34. Standpoint

1. The eviction of an occupier was followed by a transfer of the flat to the neighbour in '99. The owner, who wrote the complaint about the occupier, was informed by an officer of the eviction although he was unaware of the transfer. He thought the neighbour (husband and wife), whom he had seen a few times before the eviction, owned the flat.
 
2. About four years later when the owner was feeling the effect of the noise, an insider stopped the neighbour. He came to live in the-flat-across-the-neighbour for a while, greeted the owner once, and a woman gave the owner his full name. Noise stopped after he left. He had inside information since the owner had not made a complaint yet.
 
3. Another four years later in '07, the neighbour signalled with loud noises for many days that they were restarting work. They probably knew beforehand officers would be on their side.

4. The cover-up started right off as seen from the behaviour of OIC (Officer-in-Charge) and a well-dressed man when they first visited the owner. Also, in his first letter to HBO (Head, Pasir Ris HDB Branch Office), one of the complaints was noise made by a maid while she was there. There were indications the maid was not registered to work in the flat and it was insider who caused the maid to be removed. The owner later wrote to the Ministry of Manpower to verify, but there was no reply.
 
5. The owner handed a draft of his second letter to the Branch Office when OIC said they did not receive it. Following which the owner insisted on a meeting with HBO. Although HBO said there was a recent transfer of the neighbour's flat, the owner deduced it was the eviction that led to the transfer nine years ago. What was more, an officer wrote later that they had not conducted any eviction at the neighbour's flat.

6. There were indications of a force-entry at the neighbour's flat on the fourth week after the moving-in of the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour. They moved in four days after the owner's first MPS (Meet-the-People Session). It would seem there was an understanding between officers after the force-entry, and the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour stayed to protect the neighbour. An old friend, who the owner had not been in contact for many years, met the owner in the evening on the same day of the force-entry. The friend was an intermediary, though he did not say so, who had since met the owner five times. The last time was after the owner emailed the President a month after the presidential election. In this instance there was considerably noise reduction the next day. The email is President (26).
 
7. The owner suspected a break-in at his flat in which he called the police a few months following the force-entry. The door lock to his flat was jammed. The circumstances leading to it were examined in Report (1) under Findings. He never had any problem with door lock before having lived in three other HDB flats and the present one since '93. But it happened in Jun 08, when events came to a head.
 
8. The officers have the resources, and the break-in is a strong possibility. Beside the instances noted in his blog indicating collaboration between officers and the neighbour, the owner was shown times and again the extensive influence the officers had over ordinary citizen like himself as he went about his business. There is motive and they would find ways to stop him, including the use of noise to force him into selling his flat. 
 
9. The-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour could communicate with the neighbour and watch the owner by sight from their flat. Their purpose is to monitor the workers, ensures the noise is not obvious outside the neighbour's flat and keeps insiders out. Noise through the day, including late at night and early in the morning, indicates workers take shifts around the clock. In fact they once showed the owner what they could do with noise through the night to the next morning. Together with a network of contacts that extends across government departments, the officers are able to keep everything under control. Immediate examples of such contacts are police officers at Neighbourhood Police Centre, branch members and community centre members at MPS and the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour. At HDB, no attempt to address the complaint against its officers is out of character.
 
10. At a MPS the owner asked the MP, who is also the Minister-in-Charge of Civil Service, to bypass HBO. The Minister then wrote to Town Council and they replied to the owner he would hear from HDB soon. This letter and the letter from the Minister were copied to HBO with a note stating it was for his information only. After the Town Council's letter, the Minister enquired of the owner whether anyone visited him. There was no visit from HDB. Subsequently all letters to HDB from MPs, including one from the Minister, were answered by HBO as usual. During the owner's final MPS, the area's MP said he would go and meet HBO the next day. Does it not showed HBO has the power to influence others?
 
11. The owner could not be mistaken. The signs: Noises were real, it forced him to leave his flat; he noted the behaviour of the officers and their contacts, and the many details that would check out; insiders who supported; MPs who gone out of their way to assist; and the official silence.
 
12. Events stretching over more than a decade indicate officers are familiar with the neighbour. Investigation would have consequences on the officers and admission of mistakes by the authorities. Without an investigation there is an injustice, and the next owner could be a start of a new one.
 
13. Three factors led to the lessening of noise when the owner emailed the President just after the presidential election. First, general support for the owner although no one referred to the case directly; second, the complaint was to the President who ensures integrity of the civil service; and third, the owner continued to blog relevant details of the case. The three factors at the right time.
 
14. Previous to this there was also support for the owner as he blogged about the same issue for two years and he wrote his first letter to the President one and a half years ago, but there was no change. Even now, because the problem has not been identified technically, the officers and neighbour could go back to their old way.
 
15. It is important that the President know. The posts President (26), Ombudsman (29) and Dissent (30) let him in on the situation. Nevertheless, the Minister-in-Charge of Civil Service does. He is aware of the bcc between HBO and the Chairman (Residents' Committee) that was sent to the owner. It indicated they met in the-flat-across-the-neighbour. Some time later the Minister met the owner at a MPS that was supposed to be scheduled for the area's MP but, before the meeting, a Community Centre member (CC member) introduced the owner to another CC member who lived in the same block of flat as the owner to discuss the noise. As in this first and on two more occasions, the owner showed this other CC member has been in contact with the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour. They in turn ensure things do not get out of hands.
 
16. The owner explained the purpose of the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour in separate correspondence to the President and the Singapore Police Force. Both correspondences were acknowledged by Bedok Police Division and Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC). Bedok Police Division noted the concern raised and referred it to NPC. NPC wrote they were unable to find evidence of alleged noise or criminal offence, yet nowhere in the letter was the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour mentioned. When the owner wrote again to the President after the presidential election and the matter was referred again to Bedok Police Division, they did not reply. Bedok Police Division already knew of the situation. In News (31) the Minister-in-Charge of Civil Service and Head, Civil Service, spoke of issue not falling within neat domain and of issue not falling neatly into any one agency's work respectively. The owner thinks the speeches fit his case.
 
17. A government that is too centralised and forms relationships too tightly could be an explanation of the problem. It could also be about accountability.
 
18. A key democratic idea is adequate accountability.
 
Observation Noise started up for two days on the fourth day after the posting of News (31) and Citizen (32). On and off there were many more days where noise was obvious. By the eighth week noise was adjusted down but the difference came with more noise in length of time heard, at least for a few days.
 
Now into the sixteenth week their works are still continuing. Some noises are muffled, others are heard clearly. Noises are continual, mostly in the morning and afternoon. At times noises are frequent and annoying.
 
Some things remain the same. Message from the administration to the officers who collaborate with the neighbour causes the neighbour to reduce noise. No action taken to the officers, who are still in their places including the-people-in-the-flat-across-the-neighbour, serves the neighbour. The officers guide the neighbour on what to do.
 
Compare that to the insider who was able to stop the neighbour for about four years in Item 2 above.

33. By-Election

1. News items between Nomination Day, 16 May 12, and one day after Polling Day, 26 May 12:
 
a) The Workers' Party candidate for Hougang, Png Eng Huat, said the composition in Singapore Parliament is "too lopsided".
 
He said democracy is about political and social equality and it is something he doesn't see in Parliament as the majority of MPs are from the People's Action Party.
 
Mr Png made this point in response to comments by his PAP opponent, Desmond Choo. Mr Choo had urged voters not to "mix up" the democratic process with the need for alternative voices in Parliament.
 
b) Workers' Party's Png Eng Huat won the Hougang by-election with 13,447 votes against PAP's Desmond Choo's 8210 votes. Mr Png won the single-seat constituency with 62.09% of the vote against Mr Choo 37.91%.
 
The by-election was held to fill the seat vacated by former Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong, who was expelled from the Workers' Party following reports of his personal indiscretions. Mr Yaw had won the seat in May 2011 General Election with 64.8% of the vote, against Mr Choo's 35.2%.
 
c) Hougang's grassroots advisor Desmond Choo said he would do his best to support projects that are sound and in the best interests of residents in the single member constituency.
 
Mr Choo was speaking to reporters on Sunday morning before he went around Hougang to thank residents. He was asked if he would support projects, such as the Home Improvement Programme, in Hougang. Mr Choo, who was the candidate for the People Action Party, lost Hougang by-election after he secured only about 38% of the vote.
 
d) Uphold integrity & excellence, DPM Teo tells civil servants
 
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said greater citizen interest and engagement in how the government carries out its business should be welcomed, and public officers must adapt to a closer partnership in those they serve.
 
In the message to some 130,000 public officers to celebrate Public Service Week, Mr Teo, who is also Minister in charge of the Civil Service, urged public officers to continue to earn the trust of the public.
 
e) The Public Service is adding three service principles to better guide the relationship between the Public Service and Singaporeans.
 
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Minister in charge of the Civil Service, said these are people-centricity, mutual courtesy and respect, and shared responsibility for public good. Mr Teo was speaking to public officers at the annual Excellence in Public Service Awards Ceremony on Friday.
 
f) HDB is stepping up efforts to build stronger community ties by recreating the kampong spirit in housing estates.
 
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan described the HDB's effort as a campaign to simply "love thy neighbour".
 
g) Former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said that as a small country, Singapore needs a strong armed forces to ensure its continued survival.
 
Speaking at the Temasek Society 30th Anniversary dialogue session, Mr Lee said without a strong Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) "there is no economic future" and "there is no security".
 
Mr Lee said the SAF has done better than he had hoped.
 
2. The owner had hoped his case could be mentioned during the by-election. But earlier, the potential office of ombudsman was raised in parliament and the CUTS filed in the Prime Minister Office. The CUTS is at www.wp.sg of the Workers' Party dated 7 Mar 12.
 
3. Ombudsman: official empowered to investigate individual complaints of bureaucratic injustice.