral for a podiatrist. In that time, I observed the following:
  • A man in his late 70s complained that he could not get a same-day appointment since the day before. He did not own a smartphone and was not familiar with how to use one, and said he could not keep borrowing one from others. The reception staff tried to show him how to use a smartphone, but he could not understand, and they booked an appointment for him.
  • Another man in his 60s walked in with his hands trembling badly. He too said he could not use the app. Seeing his condition, the staff booked an appointment for him that was in two hours' time.
  • A young woman walked in pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair. She told the staff the app was not working for her and terminated before she could get an appointment. She demonstrated this to the staff, who got the same result.
These incidents demonstrate what some seniors have to go through for basic services. When looking at productivity gains, the time wasted by some in using the app must also be considered.
Not everyone has the means to own a smartphone. Maybe this rush for digitalisation should be relooked to ensure that some are not left behind.

Pradeep K. Mathur
 

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Forum: Drivers of vans and lorries parked near HDB blocks disregard law on idling vehicles​


SEP 14, 2022

Over the years, MPs have discussed problems with second-hand smoke and diesel exhaust. I have lived next to a carpark for many years, and these problems constitute serious health hazards.
From smokers standing below the block and from nearby motorists, smoke wafts into flats that are four or five floors above.
A similar problem exists with van and lorry drivers who let their vehicle motors run idle. When parked below flat windows, the idling vehicles fill flats with cancer-causing diesel fumes.
Smoking at HDB void decks and common areas is prohibited, as is leaving vehicle engines idling.
However, when I politely ask them to comply with the law, many smokers and lorry drivers become hostile or feign ignorance.
Sometimes, lorry drivers run their diesel engines for more than an hour while they eat, make calls or sleep inside their vehicles.
Even when I identify violators and take photos and videos of their vehicles and licence plates, action is not actively taken.

Often, one agency refers me to another that in turn refers me to a third or fourth for enforcement.
There needs to be clear enforcement of laws on idling engines. One agency needs to be put in charge and crack down on violators. This could include using cameras which can accurately recognise faces and licence plates.
Large and visible anti-smoking and anti-vehicle-idling signs need to be clearly painted on carpark surfaces and skirting.

Eric J. Brooks
 
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