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Once a former teen hangout, Orchard mall now has at least 10 massage parlours as tenant mix changes
Seated or standing behind glass windows, scantily-clad women "display" themselves and proposition men walking by to "come for massage".
Their units, which are largely on the fourth and fifth storeys of the mall, stand alongside established halal food eateries, hair salons and nail parlours.
Shopowners and workers told The Straits Times that the women moved in about two years ago and have become more brazen over the past year or so.
Mr Joseph Liang, 42, who works on the fifth storey, said he avoids bringing his seven-year-old son to work.
He said: "He's too young to be exposed to such things.
"Almost every time I pass by these units, the women will look at me very keenly. If you look back , they will ask you to come in for a massage. They wear very little and some are very upfront about it."
Neighbouring shops said the massage parlour units used to house fashion retailers and beauty shops. The shift in services at Far East Plaza comes at a time when some malls are experiencing falling occupancy rates.
Property consultant Nicholas Mak, the executive director of ZACD Group, said e-commerce has changed the retail market, resulting in landlords and owners facing a tough choice of forgoing rent, or earning from "any tenant that comes along".
Mr Mak said: "Unlike single-owner malls, Management Corporation Strata Title properties (MCST) like Far East Plaza do not have full control of tenant mix and positioning."
Other MCST malls such as The Adelphi in City Hall underwent a clean-up in 2016 after a similar problem.
To rebuild its reputation, landlords voted at its annual general meeting that year to pass a by-law to stop illegal and unlicensed massage parlours from renting units.
The police has been intensifying enforcement checks in the wake of the new Massage Establishments Act, which came into force on March 1.
The police detected 40 per cent more unlicensed massage establishments between 2013 and 2016. There were nearly 300 such operators found in 2016, with 40 per cent engaging in vice-related offences.
First-time offenders running an operation without a licence could now face a fine of up to $10,000 - 10 times higher than before - and up to two years in jail. Repeat offenders could have their penalties doubled or more: A fine of up to $20,000 and/or jail term of up to five years.
Landlords must now also take reasonable steps to get such errant tenants to hand over the premises within a month, or face penalties.
The police said firm action will be taken against the operators for flouting regulations and they take "a serious view of anyone found breaking the law".
More at https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/far-east-plaza-now-popular-massage-parlours
Seated or standing behind glass windows, scantily-clad women "display" themselves and proposition men walking by to "come for massage".
Their units, which are largely on the fourth and fifth storeys of the mall, stand alongside established halal food eateries, hair salons and nail parlours.
Shopowners and workers told The Straits Times that the women moved in about two years ago and have become more brazen over the past year or so.
Mr Joseph Liang, 42, who works on the fifth storey, said he avoids bringing his seven-year-old son to work.
He said: "He's too young to be exposed to such things.
"Almost every time I pass by these units, the women will look at me very keenly. If you look back , they will ask you to come in for a massage. They wear very little and some are very upfront about it."
Neighbouring shops said the massage parlour units used to house fashion retailers and beauty shops. The shift in services at Far East Plaza comes at a time when some malls are experiencing falling occupancy rates.
Property consultant Nicholas Mak, the executive director of ZACD Group, said e-commerce has changed the retail market, resulting in landlords and owners facing a tough choice of forgoing rent, or earning from "any tenant that comes along".
Mr Mak said: "Unlike single-owner malls, Management Corporation Strata Title properties (MCST) like Far East Plaza do not have full control of tenant mix and positioning."
Other MCST malls such as The Adelphi in City Hall underwent a clean-up in 2016 after a similar problem.
To rebuild its reputation, landlords voted at its annual general meeting that year to pass a by-law to stop illegal and unlicensed massage parlours from renting units.
The police has been intensifying enforcement checks in the wake of the new Massage Establishments Act, which came into force on March 1.
The police detected 40 per cent more unlicensed massage establishments between 2013 and 2016. There were nearly 300 such operators found in 2016, with 40 per cent engaging in vice-related offences.
First-time offenders running an operation without a licence could now face a fine of up to $10,000 - 10 times higher than before - and up to two years in jail. Repeat offenders could have their penalties doubled or more: A fine of up to $20,000 and/or jail term of up to five years.
Landlords must now also take reasonable steps to get such errant tenants to hand over the premises within a month, or face penalties.
The police said firm action will be taken against the operators for flouting regulations and they take "a serious view of anyone found breaking the law".
More at https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/far-east-plaza-now-popular-massage-parlours
