The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue
Bringing you daily news on the dot
The Social Market sticks to their Roots
Josie Austria, organiser of the Social Market, reveals the true essence of The Social Market
Angela Mae Macasinag
Joy Tan from Popaganda puts on a smile to attract customers and boost sales. Photo: Angela
Macasinag
The Social Market remains rooted to their
vision: to promote locally grown products and
form a community of nature-loving urban
dwellers.
Residents Complain of Migrant Worker Congregation
Migrant workers gather on a field near Kallang MRT station
Lee Zi Ying
Kalom Ayer residents complain of noise
and litter, caused by the congregation of mi-
grant workers on a field near their homes ev-
ery week.
Every Sunday, large groups of migrant
workers organise picnics and volleyball games
on a field between Kallang MRT station and
a cluster of HDB flats, with many residents
experiencing mixed feelings towards these
events.
Ms Koh Wee Kim, 48, a resident, said that
the crowd started forming late last year, when
the field between Kallang MRT station and
Kallang Trivista was completed, and has since
attracted an increasing number of migrant
workers.
“At first I was quite supportive of them, be-
cause I think that it is a good way for foreign
workers to relax during their off day, but now
the crowd has become so big that it is hard to
ignore and I have noticed that there has been
quite a problem with the noise that they are
making and they also litter around there,” Ms
Koh said. She added on saying that she now
finds the crowd “more disruptive than any-
thing”.
Many residents have also voiced similar
complaints. “It’s fun, it’s a great activity, but
sometimes quite annoying,” said Mr Johnny
Phoon, 54, a resident, explaining that the bois-
Secluded from urban Singapore in a corner
of Minden Road, is a small garden that serves
as the venue for the Social Market, the Open
Farm Community. Held on a weekend every
terous scene often disrupts residents living in
the area and inconveniences many by block-
ing the walkway to the Kallang MRT station.
“They should go further, at East Coast or
Pasir Ris where they can rent a chalet or what-
so-ever and can do whatever they like, rather
than to block the passageway of the entrance
and cause disturbance or get into a fight in
public,” added Mr Phoon, as he raised his con-
cern over the safety of the neighbourhood.
However, the solution to this problem
might not be so easy, according to Mr Ethan
Gan Yi Xuan, a Senior Specialist from Migrant
Workers’ Centre.
“[Just getting them out of their territory]
will not solve the problem, it would just create
it somewhere else,” said Mr Gan, explaining
that such demands would only be “shifting
them from one area to another”.
“In Singapore, you have more than one
million migrant workers, and right now the
dormitory space for migrant workers is hover-
ing at about 225,000, so many of them will stay
in rental flats,” said Mr Gan, explaining that
most recreational centres for migrant workers
are built near dormitories and workers not
living in dormitories are likely to find public
spaces near their homes for recreational activ-
ities.
“They may be just renting flats, but tech-
nically they are also staying there,” added Mr
Gan, explaining that chasing them out of the
two months from 10am to 4pm, the market
started in Nov 2015 as a scaled down farmer’s
market where vendors were invited to sell cu-
rated products ranging from food to artisanal
items. However, unlike other markets, it also
includes various activities such as yoga classes
and flower-arranging workshops.
Sharing a common interest and support
for natural local products, many vendors
and attendees see each other regularly, form-
ing a tight knit community. This creates an
“open-atmosphere” said Joy Tan, one of the
vendors. Furthermore, there was no urgency
to sell as vendors were eager to educate pass-
ersby on their products, even when customers
might not make a purchase.
While the market featured a myriad of
stores that sold vastly different products from
toothpaste to popsicles, one common factor
was that all products were locally produced.
Mr Xavier Tan’s Nutrinest which sold lo-
cally curated honey had a greater agenda be-
yond making profits. He said that he aims to
promote proper bee conservation in Singapore
where the environment is not “bee-friendly”.
He explained that the plants people grow in
Singapore do not produce nectar and are al-
Migrant workers tie volleyball nets to trees to set up a makeshift volleyball court on the field
near the Kallang MRT station. Photo: Lee Zi Ying
neighbourhood during their off days would
“defeat the whole purpose of a neighbour-
hood”.
Mr Gan also said that “it takes two hands
to clap”. While he advises migrant workers to
be more mindful of their litter and noise lev-
el, he also recommends residents to be more
understanding towards migrant workers and
suggests for the residents’ committee to come
out with events that are more inclusive of mi-
grant workers to help cultivate understanding
towards them.
Ms Janice L. Paroa, 28, a foreign domestic
worker from the Philippines says that she is
“very sorry” for the disturbance that they have
caused and that many of her friends are “doing
ways sprayed
with insecticide, which discourages plant
growth.
“The whole mission is just to support lo-
cal, that’s the framework I work with. Just to
make sure that our vendors are selling local-
ly sourced or locally produced products,” said
event coordinator Ms Josie Austria.
With no entrance fee imposed, the only
exception was a “participating fee” for the “set-
up, tents, the tables and the chairs”. All pro-
ceeds went back to the vendors, eliminating
any profit-driven intentions that they might
have had. Ms Austria said, “We don’t ask for
a proportion or a percentage”, of any profits
earned.
When asked whether there were any up-
coming plans for the Social Market to expand
into the mainstream market and into local
neighbourhoods, Ms Austria shook her head,
saying, “There’s nothing special [if it becomes
commonplace]. It becomes a Pasar Malam ba-
sically.” Adamant about promoting local prod-
ucts, especially on behalf of the vendors, she
also said, “There’s just their own pride in it …
and that’s exactly what I love about these ven-
dors.”
their best to tell people not to do that”, as they
recognise that they are visitors in Singapore
and do not want Singaporeans to have a bad
impression of the Philippines.
A spokesperson of Kalom Ayer Constitu-
ency said that steps have been taken recently
to meet complaints, and the committee will be
focusing on maintaining the well-being of the
residents and migrant workers in light of this
issue.
In response to their efforts, Mr Winston
Tay Thio, 44, a resident, said that he is happy
with the measures taken, bringing up the in-
creased number of rubbish bins placed around
the field and the regular police patrol in the
area on Sundays.

3 EVENTS
Intangible Skills Gained from Special Olympics
The Special Olympics develops more than just the physical fitness of their intellectually disabled athletes.
Avila Aira Ycel Villaruz
The winning-duo of the Mixed Senior Double Category: Noah Tan (right) and a friend he has
made throughout his Special Olympics journey, Vince Tan (left). Photo: Avila Aira Ycel Villaruz
A 16-year-old autistic child brought home two
gold medals for the bowling competition at
the 9th Special Olympics Singapore National
Games held at Temasek Club. (25)
On May 20, Noah Tan, 16, snatched the first
prize for both the Male Youth Single Category
and the Mixed Senior Double Category in the
Momentum 2017: A Big Hit with Bigger Purpose
Republic Polytechnic’s Momentum Dance Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary while promoting dance beyond entertain-
ment.
Nah Min Ning
With over 2,000 attendees, 15 dance groups
and an Elemental theme, Republic Polytechnic
celebrated Momentum’s 10th anniversary last
weekend, fostering greater interest in dance.
Held on May 19 and 20 at The Republic
Cultural Centre Theatre, Momentum 2017’s
showcase featured eight dances from 15 finest
tertiary education dance groups, resulting in a
record turnout with all 2,222 tickets sold out
two weeks before the event. Elemental is this
year’s theme, a reference to using various cul-
tures to showcase the contrast between funda-
mental dance elements like classical ballet and
modern dance styles like hip hop.
Besides being a big event, Momentum has
a greater agenda of making more Singaporeans
interested in dance. Zaini Mohammad Tahir,
founder and producer of Momentum, aims to
make street culture into a higher art form more
acceptable to the public. With tickets priced at
just S$10, Momentum is not commercialised
and Tahir said that they “do it for the arts” and
that “arts invite conversation”. Tahir said, “For
me, a good art is something that creates a cer-
tain amount of conversation - that means it
ARTS for the Soul
Youths spreads awareness and inclusivity of the disabled through an usual arts performance.
Lee Zi Ying
Organised by youths for Jalan Besar’s
underprivileged residents, the disabled com-
munity helped spread the message of inclusiv-
ity through an unusual arts performance.
In conjunction with Nanyang Tech-
nological University (NTU) and People’s As-
sociation Youth Movement (PAYM), the Com-
munity Chest put together a performance event
- Ability Redefining the Society (A.R.T.S.),
for the under privileged community of Jalan
Special Olympics Singapore National Games.
Noah represented Rainbow Centre’s Margaret
Drive School, a school for children with disabil-
ities.
According to his supportive mother, Mdm
Rosyniah Wang, this was a huge milestone for
him especially since this was the first time he
RP Indian Cultural Dance performs a homecoming traditional dance, welcoming men home from
a hard day of work. Photo: Nah Min Ning
goes beyond just entertainment.”
The dances ranged from modernised Malay
dance moves by RP Modern Dance to a tra-
ditional Indian dance piece featuring classic,
graceful movements by NUS Indian Dance
members. The Indian dance piece is an uplift-
ing performance showcasing the festivity cheer
Besar Grass Roots Constituency (GRC). The
event held on May 20 at the Kreta Ayer People’s
Theatre drew over a thousand participants with
the main aim of raising awareness for the dis-
abled.
Performers at the two-hour long
event included the Singapore Association for
the Deaf (SADEAF), Grace Orchard and Eden
School.
The opening of the event featured
played for two categories. She also said that when
he first started out in 2014, he had no knowledge
or experience in bowling. Since then, his overall
progress since then was a huge achievement for
him.
Putting aside the medals and the recognition,
Noah has also won something much more in-
tangible since joining the Special Olympics – a
positive character shift.
Mdm Wang said, “Here at Special Olympics, he
had picked up skills such as social interaction
and sportsmanship.” Explaining that Noah has
since lost his “kiasu” attitude, she went on to say
that losing no longer affects him as he thinks
that it is “okay for him to cheer his friend up”.
The Special Olympics also provided the value
of friendship as Noah has since gained many
friends through participating in it. Vince Tan,
who won the mixed senior double category, was
one such friend. Mdm Wang said that Noah and
his peers have developed a caring relationship
towards each other and even look forward to at-
tending bowling training together weekly.
Sports Development & Partnership En-
gagement Officer, Ms Maria Heng, said that par-
ticipants had undergone two training sessions
of welcoming Ganesha, the Hindu god of har-
vest. Being a favourite of Ms Nadira Bte Murad
who had attended the event for the third year,
she noted that while simple, the dance was in-
teresting and captivating.
Beyond just entertainment, Momentum
also provides a greater, intangible value to
“ Although they
are children with disability,
they can still do their part in
community.
Ms Lisa Goh, Principal of Eden School
The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue
spanning two and a half months, to reinforce
familiarity with the competition venue and
routine.
Special Olympics is a sports organisation that
provides year-long training and athletic com-
petitions to children and adults with intellec-
tual disabilities. The organisation holds local,
national and regional competitions.
Ms Heng said that the Special Olympics has
a stronger emphasis on forming friendships
rather than the usual rigour of competition to
develop a competitive spirit in individuals. She
also said that they focus on giving participants
courage, which strongly adheres to the Special
Olympics Athletes’ Oath: ‘Let me win. But if I
cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.’
Mdm Wong and Mdm Reny Lee, mother of
Vince, hope that more parents caring for in-
tellectually disadvantaged children will see the
Special Olympics as an encouraging mission
that promotes children with disabilities as ca-
pable.
Mr Peter Chng, coach of Noah and Vince, also
hopes that through the olympics, society will
one day learn to see people with disabilities for
what they can do, instead of what they cannot.
dancers - friendships. For Chanel Ma
Cheng Yu, a student performer of hip-hop
group SMU Eurythmix, it was through
dance that she met her closest friends and
even her boyfriend. In her words, “dance is
like a community”, and dancers continue
dancing “because of the people, not because
of dance
itself ”.
Ms Wong Li Wern, festival producer of
Momentum 2017, said, “Dance is not just
for dancers … everybody can be a dancer in
their own way.” Like how the harvest song
showcased a celebration of a community,
she suggests that dance is “something that
is in the community and is part of life” but
is often a far-fetched idea for Singaporeans.
Hence, Momentum aims to bridge the com-
munity to the arts.
Parent to a dancer, Mr Dave Nitin sup-
ports events like Momentum promoting
encouragement and interest for dance in
Singapore. Mr Nitin said that while the Sin-
gapore dance scene has yet to attain world-
wide recognition, “promotions in the field
of art is … going to help Singaporeans reach
a pinnacle of success.”
“
The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue
EVENTS
SADEAF performing Hokkien songs in sign
language with the help of student volunteers
from NTU’s Welfare Services Club. Other
event highlights include students from Grace
Orchard School and Eden School performing
song and dance skits to Mandarin folk songs.
Going beyond the aim of creating
awareness on disability, the event also served
the greater purpose of highlighting inclusivity
of the disabled in society. “Although they are
children with disability, they can still do their
part in community, so they should not just be
the receiver. That’s something that we want
Cut Calories while Feasting at Yishun’s Food
Participants of the Hunger Games travelled all around Yishun to find the best foods.
Zack Wong Zhi Jian
Last Saturday’s Nee Soon The Hungry
Games had foodies from all over Singapore
compete in a food trail, finding hidden food
gems in Yishun.
Held for the first time on May 20, 2017
from 10:00 am tao 3:00 pm, The Hungry
Games held by Nee Soon East Community
Centre (NSECC) was a successful food trail
that saw the participation of 80 attendees and
25 food stores located in Yishun. According
to NSECC, “The Food Trail aims to bring res-
idents together through food adventures that
introduces Singapore’s multi-racial food cul-
ture in Yishun.”
Despite a participation fee of S$20 for ev-
ery group and the event being held in Yishun,
foodies from all over Singapore were enticed
to sign up to find and try out Yishun’s hidden
food treasures. While most of them lived near
Yishun, 10 of them lived far away; “I actually
live in Joo Chiat place! It’s very far from here,”
Betsy Tan said.
With 25 checkpoints, one located at each
food store, participants in groups of three to
Anime Characters Sees Low Turnout Rate
Fans organised an event to celebrate the birthday of their favourite anime characters.
Lian Wei Lin
A birthday celebration for anime char-
acters last Saturday saw lower than expected
number of fans due to the dwindling popu-
larity of the anime.
Matsu Birthday Fest was held on May 27, to
celebrate the birthday of the main characters
from the anime, Osomatsu-san. The anime is
centered around the daily lives of sextuplets,
with the show being named after the oldest
brother, Osomatsu.
The event was held in a room at Interna-
tional Plaza in Tanjong Pagar with six game
stations and five merchandise booths. Despite
efforts to promote the event on their Face-
book page, the turn up rate was lower than
expected, with only 20 people showing up.
When asked why the turnout rate was low,
Chrystabelle Loh, one of the booth owners,
attributed it to the location, saying that “the
location [was] too discreet for such a small
fandom”.
Osomatsu-san came out in December
2015 and was a hit with 93 per cent of Google
Users liking the show. In April 2016, an event
based on the series was held and attracted
over 100 fans.
to teach our children; really nobody owes
them a living,” said Ms Lisa Goh, Principal
of Eden School, explaining the reason why
the school chose to participate in the per-
formance.
Serving as a platform to raise
awareness for the disabled among the un-
der-privileged community of Jalan Besar,
Dr Lily Neo said in a Facebook message,
“[The event] also helps to promote a more
caring and inclusive society where we pro-
vide the opportunity and platform for peo-
ple with special needs to showcase their
five members were led by volunteer facilita-
tors to overcome challenges such as quizzes in
exchange for points at each checkpoint. After
a fixed duration of three hours, the top three
“ A great opportunity to
bond with family and
meet new people.
teams with the highest accumulated points
will then win attractive prizes.
The trail included “new artisanal stalls”
such as Dofu which sells Vegan homemade
The organisers dressed up as the six brothers from Osomatsu-san holding a panel and answer-
ing questions from the participants. Photo: Lian Wei Lin
Yeo Wan Xian, a hardcore fan, said that she
went for the event because of her love for the se-
ries. Others like Carmen Tan and Nur Syazwani
talents.”
Mr Chua Yong Cai, 29, volunteer
and Vice-Chairperson of Kalom Ayer YEC,
said that although organising the event was
no easy feat, the event gave him “a sense of
achievement” when he saw “how the events
are actually accomplished, how people are
leaving with happy smiles”. He added that he
finds fulfilment in doing his part for the com-
munity and the marginalised.
Agreeing that the event was import-
ant in helping to raise awareness and the in-
clusivity of the disabled, Ms Ann Soh Siew
ipant gave when asked what her favourite food
for the day was. She got the opportunity to not
only taste but also prepare the healthy treat
that is made only from natural ingredients.
“ humid weather, most participants, includ-
Ivin Lee, father of two
black soy ice-cream, to traditional local fares
such as the Carrot Cake from Blk 618, which
was a hit amongst Yishun residents. In fact,
Dofu was the reply Jayna, a 10 year old partic-
came to “support their friends” who were the
organisers.
With more anime series being released
3
Kee, 54, an audience member, said that the
event was an important reminder that there
are still people who are “much weaker than
us and [need] help from us”.
However, Mr Jasmond Chua, Chair-
man of Singapore Polytechnic Graduates
Guild and sponsor of the event, said that
although this event has raised awareness,
“there is a lot more that needs to be done”,
to help bridge the gap between the less priv-
ileged and the disabled, highlighting the im-
portance of increasing public education and
awareness on the issue.
June Lee, owner of Dofu said in an interview
with food blogger Seth Lui that Dofu’s con-
cept was to create something “healthy yet ap-
pealing to the masses”.
To further promote a healthy lifestyle,
additional points were given to participants
who walked or cycled to the stations. NSECC
also partnered with Ofo, a bike sharing com-
pany to encourage participants to cycle and
exercise. Despite walking for hours in the
ing Josiah Lee, 8, the youngest participant,
seemed to be energised by the food and did
not feel tired.
While some came for the food, others took
this event as a family-bonding opportuni-
ty. “For me, it’s mainly the walking around,
laughing, trying different challenges and
getting to see my kids pour the ice-cream at
the Dofu shop,” said Ivin Lee, father of two.
He also said that through the fun activities
and challenges, the event provided “a great
opportunity to bond with family and meet
new people”.
over the two years like Boku no Hero Aca-
demia, Osomatsu-san phased out and soon
lost popularity. Despite the low turnout rate,
Joey Chue, one of the organisers, said that
she was “very happy to see [the event] com-
ing through” as they have been planning for
it since December.
This was not the first­­anime event or-
ganised by ardent fans in Singapore. In 2015,
there were two such events: SportsFest 2015
and Hetalia Day 2015. Such events driven
by fans were slowly gaining in popularity. “I
mean this is a once in a lifetime chance,” said
Carmen. “It won’t die down but it’ll be more
of one a year or two a year.”
Regarding how fan-driven events are los-
ing popularity, fans like Syazwani have alter-
native views. Syazwani, a participant of 2017
Matsu Birthday Fest, was previously part of
the organising team for Hetalia Day 2016.
She said that such events were not popularity
driven as they “don’t do it for money” , but
rather, organised “to show their love towards
the fandom”.
Four more anime events organised by
fans are slated to take place later this year.

4 SPECIAL
Disabling Stigma
Stand in My Shoes
Artworks made by the mental health community are now open for public viewing.
Angela Mae Macasinag
The In My Shoes art exhibition show-
cased artworks by the mental health commu-
nity, relating their experiences with their ill-
ness and their recovery from it .
After three months of preparation
and five co-creation sessions in the Institute
of Mental Health (IMH), Uninhibited Space,
a social enterprise that aims to create an in-
clusive society through arts and design, finally
unveiled their art exhibition on Jul 20, 2017,
at level five of SCAPEmedia Hub, 2 Orchard
Link.
In the immsersive part of the exhibition, a visitor listens to a voice recording of, narrating the
thoughts of someone who has an eating disorder, as she examines her journal, a prop that is
part of the exhibit. Photo: Angela Mae Macasinag
The exhibition is endorsed by
the Community Health Assessment Team
(CHAT), a national outreach and mental
health check programme under the IMH. It
was a collaboration between Nanyang Techno-
logical University’s School of Art Design and
Media student artists and the mental health
community. The exhibition featured works
from those recovering from mental illness to
celebrate their aspirations and accomplish-
ments, with hopes of inspiring other mentally
challenged youths.
“It has given [the mentally chal-
lenged] a platform and a voice through arts,”
said Ms Joy Ho, the organiser of the event. Ex-
plaining how the exhibition also creates aware-
ness by invoking empathy among the public
through works of art, she added on saying,
“Everyone deserves to be heard.”
According to The Straits Times, in
the first and most recent study conducted by and photographs. All of these were skills
The Singapore Mental Health study
in 2010, one in 10 individuals in Singapore suf-
fer from a mental disorder. As such, Ms Vivien
Chua, one of the volunteers in the exhibition,
explained the importance of raising awareness
and educating members of society about men-
tal illnesses, especially when the subject is “not
often broached in Singapore”.
However, in the latest mental health report
by the IMH on Sept 23, 2016, the study found
The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue
that people with mental illness were not seek- realise that their illness do
ing professional help even after knowing they not define who they are nor
have it. does it represent that their
In response to this news, Ms Chua scope of abilities are limited.
added on saying, “[Mental illness] is some- “Just because
thing we should approach from a different an- something has a mark,
gle other than fear.” doesn’t mean it’s any less
The exhibition included a compre- or like, it’s imperfect,”
hensive collection of artworks that involved Ms Teo explained. She
printmaking, acrylic painting, self-portraits assisted participants in
making a self-portrait of
taught to the participants by the youth artists themselves using materi-
over five weeks. There were also more uncon- als that they felt embodied
ventional, immersive displays. them, such as graphite pow-
In one such immersive exhibit, visitors walked der or magazine cut-outs.
around a room that resembled a house while Ms Ho reiterated
being accompanied by a series of audio record- that the whole exhibi-
ings that narrated the thoughts of a girl with tion had an “overar-
eating disorder, from her diagnosis to her re- ching theme that we
covery. are all the same”
This was followed by a simulation of and each aspect
an episode of psychosis demonstrated with an of the showcase
episode of Friends. Visitors watched two ver- was reminis-
sions of the comedy. First, as how they would cent of that
see it normally and then, they would see it as message. The
someone with psychosis - with the video dis- exhibition
torted and the sound replaced by voices that and the art-
represented the voices the patients’ hear in work which
their head. are masks of
Ms Gwendolyn Shepherdson, a par- the inner feel-
ticipant of the simulation, said that the sim- ings of those
ulation has educated her on mental health. “I mentally chal-
wasn’t aware of such an illness actually… [the lenged, helps
exhibits] actually created [more] awareness to unmask the
[on] conditions that are not so obvious,” she human qual-
said. ities of the
Ms Ilya Katrinnada Binte Zubaidi, mental health
one of the outh artists, explained that the in- community
spiration behind the photographs taken by rather than just
her participants were based on two questions: being seen on the
what made them feel scared and what made surface for their illness.
them feel hopeful. “I found out, that for the Summarising the
most part, one similarity that we share is that aim of the event with it’s
we’re afraid of being alone,” she said. name: In My Shoes, Ms Ho
Former psychology major, Ms Teo said, “I think [rather than
Xiao Ting, was one of the youth artists that simply raising awareness],
helped teach the art of mark-making. She re- it’s more important to come
lated that mark-making was supposed to help from a place of understand-
the participants reconcile with their illness and ing, to be in someone’s shoes.”
The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue

SPECIAL 5

Enabling Acceptance
Ngee Ann campaign aims to make a more inclusive
campus
There is room for improvement for the facilities catered to the people with physical disabilities.
Zack Wong Zhi Jian
and lecturers who were present at the
A month-long campaign organised event also got a chance to visit the
by Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) to raise “Human Library”, a concept made
awareness about the disabled commu- possible through the collaboration of
nity is nearing its end. students from HMS and the Disabled
“Inclusivity & Me” is a campaign People Association (DPA). Here,
aimed at raising awareness on the is- some physically disabled individuals
sues faced by people with disabilities. from DPA were invited to tell their
The campaign lasted for one month, personal stories.
from Jun 31 to Jul 31. The idea behind the “Hu-
Named “Embracing Differences: The man Library” is to challenge stereo-
Metanoia Event”, the final segment of the types, prejudices and clear up any
“Inclusivity & Me” campaign aimed to misunderstandings through the pow-
change society’s perception towards peo- er of dialogue, as opposed to reading
ple with disabilities. The campaign hard facts from books. The repre-
consists of three main events: sentatives from DPA gave first hand
a wheelchair simulation experiences and knowledge on their
event, the “Human Li- lives, shedding light on their daily
brary”, and a pledge difficulties and how they overcome
ceremony. Prior to them.
Volunteers celebrate the success of the event by taking a group photograph.. Photo: Angela
“Embracing Dif- “The event was very useful.
Mae Macasinag
ferences”, there It was very informative and allowed
were workshops me to be in their shoes and further
that instruct- first segment to mark the end of “Inclusivity the disabled. understand the complications of dis-
ed students & Me”. Ms Tan said the stimulation was abilities,” Chung Yi De, a participant
the proper Volunteers from the School of Hu- insightful as some facilities that were ini- of the event said.
way of treat- manities (HMS) were seen engaging with tially installed around campus for the con- According to Today News-
ing people participants through a wheelchair simulation venience of the physically disabled were paper, the event which aimed to
with disabil- activity. In the activity, participants were to discovered to be ineffective after partici- reach 4,000 people only saw the ac-
ities. Mov- follow a route around Makan Place, one of pants went around the school on a wheel- tive participation of 250 attendees.
ie screen- the school’s canteen, in a wheelchair while chair to test the facilities. In response to this, Cher-
ings and balancing a cup of water on a tray that is Mr Xiao Yi Yuan, a student par- yl Lee, the chairperson of the event,
showcases placed on their lap. ticipant, said that the simulation on cam- who is also part of the school’s Office
happ ene d Ms Regina Tan, a facilitator from pus opened his eyes to the barriers that of Service Learning, emphasised that
around the HMS said, “The wheelchair simulation ac- people with physical disabilities face. He the main point of the event was not
campus as tivity is to help people understand the daily discovered that some slopes on campus the participation rate but educating
well. struggles of [people with physical disabili- were too steep and dangerous, and the students on the importance of inter-
Held at ties], so that people can be more understand- handicap lift outside the library was faulty action between the disabled commu-
Ngee Ann ing and empathetic towards them.” and inaccessible to the wheelchair bound. nity and the able-bodied community.
Polytechnic Despite extensive efforts to make During the course of the cam- She said, “The aim of this
outside Makan NP an inclusive campus for the physically paign, around 200 staff and students event is to raise awareness on the
Place on Jul 24, disabled with railings, alternative pathways, “signed” an inclusivity oath with sign lan- plight of the persons with disabilities
the wheelchair slopes and lifts, there is still room for im- guage, as a pledge to make the polytechnic community, to change mindsets and
stimulation ac- provement, with many barriers that continue a more inclusive environment. for others to have a deeper under-
tivity was the to go unnoticed and pose an obstruction to As part of the event, students standing of them.”

6 COMMUNITY
Petty Theft Victims Seek Justice for Stolen Property
Victims of petty theft resist calling the police for fear of the police
Angela Mae Macasinag
Choa Chu Kang Police reassure victims
of petty theft who refrain from reporting the
crime that they will investigate all cases – big
or small.
“No matter how small it is, we will attend
to it,” said Assistant Superintendent of Police
(ASP) Mr Stephen Lee, speaking on behalf of
the Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police
Centre (NPC).
Most of the victims of petty theft in Choa
Chu Kang admitted to not calling the police
when they found out that their item(s) were
stolen from them. Ms Cheryl Lee, a victim
whose cactus plant was stolen, said that she
did not call the police as she “didn’t want to
make a big fuss”.
Among the victims, there seems to be the
belief that the police will not take petty theft
cases seriously because of the fact that the
stolen items are things that are of low mone-
tary value, mostly consisting of plants, shoes
and bicycles. When asked why she did not re-
port her missing Hydrangea plant, Ms Claire
Agallar said, “I don’t think they’ll waste their
resources to find someone who stole the plant”.
To tackle the triviality of petty theft that pre-
vents victims from seeking justice, some sug-
gested that instead of the police, the Residents’
Committee (RC) should be the one respon-
sible for the cases in the neighbourhood; the
Stagmont Park RC has taken some procedures
regarding the hike in petty theft cases.
Mr Vincent Chia, a member of the Stag-
mont Park RC, organised a team known as the
Rise in Rodent Numbers a Risk for Residents
Residents of Seletaris Condominium affected by rat infestation, advised to be hygienic.
Zack Wong Zhi Jian
For the past few months, residents of Se-
letaris Condominium have been affected by
the surge in rat numbers, that could lead to
health issues.
Residents of Seletaris Condominium are
upset as they are battling bouts of rat infesta-
tions in their neighbourhood. This is not the
first time they are experiencing this; there was
an incident that happened a few months back.
Ms Lynn Ang, resident of Seletaris Con-
dominium highlighted that the issue has been
going on, saying that the number of rat sight-
ings has been “more than usual for the past
couple of months”.
Rodent sightings are more common near
carparks and grassy areas with long weeds.
According Mr Derrick Chong, manager of
Seletaris Condominium, the presence of de-
bris, unwanted items, long weeds and food
waste contribute to an environment that ro-
dents thrive in.
According to the government of South Aus-
tralia’s health department (SAH), rodents are
predominantly more active during the night,
which means that sightings of rats in broad
daylight reflects that a rat infestation is severe
or that there is a good food supply near by.
Most residents interviewed said that they
have only seen rats scurrying around at night.
However, some residents admitted to seeing
them during the day. Ms Neo Wei Ni, a resi-
dent who has encountered a small rat in her
house in the middle of the day said that rats
can invade her house more easily as she lives
on the ground floor. She suspects that the rats
are the main cause for her damaged plants.
SAH said that signs of rat infestations can
Citizens on Patrol (COP). Every Friday night,
they would patrol the estate, and look out for
suspicious activities and sexual dalliances at the
carpark rooftops.
However, Mr Chia clarified that their pa-
trols focus on safety rather than crime, and that
the COP’s role is “not to arrest”, but to “offer
vigilance” in the neighbourhood. According to
Mr Chia, they have received plenty of requests
from residents to install closed-circuit televi-
sion (CCTV) cameras in an attempt to catch the
thief(s) or deter any more property from being
stolen. However, Mr Chia said that the Town
Council and not them, are the ones in the posi-
tion to uphold the residents’ wishes.
When it comes to handling petty theft
cases, the COP’s involvement can only extend to
educating the community. They have done so by
highlighting the issue of petty theft, to the pub-
lic through their newsletters and posters that
they distribute in the neighbourhood.
Asides from that, the Stagmont Park RC
continues to advise everyone in the estate, “If
you can’t afford to lose it, please keep it in the
house,” Mr Chia said.
However, residents feel that not enough has
been done and such advice do not comfort
owners of stolen property. Ms Agallar believes
that the authorities should always take “a crime
case no matter how petty it seems to be”.
In response to the uproar, (ASP) Mr Lee ex-
plained that petty theft cases were not ignored,
but overshadowed by more urgent cases. He
said, that the response of the police depends on
be seen by the presence of rodents’ droppings
and debris left. Bite marks on fruit, vegetables
and materials such as electrical cables also in-
dicate rat presence.
Instances of such rodent activity have been
reported in the condominium, with residents
experiencing property destruction due to rat
gnawing. Ms Helen Wee, a resident is one of
the many who have encountered such issues.
She said that recently, her television wires
were damaged by rats who bit the cable wires.
Members of the Citizens on Patrol post for a picture before embarking on their nightly duties.
Photo: Angela Mae Macasinag
the “severity of the cases”, and that other crim-
inal activities like “cases of murder” will be pri-
oritised over “cases of theft”.
Mr Lee also reassured the public with
an analogy, “To a person who is poor, $5
may be everything to him. To a person that is
rich, $500 may not be anything to him. If that
These instances have prompted residents to take
up protective measures; Ms Wee installed extra
wire protection while Ms Neo set up a fence to
prevent rodents from entering her house.
Apart from residents taking matters into
their own hands, the Seletaris management has
also hired pest-control companies to tackle the
infestation. Mr Chong said that the “situation
[was] under control” and that they have been
“strictly monitoring” the issue since then. He
further explained that monitoring is done on
The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue
[poor] person had lost $5 comparing to the
[rich] person who had lost $500, would you
call the police?”
Inform the police if you are a victim of
theft or any other crime. For emergencies, call
999. If you have any information that could
ease police investigation, call 1800 255 0000.
a weekly basis and that anti-rodent chemicals
were applied if necessary.
While the issue of rat infestation in Seletar-
is has been ongoing for months, the occasional
surges in cases and rat sightings are “inevita-
ble” according to Mr Chong.
However, some residents feel that the
pest-control measures were ineffective.
Ms Ang, feels that fumigation done by the
condominium for pest control is not enough
as “[the management] should make sure that
the fumigation is more thorough, [to ensure]
that all the pests die”. Ms Wee added on say-
ing that the rubbish dump could be cleaned to
make “make the environment less suitable for
rats to thrive [in]”.
Mr Noor Azhar Bin Sahri, quality control-
manager of Anticimex, the pest control com-
pany in charge ensuring that Seletaris Condo-
minium is free from pests said, “the owners
and pest controllers have to work hand in hand
to combat the pest infestations.”
To prevent property damage, Mr Azhar
advised that owners can take matters into
their own hands by setting up mechanical
traps such as glueboards, cages or digitised ro-
dent control systems. Being cleaner can also go
a long way in preventing rat infestations. This
can be done by having good housekeeping
practices.
If not treated, rats can pose as a seri-
ous health threat to residents because of the
unwanted bacteria and viruses that they carry.
Therefore, residents as well as the management
of the Seletaris Condominium need to work
in tandem eradicate the rats that reside in the
neighbourhood.
The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue
COMMUNITY
Sengkang Faces Issues with Lift Cleanliness
Perpetrators of bad lift etiquette anger residents in Sengkang.
Avila Aira Ycel Villaruz
Some Sengkang residents expressed their dis-
pleasure towards the improper care of the lifts
by the other residents, calling it irresponsible
behaviour towards the shared facility. (25)
It has become common for SengKang resi-
dents to have trash, such as leftover cooked
food, cigarette butts, and unwanted flyers,
thrown inside the lifts.
Mr Jeremy Teo, 20, a resident of SengKang,
said he was “very disgusted” when leftover
chicken rice was thrown inside the lift, which
had ultimately caused foul odour inside.
“They don’t think about the cleaners who
clean after their mess,” he said.
The National Environment Agency (NEA)
has prohibited smoking in many areas, such
as lifts. To discourage such behaviour, offend-
ers will be charged with a penalty of $1,000.
However, some residents still do not abide by
this law. Mr Adbul Hamid, 31, a resident of
Blk 203C, shared how the lift smelled of smoke
because a person was smoking inside it. He
felt “irritated” and added on saying that the
offender could have avoided it by “finishing
his cigarette before entering the lift”. He also
said that smokers should smoke in designated
smoking areas such as residential homes and
the open spaces in residential estates.
In the worst case scenario, the lifts have even
become a target for urination and defecation.
Fellow resident from Compassvale Bow, Ms
Newly Renovated Elderly Fitness Corner but
No New Crowd
Elderly Fitness Corner in Woodlands vacant as residents find equipment complex to use.
Nah Min Ning
The newly renovated Elderly Fitness Cor-
ner at Block 842 in Woodlands is underuti-
lised as residents find the lack of guidance in
using equipment a drawback.
Renovated in March 2017 as part of the
Sembawang Town Council’s 2016 Neighbour-
hood Renewal Programme (NRP), the fitness
corner set up at Block 842, Woodlands Street
82 saw the replacement of nine old exercise
equipment with entirely new ones.
Having been around for about 10 years,
the fitness corner is spread out over two blocks
and is strategically located near Woodlands
North Plaza, where many residents frequent
for their necessities. However, with or without
the renovation, the corner has long been void
of users - day or night.
Ms Tan Lay Peng, 56, a resident of Block
843, said that the most common group of
people she sees at the corner are youngsters
drinking socially at night or maids using their
phones.
Since the renovation, instructions for the
equipment are in English and also include
simple diagrams; a video is also accessible
through a Quick Response Code (QR Code).
However, residents interviewed felt that there
was a lack of guidance as to how to use the cor-
ner.
Ms Tan said that the fitness corner was
“nice to see but not really good to use”, as it
failed to appeal to its supposed target audi-
ence. She attributed the failure mainly to the
lack of guidance in teaching the elderly on
Common trash in the lifts of Sengkang are leftover food and pieces of unwanted flyers. Photo:
Avila Aira Ycel Villaruz
Tan Mei Yi, 25, has experienced this problem
before and said that she felt angry “because
the lifts are meant for all the residents”. She
added, “I think everyone should play a part
in being responsible for these lifts because
everyone here is living together, so everyone
should be considerate.”
Mr Hamid, who is also a pet owner, remem-
how to use the equipment.
Mdm Lim Siew Guat, 67, a resident of Block
846, said in Mandarin that volunteers from
the Residents’ Committee (RC) should teach
the elderly how to use the equipment since
some elderly might be afraid that misusing the
equipment might lead them to slip and fall.
This is contrary to what Mr Seetoh Yoke
Meng, Sembawang Town Council’s senior
manager thinks. He said that he does not think
that the corner is underutilised due to the lack
of guidance provided as the fitness equipment
is “quite straightforward [to use]”. He also said
that the equipment caters to people who want
to do “less physical, less stringent kinds of ex-
ercise[s]”. Despite the name, Elderly Fitness
Corner, Mr Seetoh said that the purpose of the
corner “is to provide a multi-family activity”,
alongside the nearby playground.
But Mr Lim Kee Cheng, chairman of the RC
in charge of the fitness corner, suggested that
more comprehensive signages could be put up.
However, he said, “There’s a lot of ways to do
exercises for the elderly [and] most of the el-
derly prefer to go brisk walking.” He also con-
tinued on saying that the type of exercise done
through the equipment at the fitness corner is
more tedious and is meant for those looking
for therapy.
Mr Seetoh said that the NRP is a programme
fully funded by the government. Based on
feedback and requests, the RC will then sug-
gest what facilities should be upgraded. Ac-
cording to the Housing & Development Board,
bers how his pet cat brought inconvenience to
other residents when it released its faeces on
the ground. He said that he felt embarrassed
and has learned to train his pet ever since. He
hopes other pet owners do the same, especial-
ly since they are responsible for them.
This situation has affected not just residents.
Ms Yamuna D/O Murthy, 33, who works as
At all times, the Elderly Fitness Corner at Block 842, Woodlands Street 82 is always empty.
Photo: Nah Min Ning
the NRP obtains residents’ feedback on pro-
posed renovation ideas through avenues such
as dialogue sessions and mini exhibitions. The
programme will then proceed if 75 per cent of
flat owners indicate their support.
Mr Lim said that the RC renovated the cor-
ner to make it convenient for residents to exer-
cise. They replaced the old equipment, which
were more easily damaged, with updated ones.
Although the voting for the NRP may have
Scan this QR Code to see a video regarding this article.
7
a janitress in the Sengkang compound, said
that although she does not often see extreme-
ly dirty lifts, she has cleaned lifts that were
in bad conditions before, such as those with
animal waste and vomit. She added that she
gets “angry” because although it is her job to
make sure everything is clean, it makes her
job harder.
Residents also agree that the lifts are not often
dirtied. Ms Tan said, “These don’t happen all
the time, so that means most of the residents
are responsible enough to keep the lifts clean.”
She added, “It’s just that there are some people
who ruin the efforts of the majority.”
Ms Christel Lee, Public Relations Manager
of Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council, which
manages the lifts in SengKang, hopes that
everyone in the neighbourhood will continue
to strive for greater cleanliness of the environ-
ment.
The residents have also given a number of
suggestions to reduce acts of bad lift etiquette.
Mr Teo and Ms Tan said that although many
cameras have been installed in their blocks,
more could be done. “[The Town Coun-
cil] should check [them] more regularly and
catch all [the] litterbugs,” Mr Teo said. Addi-
tionally, Ms Tan suggested, “We could create
posters, reminding these people not to make
such a mess in our lifts. Because at the end of
the day, they’re still the ones using the lifts.”
obtained enough support for the programme’s
approval, Mr Alex Tan, 68, a resident of Block
844, still feels that the RC did not take into ac-
count residents’ needs and wants. He said, “Ev-
erybody [has] got their own way of exercising,
[but], whenever [the RC] wants to construct all
these things, they never consult the residents.”
Adding on, Ms Tan explained how the fit-
ness corner is always empty by saying that it
was “just like [a] white elephant”.

8 COMMUNITY
Cat-troversy: mixed feelings from Yishun residents
on cat feeding
Cat feeding in Yishun creates buzz among residents.
Lian Wei Lin
Some residents in Yishun are unhappy abou
people feeding cats but others are touched by
the kindness of cat feeders.
At the car park of Block 440 in Yishun,
several cats are fed, watered and taken cared
of by a handful of dedicated cat feeders - an
assortment of residents living nearby. The cat
feeding situation occurs at the car park daily.
Although not on a large scale, it is a serious
issue and can prove to be a nuisance to many
living around the area.
Mdm Teo Geok Hoon, is one such resident
who shares sentiments of dissent against cat
feeding. She said, “Personally I don’t like cats
so I dislike the idea of people feeding cats.”
Mdm Teo believes that feeding stray cats
can cause problems. One problem is that the
cats become too reliant on the feeders. “The
cats will have the habit and wait for [the feed-
ers] to feed them at certain hours and if they
don’t appear, the cat will make a lot of noise.”
Feeding stray cats is an issue occurring
everywhere in Singapore. Ms Michelle Siau,
a senior mediator from Cat Welfare Society,
says that they sometimes receive “outrageous
complaints” regarding the issue. “In a month,
there could be one or two [people who are]
very scared of cats and [call for the] removal
of cats,” said Ms Siau.
Another problem would be hygiene. Mdm
Teo said that indiscriminate feeding of stray
cats in public area has led to leftover food
scraps that are not cleaned up. She adds that
the stray cats may defecate in public areas after
eating.
While some have raised questions about the
stray feeding, others felt that the issue lies not
The Dot News | May- Aug 2017 Issue
with feeding strays but rather about carrying regards to any cat related complaint, media- Chong Pang area , lack of funding and support
out the feeding responsibly. tors have been deployed to different areas in from the public has meant that this initiative
Amanda Loh, a student who is passionate Singapore to deal with the residents’ concerns has yet to spread to other areas.
about feeding the stray cats, believes that what promptly. Furthermore, The National Environment
she does is right. “I enjoy feeding animals and I Since November 2011, authorities in Chong Agency (NEA) has alse enforced a guideline
feel satisfaction just to see them eat and remain Pang have set up public cat-feeding stations as whereby feeders are to clean up the area within
healthy,” said Amanda. She adds on that while a measure to curb with the public’s concern re- two hours of feeding. If rules are not abided
some residents have told her to stop feeding garding the indiscriminate feeding way of stray by, the cat feeders can be fined up to $1000 for
the cats, she does not feel angered. cats. While such efforts are still ongoing in the littering.
With that said, Amanda noted that there
is a need to feed responsibly. She uses a bowl
to feed the cat “so the food does not spill out”.
After the cat has finished eating, she “packs
and closes the container”. She added on saying
that on top of keeping the feeding area clean,
individuals should make sure that they do not
obstruct the main road in the car park.
Residents, like Ms Nicole Lee Ni Ke, are on
the side of the cat feeders as she feels that they
are not being a nuisance to the community but
rather doing the cats a service by caring for
them. “I find that people that feed cats are very
nice as they take out their time and money just
to buy food for the cats,” she said.
However, Ms Lee also acknowledges the
point that the car park may be a dangerous
place to feed stray cats as they may be unaware
of cars coming and may get run down.
Despite the negative consequences brought
up by Mdm Teo, Ms Siau believes that feeding
cats is a good thing. “The abandoned cats do
not know where to get food and there is no
food in the rubbish area nowadays. So feeding
is giving the cats a chance to survive.”
While reiterating that the Cat Welfare So-
ciety shows their support for people feeding Residents are divided when it comes to cat feeding; some find it touching while others find it a
stray cats, Ms Siau has responded that with nuisance. Photo: Lian Wei Lin