1. The case is about profit, influence and wrongdoing. The neighbour has not stop a day since they began four years ago because of an arrangement with officers. MPs, who wrote on behalf of the owner, did not receive a response from HDB. The non-action explained the problem MPs had with HBO (Head, Pasir Ris HDB Branch Office) who continued to reply to their letters even when the owner's complaint was about him. HDB has the power of investigation, yet everything stopped at the Branch Office.
2. NPC (Neighbourhood Police Centre) did not investigate the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour. They acknowledged the letters the owner wrote to the President and Singapore Police Force about the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour yet avoided the issue. The-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour moved into the flat four days after the owner attended his first MPS (Meet-the-People Session) in '08. Following a force-entry into the neighbour's flat a number of weeks later, a deal was made for the neighbour to continue with their works. They may also have broken into the owner's flat in search of documentary evidence and anything else that might be of use against the owner.
3. Officers were involved when an eviction was followed by a transfer of the flat to the neighbour way back in '99. The owner knew about the occupier who was evicted and saw the neighbour before the eviction. There is no record of the occupier nor the eviction. The transfer of the flat was facilitated by officers so that the neighbour could continue with their works. They would stop the owner from going through with his current complaint after they renewed an arrangement with the neighbour in '07. The officers could cover up the case for as long as is required because they have strong connection. A small number of such cases may not be felt in a population but it probably happened many times before. For every one case that is known, there are others.
4. Dishonest officers are able to conceal and evade because finding direct evidence is difficult. In the case, however, there are evidence but request for an inquiry has been ignored. Insiders knew and assisted. The officers could have been prevented from straying by a code of conducts and a system of punishments. Should there be any doubt about the officers, they should be removed to another position pending investigation. Such being not the case, it allows the officers and their network of contacts to force the owner into selling his flat. He would continue to blog because of an injustice.
5. One may think the owner has an axe to grind. He may well has. But anytime the noise stops, the owner would have no reason to continue writing about the issue. All he wanted is a fair hearing, and fairness to the next owner as he will be leaving. The situation is not normal.
6. The neighbour is undeterred because officers protected them. Noise from machine-tools and frequency and duration of noise showed they are working for a profit. Since '08 the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour ensures noise inside the neighbour's flat is not obvious outside the flat and prevents inspection by spotting any one who does. The owner blogged and emailed to practically everybody including the Ministry of National Development for something to be done. An inquiry would have looked into the details and provided a record.
7. With the posting of Evidence (21) in 26 April 11 just before Nomination Day of the General Election, there was a drop in noise. What is to prevent the neighbour from continuing? Are the officers still around?
8. In individualism one look out for oneself. It is for the strong. A community-based government, however, recognises its has both strong and weak members and looks at solution from a larger perspective. In the case if it is true that officers colluded with the neighbour, they should be stopped. If not, the owner should be stopped from complaining. The community benefits in a long run.
9. At a General Election Rally on 3 May 11, PM said:
"No government is perfect. We can have our best intentions, make our best efforts, but from time to time, mistakes will happen. We will make mistakes. We made a mistake when we let Mas Selamat run away. We made a mistake when Orchard Road got flooded. And there are other mistakes which we have made from time to time, and I’m sure occasionally will happen again – I hope not too often. But when it happens, then we should acknowledge it, we should apologize, take responsibility, put things right, if we have to discipline somebody we will do that, and we must learn from the lessons, and never make the same mistake again."
The owner hopes PM was also referring to his case.
