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Masagos Zulkifli urges Singaporeans to play their part amid Circuit Breaker, or else 28 days may not be enough

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4 years ago

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Ten days into the Circuit Breaker, about 50 people were still caught for not wearing face masks when they visited public places. Certain people seemed to have a difficult time understanding that it is mandatory to wear face masks when they need to leave their homes.
Masagos Zulkifli, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, raised this issue on his Facebook page yesterday (16 April), reminding everyone to follow the protective measures during a critical time like this.
Mr Masagos expressed understanding that it was not easy to adjust to spending most of our time at home, as well as wearing masks and practising safe distancing when we leave home. However, he emphasised that these measures are “critical” to effectively contain COVID-19.

After observing the public yesterday, he stated that there were around 50 people who were out and about without face masks. Mr Masagos reported that it was a good sign, but he still hoped that he would find none after that.

“It is now mandatory to wear a mask when out of home. Glad to know the majority have been doing so. Today, only close to 50 people were found to be in public spaces without masks. It’s a good sign but I hope we will find none tomorrow!”

He warned Singaporeans to not let their guards down even when things begin to look better, and it is important to complete the Circuit Breaker with absolute seriousness until the very end.
Looking at how a small number of people are getting complacent even when COVID-19 cases continued to soar daily, Mr Masagos said that he could still find people dining in at hawker centres and crowds could be seen at markets. Some people could also be seen loitering at parks and public spaces.

“A small number are becoming complacent even as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase. We are still finding people eating at hawker centres despite dine-in being disallowed, crowds returning to some popular markets, and others loitering and hanging out in groups at parks and public spaces,” wrote Mr Masagos.

Yesterday alone, 150 people breached safe distancing measures and fines were said to be issued to them. Mr Masagos urged everyone to play their part in containing the coronavirus. Otherwise, 28 days of Circuit Breaker may not be enough to break the chain of transmission.
He also acknowledged that the battles against COVID-19 had been difficult, but tough and essential decisions had to be made to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe.

“Fines will be issued to about 150 people who breached safe distancing measures today. We all know that if we do not play our part to observe the circuit breaker strictly, the 28 days may not be enough to break the chain of transmission, don’t we?”
“Our battle against COVID-19 has been difficult for everyone. And we have had to make tough but essential decisions. But we must do whatever it takes to keep Singaporeans and Singapore safe,” Mr Masagos stated.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had conveyed the same message on 9 April, urging Singaporeans to comply with the Stay Home measures “very strictly”. Ambassadors and public officers had been working hard to cease the offenders of the Circuit Breaker and safe distancing measures.
Mr Lee warned that any group gathering in public would immediately be issued a written warning by enforcement officers.
He advised Singaporeans to comply with the Circuit Breaker to hopefully speed up the process of containing COVID-19. Not forgetting to express understanding of how everyone wanted to return to normalcy, Mr Lee said that it would only happen if Singaporeans took this matter seriously.

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Part of Marine Parade experiences flooding after water pipe damage

Flooding occurred in Marine Parade on Friday morning (4 October) after a water pipe was damaged during lift retrofitting works near Block 67 Marine Drive. MP Dr Tan See Leng confirmed repairs are ongoing, with no disruption to water supply. Road access was restored later in the day.

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3 days ago

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4 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: On Friday (4 October), parts of Marine Parade, including Marine Drive and Still Road South, experienced flooding following the damage of a water pipe.

The incident occurred at approximately 11.40 am during lift retrofitting works at the pedestrian overhead bridge near Block 67 Marine Drive.

Videos shared on social media show floodwaters extending onto surrounding roads.

Dr Tan See Leng, Manpower Minister and also a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC, in a Facebook post confirmed that a damaged pipe led to water flowing onto Still Road South and nearby HDB blocks.

Dr Tan said the damaged water pipe has been isolated, and repairs are currently underway, with no disruption to water supply for local residents.

Staff at the Marine Parade Community Centre are in the process of restoring counter services, having previously faced difficulties accessing the area due to flooding.

Dr Tan noted that contractors from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are collaborating with the Marine Parade Town Council to clean the affected region, aiming to complete the cleanup by Friday evening.

In an update posted at 4.53 pm, Dr Tan announced that road access along Still Road South had resumed, expressing gratitude to PUB, the Marine Parade Town Council, and the dedicated workers for their swift action in clearing the area just in time for peak hour traffic.

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WMP raises over S$1,600 in a day to help struggling family clear outstanding water bill

Workers Make Possible (WMP) raised over S$1,600 in a single day to assist a struggling family living in a rental flat. The family’s water supply was reduced due to an outstanding S$900 bill. The mother has been severely ill for months, unable to work, leaving her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, as the sole breadwinner.

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4 days ago

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3 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: A struggling family living in a rental flat had their water supply reduced on 1 October, as revealed in an Instagram post by the workers’ rights advocacy group, Workers Make Possible (WMP).

In an effort to ease the family’s burden, a fundraiser was launched. By the evening of 1 October, S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was transferred to the family to fully clear their outstanding water bill and address other urgent expenses.

The family, which had been accumulating water bill arrears for several months, was informed by SP Group that their water supply would only be fully restored if they paid S$450 upfront—half of their total outstanding bill of S$900.

According to WMP, the mother of the family has been severely ill for months, leading to her inability to work.

As a result, her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, is the sole breadwinner for the family, which includes young children.

With the rising cost of living in Singapore, the family has struggled to manage household expenses, leading to unpaid bills, WMP shared in the post.

After contacting SP Group, the mother was told the water supply would resume if half of the arrears were paid. However, she could not afford the required S$450.

This situation occurs amid rising water prices in Singapore.

The government raised the price of water by 20 cents per cubic metre this year, with an additional increase of 30 cents planned for next year.

WMP argued that despite government subsidies, many low-income families continue to struggle to cover their basic utility bills.

“Subsidies offered by the government don’t come anywhere close to alleviating the struggles of poor families in paying these bills. PUB earned about $286 million in 2021,” WMP challenged.

To support the family, Workers Make Possible organised a fundraiser via PayNow. In a 5:30 pm update on 1 October, WMP announced that S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was sent to the family to clear their water bill, while the remaining S$420 will be used to assist a young warehouse worker struggling with illness and rent payments, WMP clarified.

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