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82-year-old elderly spends a year living at HDB void deck bench; netizens offer assistance

An 82-year-old man in Singapore, Yip Woon Cheong, has been living on a bench in the void deck of an HDB flat for a year, after his separation from his wife and being left solely dependent on government financial assistance of around S$100 a month. Mr Yip, who had never begged anyone for money and had saved S$1,000 in his bank account, said he had worked until 60, after which he depended on his CPF when he ran out of funds. Despite his children not helping him, he has no regrets and is moving into a rental flat with the help of volunteers and individuals who donated necessities and appliances to him.

Elderly Singaporeans share struggles in securing decent and affordable living spaces

On 13 March, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee launched a new…

Minister Faishal’s claim of one-third of Singapore’s population visiting Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar raises questions online

Stallholders and netizens express complaints and criticism over high rental costs at Singapore’s Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar this year. Founder of Makansutra, Kf Seetoh, called it the “world’s most expensive pasar malam stall.” The contracted organizer defended the rental rates, but some stallholders say they are losing money and cannot cover rent. Minister Faishal Ibrahim claimed more than 2 million visitors to the bazaar, but veteran journalist Bertha Henson and netizens question the credibility of this figure. Some suggested that organizers made a significant profit from high rental fees paid by the stallholders.

‘She’s sick, later delete that video” said driver caught committing indecent act with girlfriend believed to be a school student

A video of a young couple being intimate in a car park in Johor, Malaysia has gone viral on social media, sparking concerns that the girl is underage. In the 22-second video, the couple is caught in the act while sitting in a car at an undisclosed location that appears to be a public car park. When confronted, the driver claimed that the girl was “sick”.

Elderly residents frustrated as “residents’ corner” in a HDB block under Patrick Tay’s constituency remains unfinished for over two years

Residents of HDB Block 639 in Jurong West Street 61 have been waiting for over two years for the completion of a “residents’ corner” on the ground floor. The area was supposed to be a place for elderly residents to sit and chat, but due to the suspension of work, the stone chairs and tables have been left exposed, and soil from the construction site is causing the ground to become dirty during the rainy season. The West Coast Town Council (WCTC) expressed apologies for the inconvenience caused to residents and attributed the delay to the contractor’s cash flow difficulties during the pandemic.

Singapore’s Mediacorp defends drama series “Silent Walls” against accusations of harmful gay stereotypes

Mediacorp’s TV drama “Silent Walls” has received criticism from some members of the LGBTQ community for perpetuating harmful gay stereotypes. The criticism was primarily driven by an article from online LGBTQ+ publication Dear Straight People, which called out the relationship between two characters, citing their “problematic” large age gap as well as reinforcing the harmful stereotype that gay men are predators and groomers. The storyline was also criticized for implying that gay men are all diseased and promiscuous, suggesting that gay couples will always meet a tragic fate.

Singaporean blogger Xiaxue announces separation from husband, netizens rejoice for him

Social media influencer Xiaxue, whose real name is Wendy Cheng, announced on Wednesday night that she and her husband, Michael Sayre, have separated. The 38-year-old revealed on Instagram that the decision was mutual and amicable, and that they had been separated for some time. The couple married in 2010 and had a son, Dashiel, in 2013. Xiaxue stated that they will focus on co-parenting their son and supporting each other as they move forward in separate lives. Netizens have expressed their support for the couple’s decision to split, with some wishing Mr Sayre all the best in the future. Xiaxue is known for her attention-seeking antics online and her self-professed support for the People’s Action Party.

Russian man’s TikTok video sparks conversation on priority queues at Singapore MRT station

A Russian man’s TikTok video highlighting the disregard for “priority queues” at MRT stations in Singapore has gone viral. Pavel Semanov recorded an incident at Caldecott MRT station, where he was waiting with his two children in a stroller for the lift. Despite clear signage indicating a “priority queue,” several commuters crowded in front of the lift, seemingly ignoring Semanov and his children. The video, which has since gone viral, has sparked calls for greater consideration on public transport. Some parents shared their own experiences of dealing with similar situations and expressed solidarity with Semanov.

Organizers’ defense of Geylang Serai Bazaar rental costs as “within market rental rates” draw skepticism from netizens

The organizers of the Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar have defended their high rental costs, claiming that they are “within market rental rates.” However, this claim has been met with skepticism from some netizens, who question how the costs were determined and suggest that they may only be comparable to neighbouring shopping centres rather than the wider market. Critics have also pointed out that some vendors have struggled to make a profit despite paying between S$14,000 and S$25,000 in rent for a stall, with one kebab stallholder claiming that he had to compete with another kebab shop located less than 50 meters away despite paying $24,000 for his stall. While some commenters have proposed alternative solutions, such as decentralizing the bazaar or highlighting unique and worthwhile stalls, others have suggested that the vendors must have done their calculations and taken calculated risks before committing to taking a stall.

Fernvale Dew residents criticize HDB’s rectification work as “secondary school student”-like

A resident of the Fernvale Dew HDB Build-To-Order (BTO) estate launched an online petition two weeks ago, alleging that owners received keys to their flats even though the project was incomplete, and claiming that the workmanship was shoddy. The petition, which had 119 signatures as of April 5, demanded that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) rectify the alleged poor workmanship and delays in the estate. The HDB responded that the majority of the reported issues have been resolved within two weeks. Despite this, netizens have expressed disappointment with the HDB’s workmanship, with one resident lambasting the quality of the rectification work as being done by a “secondary school student”.