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http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090330-131904.html
Mon, Mar 30, 2009
my paper
Shopping and sex at Parklane
by Daryll Nanayakara
AT PARKLANE Shopping Mall, a full-body massage would cost you about $30.
Pay about three times that amount and, chances are, you will get more than a regular backrub.
When my paper went down last week, six out of 10 parlours on the third to fifth floors offered special services to this reporter.
The women, who spoke in heavily-accented Mandarin, took care not to step out of their shops and would tout their services only from the shopfronts.
But, once prospective customers were inside, the "masseuses" would immediately tell them upfront - with hand gestures at times - that the sexual services could cost anything from $50 to $100.
When a deal was struck, they would lock the shop entrance and lead their customer into a cubicle where a mattress lay.
In each of those parlours, there were two to four cubicles, each separated by wooden partitions, or mere curtains, in some cases.
The presence of those joints has upset other shopowners who say that such shops would give the mall a sleazy image.
One shopowner, Mr F. K. Lau, said: 'It's bad for other shops because nobody would want to come to the mall if there are such activities going on.'
However, other shopowners cautioned against making a sweeping statement deeming all the massage parlours as "dirty".
Ms J. Kwek, who runs a bookstore, said: 'We must separate the good ones from the "dirty" ones.'
When contacted, police said they were monitoring the situation at Parklane Shopping Mall and that "frequent enforcement actions against such activities" were being taken.
Last Thursday, the police nabbed three women from one of the parlours for working without a valid work permit.
The parlour was also found to be operating without a valid licence. Still, the number of people caught in such raids has been falling even though enforcement has been stepped up.
In 2007 and 2008, the police conducted 489 and 542 checks on such joints, arresting 823 and 693 people respectively.
[email protected]
Mon, Mar 30, 2009
my paper
Shopping and sex at Parklane
by Daryll Nanayakara
AT PARKLANE Shopping Mall, a full-body massage would cost you about $30.
Pay about three times that amount and, chances are, you will get more than a regular backrub.
When my paper went down last week, six out of 10 parlours on the third to fifth floors offered special services to this reporter.
The women, who spoke in heavily-accented Mandarin, took care not to step out of their shops and would tout their services only from the shopfronts.
But, once prospective customers were inside, the "masseuses" would immediately tell them upfront - with hand gestures at times - that the sexual services could cost anything from $50 to $100.
When a deal was struck, they would lock the shop entrance and lead their customer into a cubicle where a mattress lay.
In each of those parlours, there were two to four cubicles, each separated by wooden partitions, or mere curtains, in some cases.
The presence of those joints has upset other shopowners who say that such shops would give the mall a sleazy image.
One shopowner, Mr F. K. Lau, said: 'It's bad for other shops because nobody would want to come to the mall if there are such activities going on.'
However, other shopowners cautioned against making a sweeping statement deeming all the massage parlours as "dirty".
Ms J. Kwek, who runs a bookstore, said: 'We must separate the good ones from the "dirty" ones.'
When contacted, police said they were monitoring the situation at Parklane Shopping Mall and that "frequent enforcement actions against such activities" were being taken.
Last Thursday, the police nabbed three women from one of the parlours for working without a valid work permit.
The parlour was also found to be operating without a valid licence. Still, the number of people caught in such raids has been falling even though enforcement has been stepped up.
In 2007 and 2008, the police conducted 489 and 542 checks on such joints, arresting 823 and 693 people respectively.
[email protected]
