Comments on: People of the tents

By: Singapore’s Changing Media Landscape: Davids and Goliaths | YOUR GATEWAY TO SOUTHEAST ASIA

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:56:56 +0000

[...] had to respond to stories that break online in the interest of maintaining credibility. TOC’s feature on homeless tent communities on Singapore’s beaches and subsequent wider press coverage on related issues indicate how the traditional press is losing [...]

By: John

John — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:12:18 +0000

There is only one type of people. Lazy people who dun work and waiting gov to give money.

By: Amateurs – and loving it | The Online Citizen

Amateurs – and loving it | The Online Citizen — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 03:34:28 +0000

[...] his visits and was so angered by what I saw that I decided to write something about it. (See “People of the Tents“) If anyone had asked me then, I’d confess that I had no plans beyond that single article. [...]

By: No lack of sophistry from the government concerning the homeless | Sgpolitics.net

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:57:40 +0000

[...] to help them find appropriate shelter until The Online Citizen ran an article on them. (See here and [...]

By: Tulan

Tulan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:12:04 +0000

Come to think of it, the foreign workers are better off than these malays sleeping in tents. At least they are given proper lodging in the dormitory, equipped with hot showers, thick beds and warm blankets, plus guaranteed jobs! Hmmm ….

By: Roofless

Roofless — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:50:47 +0000

http://app.reach.gov.sg/reach/YourSay/YourDiscussionCorner/tabid/117/ptid/414/page/43/totrecs/423/threadid/2427/forumtype/posts/Default.aspx

No Joke Posted : 27/01/2010 8:13 PM

Dear HDB,

Does it mean Blk 28 Lor 6 Toa Payoh (only 1 block) 100% would be enough for all of the applicants in the long queue wating for HDB rental flats? If some of them in the long queue are not really need a rental flat then why they can join into the long queue?

And when will you reply for:

Will those currently waiting for a rental flat have to move from the place they are staying now when they get their new rental flat from HDB?

Will HDB ask foreign workers rent similar flats from the open market?

By the way, Blk 28 Lor 6 Toa Payoh has put on the internet for rent, is this a mistake made by the property agent or have some other reasons?

Thank you.

Regards
27/01/2010

The reply from HDB dated 16/01/2010:

I refer to your email dated 16 Jan 10.

2 As mentioned in our earlier reply, there is already a block of flats, i.e Blk 28 Lor 6 Toa Payoh, which has been set aside for the Interim Rental Housing. These flats, which would eventually be demolished, are offered to rental applicants who need interim accommodation while waiting for the allocation of a 1- or 2-room flat under the Public Rental Scheme.

3 We thank you for your feedback.

Yours sincerely,

SIM HWEE HUA (MS)
AG HEAD, RENTAL HOUSING POLICY & PLANNING UNIT
HOUSING ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

The enquiry to HDB QSM at 16/01/2001:

Has the queue for HDB rental flats ended?

If it still has a long queue then why they are not given priority for these flats (Blocks 32 and 33 Toa Payoh Lor 5) even these flats are being used for short-term rental? If the queue has ended then why HDB need to build 7,500 units of new rental flats in the next 3 years?

According to your reply at 11 Jan 2010, these flats will be demolished, they are less suitable for HDB’s Public Rental Scheme as the tenants would then have to move in a few years time. Does it mean those currently waiting for a rental flat will no need to move from the place they are staying now when they get their new rental flat from HDB?

According to your reply for Mr Leong Sze Hian at
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100113-0000022/Priority-given-to-truly-needy
(Subject:Priority given to truly needy, Date:13 Jan 2010), the flats cited by Mr Leong are no different from flats available for open market rental. Any person, Singapore citizen or otherwise, can also rent similar flats from the open market without waiting. If this is true, then why HDB not asking the foreign workers rent similar flats from the open market and let the poor Singapore citizens to rent these two flats with rents as low as $26 per month?

By: Raiding the homeless – in the middle of the night | The Online Citizen

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:07:58 +0000

[...] for months, but no one from the government agencies seem to have known about them – perhaps until The Online Citizen’s report on 13 January. TOC had reported that some 15 homeless families were camped out in tents at Sembawang [...]

By: cat

cat — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:54:45 +0000

take a look at other parks in Singapore, and you will see the same thing… people sleep under the hut.

How can this be signs of a successful housing policy?

By: nonsense

nonsense — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:53:46 +0000

Pointless to expect heartless zombies (MIW) to feel
Remove these heartless corpses.
Living humans cannot co-exist with living dead.
Case closed.
Vote in HUMANS with basic heart.

By: iamagovernmentdoubleagent

iamagovernmentdoubleagent — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:44:29 +0000

[i]///Only non-thinking brains would fall into their traps///
now now…few months ago the malays channel were showin their skills to raise funds for the homeless OUTSIDE singapoor..
what happenned to the same mediacorps artists who DIDN’t lift a fingers to support the SAME malay HOMELESS in singapoor?
now what kind of traps you suggest?
the same rat mouse traps that were supposed to use in eunos market perhaps?
and where is ALL the MALAYs GRC MPs? preparin for hara raya BESAR or waitin for leehsienhloong chinese ANGPOWs?

By: peanuts

peanuts — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:31:14 +0000

entire blocks dedicated to foreign workers, and NONE for these people??

By: iamapapgovernmentdoubleagent

iamapapgovernmentdoubleagent — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:57:58 +0000

[i]iamapapgovernmentdoubleagent on January 13th, 2010 4.19 pm aiyoh yoh…you all har…tomorrow the env beach patrol will wayan wayan again chasin our malays homeless again..nothin to do with race issues..[/i]

see what happenned? today 10 polismen with shortpants from the swapped team with counterstrikes helmets just swoop on the homeless peasants lioa..
typical pap government regular smelly patterns…might as well rolled in the chieftian tanks and f18 hornet bombers…
is that why tonight have a RECALL excersise? just to make the homeless goes landless as well?

By: City Harvest Church acquires land for S$310m in central-south Singapore | The Online Citizen

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:42:26 +0000

[...] understands that MCYS Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, had visited the area on Thursday. This follows TOC’s breaking news report about the situation on 13 January. We will have a report on Saturday’s visit [...]

By: Singaporean

Singaporean — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:15:32 +0000

///Poor people all have the same characteristics:
Idle, lazy (nice word is contented), inflexible, got brain but never.
Do these people deserve help? NO///

Strangely and if the above is true, why do we have charity shows aired on national TV to raise funds.

Why do we have (need) charitable organizations and hard working volunteers for the purpose of caring and providing the needs for the unfortunate souls.

///Only non-thinking brains would fall into their traps///

It definitely pales in comparison to the other side when it comes to some relatively costly endeavours which a lot of us are reluctant participants.

///That website full of craps.///

And apparently it still attracted the precious attention and resources of some people to bombard it with DDOS.

By: Guest

Guest — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:54:20 +0000

http://app.reach.gov.sg/reach/YourSay/YourDiscussionCorner/tabid/117/ptid/414/page/38/totrecs/377/threadid/2427/forumtype/posts/Default.aspx

Posted : 16/01/2010 12:16 AM
Brainy Black Heart & Red Eyes (I am a Guest) said :

The onlinecitizen website always like to dig out this kind of things, which is actually nothing.

Onlinecitizen is VERY GOOD AT OVER-EXAGGERATING issues.

Dont have to bother with them. THEY HAVE A MOTIVE BEHIND ALL THEIR POSTINGS – TO FIND FAULT WITH THE GOVT AND TO BLAME THE GOVT FOR CITIZENS’ OWN FAULT AND OWN PLIGHT.

If you are poor, go and do something to make more money.

Poor people every countries have. Not only Singapore.

Disable and poor old people need help, not poor people.

Poor people all have the same characteristics:

Idle, lazy (nice word is contented), inflexible, got brain but never.

Do these people deserve help? NO

The more you help, the more they become lazy.

Rice comes open mouth, Money comes stretch out hand.

Black Heart says, the govt should send their earth cow to chase these people out.

Let Brainy tell you all lah.

That website full of craps. Only non-thinking brains would fall into their traps.

**Moderating Editor: You are entitled to your opinion and we will defend your right to have one. We humbly disagree though as we do not have any agenda other than to highlight matters that affect Singaporeans as a community.**

By: The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 03

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 03 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:56:45 +0000

[...] Joshua Chiang [Recommended] – Tan Kin Lian’s Blog: HDB flats and population growth – TOC: People of the tents – TOC: HDB’s reply on flats for foreigners – a conflict of interest? – Diary of A Singaporean [...]

By: kojakbt

kojakbt — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:14:36 +0000

Hi All,

I just want to say that cheap FTs stealing all our low end jobs is affecting our Singapore Malay bros even more! The other day, I was shocked to see courier delivery being handled by a PRC!

There is a big scam going on in the cheap FT industry. Ask any FTs doing these low-end jobs and they will inevitably tell you that they have paid $8-10K just to get the job. They will tell you that the sum of money is being paid to the middlemen back in their home country. In reality, bros, this sum of money is being shared between the middleman and the local employer or HR person. It’s hard to prove but it exists. Hence, to the SME boss, hiring these FTs means he will get “rebates” from the middleman, resulting in even lower price he pays to hire FTs!

By: John

John — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:42:46 +0000

Wee #4
We can’t fault the Malays. Maybe its part of their culture to live
one day at a time. The Chinese are more materialistic as a race,
taking risks in businesses or gambling, thats why they are
so successful even in countries where they are the minority.
But whatever race we are, those who have fallen behind should be
helped and it is this that I find the Govt wanting.
In those days, when the PAP Govt said that nobody would be left
behind, they meant it and you could hardly find people without
a roof over his head because of lack of money.
These days, when MIW says the same, we need to take it with
a whole load of salt

By: Wee SK

Wee SK — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:41:34 +0000

#54 and #59
What i wanted to state is that the underclass Malays seems to want to find the easy way and not face up to reality. Growing up in the 60s where there were lots of big, poor Chinese families, people just want to get out from poverty and work hard at anything, to improve life, not to remain at ground zero. Older kids then have to drop out of school so that the younger siblings can continue school and hopefully pull the rest of the family along in future. No offense to the Malays, those who grew up in the 60s and 70s will now what I trying to stress, you just have to work hard at anything, no 2 ways about it. No point staring at the sea and hoping life will improve or even remain as it is.

By: gemami

gemami — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:50:45 +0000

Hi Realist & Angry One,

My apologies if I had misread both your intentions. I am heartened to hear that you guys are aware of the power you wield and would not hesitate to use it for the betterment of our poor fellow Singaporeans.

Zefly – you are absolutely spot on when you said this issue is not about Singaporeans vs Foreigners but about the making good of the declaration that there are no homeless people in Singapore.

I believe this is not the only declaration that is showing the present government up for its lack of management qualities. Still, it is voices of concern like yours and every commenter here allows us to cling to any hope still available.