A letter sent to the website, Redwire, has highlighted the appalling state of a children’s playground in Tampines.
The letter writer, Justin, said he was “shocked” at the state of the playground, which is located in front of the Koufu foodcourt at block 478 where MP Baey Yam Keng holds his monthly KopiTalk sessions.
“From the pictures, you can see that there are many potholes in the flooring, where some of the foam boards are torn,” he said. “These pose a hazard to children who play there since they can trip and fall much more easily.”
Juston said he is concerned that children playing at the playground may trip and hurt themselves because of the poor state of the playground.
“PAP grassroots leaders are so observant that they can even spot a faded zebra crossing at a small road in Aljunied, so how come they can miss such a big playground in the middle of so many flats?” he said, referring to a recent incident where grassroots members highlighted the faded paint of a zebra crossing in the opposition-held Aljunied GRC.
“I myself have never attended a session of “kopitalk”, but if it is a monthly affair, how can it be that our MP doesn’t know that the playground is in a state that is so dangerous for children to play in?” Justin asks.
He also noted that Mr Baey is the chairman of the Tampines Town Council, which is in charge of areas such as playgrounds.
Education Minister, Heng Swee Keat, is also a Member of Parliament for the area.
UPDATE:
Mr Baey has posted on his Facebook page that he is aware of the condition of the playground.
“Due to popular usage and some vandalism, indeed the floor does not look good aesthetically,” he said. Mr Baey also gave assurance that the playground is checked yearly by a “certified playground safety inspector”.
“The last inspection was conducted in Nov 2014 and prevailing standards, including those for the floor, were met,” he said.
As for the playground in question, he said, “The town council has already made plans to replace this playground. The tender was called and closed in March. The works are expected to be completed by end of this year.”
Mr Baey’s post, however, also drew comments from members who highlighted other playgrounds which apparently also needed some upgrading.
Ms Jasmine Ym Koh said, “I would like to bring to your attention that Tampines blk 432 and 433 playground is [sic] high usage too. Nearby has one child care, two student care and one pcf. Please patch the flooring often as well. Uneven flooring will lead to accidents. And this can be avoided with proper flooring always in place. Thanks.”
Ms May Ngway said the the playground at Blk 411was also “in need of repair.”
