-
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
[Today Only] big lobang Prata 95cents per piece at Northpoint City
- Thread starter micromachine
- Start date
95cts considered cheap?
How much prata go for now?
I remembered last time 50cts only for kosong
How much prata go for now?
I remembered last time 50cts only for kosong
My last time was 20 cents.
The 'standard' rate of a prata kosong is around the price of a cup of kopi at an average kopitiam or hawker centre, probably just a bit over $1.
I think selling prata kosong yields the highest profit margin, even if you were to factor in the cost of the curry and ghee.
All that says is you're an old fart.
How old does one qualify to be an old fart?
All those who paid 20 cents or less for prata kosong.
Yap it was 20 cents than it went to 50 cents with free onions...remember the nasi lemak chilli of old the ones with fried ikan bilis and shallots with a splash of tamarind juice
When Polis were wearing shorts and Khaki uniform Prata was 0.10 cents per piece $1.00 buy 10 pieces~~~!!
You char kway 0.20 cents buy 5 pieces, Chwee Kway 0.20 cents 10 pieces, out side Farrer Park swimming pool trishaw
uncle selling Yong Tau Foo 0.20 cents ~ 10 pieces!! it was damn cheap those days!! 5 cents bigger than bullock cart!!
You char kway 0.20 cents buy 5 pieces, Chwee Kway 0.20 cents 10 pieces, out side Farrer Park swimming pool trishaw
uncle selling Yong Tau Foo 0.20 cents ~ 10 pieces!! it was damn cheap those days!! 5 cents bigger than bullock cart!!
Ccb thief slander harasser filthy son of whore, only your whore mother wife daughters are big lobang Prata. I have never changed what I said about being a virgin and don’t quality to be Big lobang prata.
If you haven't noticed yet, the polis in sinkieland have started wearing shorts again. 
lagi cheaper at spring leaf prata. only 80 cents for prata kosong.
Skip to main content
Toggle navigation
SINGAPORECourts & Crime Education Housing Transport Health Manpower Environment
My Turf
Why do some people make fun of Yishun?
1 of 3
Yishun resident and parrot enthusiast Muhamad Riduwan says that "things like fighting, murder and animal abuse happen everywhere". The northern town of Yishun has developed a reputation as the heartland of the bad and mad, with what some see as a dis
The northern town of Yishun has developed a reputation as the heartland of the bad and mad, with what some see as a disproportionate share of unfortunate headlines. ST PHOTO: FABIAN KOH
PUBLISHEDFEB 16, 2017, 5:00 AM SGT
FACEBOOKTWITTERWHATSAPPEMAIL
My Turf is a new fortnightly series that aims to tell the untold stories of our neighbourhoods. In this third instalment, we take a look at Yishun and why it has a reputation for the bad and the mad.
Fabian Koh
A trending topic on social media has recently been this question: What in the world is wrong with Yishun?
"Build a wall around Yishun," says a popular meme, while a Twitter account has been set up, dedicated to weird happenings in this northern town.
Somehow, Yishun has developed a reputation for bad news. Alongside the everyday events, Yishun is also home to cat abuse, murder, car chases, brothel raids, civilians trying to attack policemen with stun guns, loan sharks, falling concrete slabs, sinkholes, feuding taxi drivers, shopping mall stabbings and more.
Could it be something in the air? Or perhaps the water?
But it turns out that the problem with Yishun is simple, just like what most people won in the Toto draw last week: Nothing.
BAD NEWS SELLS
There's a balance of positive and negative news with every estate. But a lot more people read the bad news.
MR LOUIS NG, an MP for Nee Soon GRC, on how Yishun landed its reputation.
NICE, NORMAL FOLKS
People here are actually nice and normal. My neighbours are friendly and we are all on good terms.
MS JENNY ONG, a vegetable seller who has been living in Yishun Avenue 6 for almost two decades.
Thumbs up for community spirit
Despite its uncanny association with bad news, there is good news in Yishun as well.
• Yishun Primary School pupil Ashvin Gunasegaran, 12, rushed to help the victims of a car accident that had occurred at the junction of Yishun Ring Road and Yishun Avenue 2 in May last year. It earned Ashvin, who also lives in Yishun, a Public Spiritedness Award from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and a nomination for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year.
• Yishun was designated Singapore's first dementia-friendly town in January last year, with about 2,000 people trained to spot and help elderly people in the community who have age-related cognitive deficits. Information guides were distributed to 58,000 households and businesses.
• The first one-stop diabetes help centre opened in Block 839 Yishun Street 81 in November last year. Residents can use its self-help kiosks to do health checks, such as measuring their own blood pressure.
• The pilot Love Cats programme to allow pet cats in HDB flats was launched in Chong Pang in October 2012. The initiative, which requires owners to register, sterilise and microchip their cats, and restrict them from roaming outdoors, is nearing the end of its four-year trial.
• Mr John Shu, 50, and Ms Jaycie Tay, 32, met on a bus in Yishun in 2013. In an incredible act of generosity, Mr Shu, a mechanic for the Traffic Police, gave the former offender three months of his salary to fund her school fees and other expenses so she could better her lot in life. He was also nominated for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year for his kind act.
• The first community-led smoke-free zone was launched in Nee Soon South in January 2014, with designated smoking points set up a distance away from the nearest block of flats to prevent second-hand smoke from entering the lower floor units.
It is a made-up phenomenon, driven by media coverage and confirmation bias.
ADVERTISING
Assistant Professor Liew Khai Khiun, from Nanyang Technological University's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, said Yishun's reputation boils down to "public imagination".
By coincidence, one or two sensational things happen in the estate that draw widespread coverage, some enterprising wags seize upon it and soon the idea that the place is jinxed enters almost mainstream thought.
"For example, Woodlands had that murder case on Chinese New Year, along with the water tank murder in 2013, but the place is not associated with dysfunctionality."
Emphasising the role of media attention, Mr Louis Ng, an MP for Nee Soon GRC, said cat killings had been going on since 2012, but most people did not know about them at the time.
Only after a press conference in December 2015 did people begin looking out for such incidents and highlighting them.
Soon, Yishun became synonymous with the phrase "cat killer".
Mr Ng, who is also head of animal welfare group Acres, said cat abuse happens in other neighbourhoods - most recently in Tampines, Ang Mo Kio and Redhill - but the publicity does not reach the same level.
"There's a balance of positive and negative news with every estate. But a lot more people read the bad news," he noted.
There is also an expectation that a public housing estate in the heartland is insulated from problems that beset more worldly areas.
Prof Liew said: "For example, Geylang is not associated with being a family-friendly place like the HDB heartland."
So if something occurs in Yishun, people sit up and take notice.
These factors combine to create an often darkly funny, dystopian image of the town.
"Perhaps people want to reaffirm their own geographical biases," said Prof Liew. "For example, people in the east may not like to travel that far, so they pick on this to justify themselves."
He added that Yishun's demographics are similar to those of other housing estates and its social problems, such as poverty, are found elsewhere in Singapore as well.
That Yishun's popular image is firmly tongue-in-cheek is clear in the negligible impact on property values.
R'ST Research director Ong Kah Seng said: "I wouldn't say the spate of bad news would affect property prices there."
He added that buyers make decisions based on budget and location and take into account the available amenities and connectivity to the city centre.
Property in Yishun still draws buyers, he pointed out.
He said: "In 2015, a private residential project, Northpark Residences, was launched. Although prices were on the steeper side, averaging $1,300 per sq ft, there was still overwhelming interest.
"This was because the project offered integrated amenities."
There is also a more sinister side to the misrepresentation of Yishun, said Ms Lee Bee Wah, an MP for Nee Soon GRC.
Though netizens may find it funny to cherry-pick incidents and poke fun at the town, the jokes may hurt the feelings of some.
Ms Lee has received feedback from upset residents, some of whom have been the target of insensitive jokes. "It will affect the morale of the hard-working police and other community partners in Yishun," she said. "If you work hard every day to make somewhere a peaceful home, but only the negative incidents get blown up, you would be a little discouraged too."
She urged people to also acknowledge positive events in Yishun.
Vegetable seller Jenny Ong, 47, has lived in Yishun Avenue 6 for almost two decades. She said: "People here are actually nice and normal. My neighbours are friendly and we are all on good terms."
She regards her regular customers as friends, having served them for years, and does not mind when some make purchases on credit.
"There's that trust," she said. "Some people say Yishun is a kampung because it is far from the city, but I find it cosy."
Mr Muhamad Riduwan, 24, a driver, has lived in Yishun Ring Road for more than a year. He first noticed the jokes on Facebook a few months ago but laughs them off.
The parrot enthusiast said that with developments such as the Seletar West Link, Yishun is not as inaccessible as some make it seem.
"Things like fighting, murder and animal abuse happen everywhere," he said. "We can't stop people from saying what they want."
To put the stereotypes to rest, Prof Liew suggests making relevant statistics public.
"Perhaps it's time to raise the question of whether Singapore's police should release figures for crime rates by region," he said. "If not, such stereotypes might persist."
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 16, 2017, with the headline 'Why do some people make fun of Yishun? '. Print Edition | Subscribe
Introductory Offer at $0.99/month
Unlock all Premium articles and discover exclusive stories, in-depth analysis, award-winning multimedia content and more. Cancel anytime.
Try It Today
TOPICS: LOUIS NG KOK KWANGLEE BEE WAHCOMMUNITYHDB
FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail
Ardmore Park tycoon declared bankrupt in Hong Kong
Ardmore Park tycoon declared bankrupt in Hong Kong
Apr 17, 2019
Why the retirement age is irrelevant for Singapore
Why the retirement age is irrelevant for Singapore
Apr 18, 2019
China's reform of state-owned firms won't come easy
China's reform of state-owned firms won't come easy
Apr 18, 2019
BRI will help the world. China? Not so much
BRI will help the world. China? Not so much
Apr 17, 2019
Recommended by
RECOMMENDED
[Photos] The Wealthiest Actor of All Times is in the ‘Game of Thrones' CastAdvertisement
[Photos] The Wealthiest Actor of All Times is in the…
Bob's Hideout
Advertisement
Mel Gibson Has Never Looked Better With His Young…
Editor Choice
Perth! Going Solar is Now Cheaper With Government Rebates!Advertisement
Perth! Going Solar is Now Cheaper With Government…
Solar Market
Short-Term Business Loans – Choosing the Right Business Loan for Your NeedsAdvertisement
Short-Term Business Loans – Choosing the Right Business…
Moula
[Pics] Realtors Had No Words For Celine Dion's $28M MansionAdvertisement
[Pics] Realtors Had No Words For Celine Dion's $28M Mansion
Cleverst
[Photos] World's First Surviving Octoplets Are All Grown Up. Look At Them Years LaterAdvertisement
[Photos] World's First Surviving Octoplets Are All…
Coolimba
Energetic investor snaps up tired Glenroy apartments - realestate.com.auAdvertisement
Energetic investor snaps up tired Glenroy…
realestate.com.au
Solar Systems Are Slashing Aussie Power Bills By 89%Advertisement
Solar Systems Are Slashing Aussie Power Bills By 89%
Solar Market
An expert in the health sector who is a passionate advocate for positive change in the aged care industry lets us know about the stigma around ageingAdvertisement
An expert in the health sector who is a passionate…
Lifestyle
Suggestive statue at SA school to changeAdvertisement
Suggestive statue at SA school to change
EducationHQ Australia
High Speed WiFi Booster Is Flying Off Shelves In AustraliaAdvertisement
High Speed WiFi Booster Is Flying Off Shelves In Australia
techdiscountdeals.com
ST VIDEOS
Indonesia election: Jokowi calls on voters to unite while Prabowo is unlikely to go down without a fight
Indonesia election: Jokowi calls on voters to unite while Prabowo is unlikely to go down without a fight
Zombies and gangsters to star at Cannes Film Festival, but no Tarantino
Zombies and gangsters to star at Cannes Film Festival, but no Tarantino
Indonesia votes: Polls open with more than 192 million eligible to vote
Indonesia votes: Polls open with more than 192 million eligible to vote
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, April 19
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, April 19
Recommended by
BRANDED CONTENT
SUBSCRIBE TO
THE STRAITS TIMES
call 6388-3838 or click here
Available for
iPhones and iPads
Available in
Google Play
SINGAPORE
POLITICS
ASIA
WORLD
VIDEOS
MULTIMEDIA
LIFESTYLE
FOOD
FORUM
OPINION
BUSINESS
SPORT
TECH
GAMES
FOLLOW ST
The Straits Times
Terms & ConditionsData Protection PolicyNeed help? Reach us here.Advertise with us
SPH Digital News / Copyright © 2019 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved
Yishun is a shithole
99.co
Why Yishun is the most terrifying place to live in Singapore
Ryan Ong Ryan Ong
49 years ago
Yishun seems to keep popping up in the news for all the wrong reasons
Yishun seems to keep popping up in the news for all the wrong reasons
Every country has one: that spot where weird things keep happening, and every day is a season of the Twilight Zone. In the United States, it’s Florida. In Australia, it’s everywhere outside a city. In Singapore, it’s Yishun. Here’s why Yishun is so exciting and terrifying (along with some rationalisations).
What strange things have happened in Yishun?
Some of the things that you find in Yishun are:
Cat killings
Cat killing (singular)
People with stun guns
Rat problems
A drug syndicate
Someone who wants your children
Numerous murders and suicides
And many, many more. But in case you’ve forgotten, here’s a rundown of those main ones:
Cat killings
There have been a spate of cat killings in Yishun, with two suspects when we last heard. The total number of cat murders is estimated to be at around 19, although the initial claims were 28 (it has since been found that some of the deaths were natural or accidental).
Cats have been slit open, bludgeoned, thrown off high places, and so forth. And whatever your feelings about cats, here’s why it’s serious: many serial killers and spree killers start by abusing defenceless animals, eventually working their way up to…well, people.
Cat killing (singular)
What do you do when a cat meows a lot? Feed it? Pet it? How about pick it up, and throw it off the 13th storey? In May 2016, that’s exactly what someone did. He chucked a male cat off the ledge because he felt it was being noisy.
Now in his defence, the courts found he was intellectually challenged, so he may not have understood what he was doing. But it didn’t help that this occurred in a neighbourhood where people were already looking for a cat killer (and no, it’s not him).
Police getting attacked with a stun gun
In January this year, two people were spotted by the police, in their attempt to steal something from a car. Now, pop quiz:
When someone who possess a loaded gun, and is trained to use it, approaches you, you should:
(a) Stop and do what he says
(b) Attack the person with a real gun, using a stun gun
The two people in question chose option B, which promptly led to their arrest. But that’s not the big issue. The big issue is how they managed to get their hands on a stun gun, when most of us can’t get a bigger laser pointer past customs.
Oh wait, there were another two guys playing with a stun gun at North Point mall last year. Maybe they sell a much more exotic range of goods at Yishun pasar malams or something.
Rat problems
Yishun has an on and off rat issues. Nothing out of control, but enough to be an annoyance at times.
Maybe the cat killings explain this one.
A drug syndicate
111 drug traffickers were nabbed in an operation last year. Guess where their leader was.
That’s right, he was caught with around $62,000 worth of drugs in Yishun. But that’s small. The biggest drug dealer from Yishun may be Barry Zheng Chongde, who was involved in a $64.6 million cocaine syndicate in Australia.
Drugs may also have been involved in an accident near the Yishun MRT station, where three people were injured when someone tried to drive through a police roadblock (the police were searching the car before it happened).
It’s amazing no one is writing the script for CSI: Yishun at this point.
Someone who wants your children
Most recently, we got reports of a mysterious man asking for any children, via door-to-door knocking. Kind of like the most terrifying karang-guni man you’ve ever heard of.
This is really unfair, as any Yishun residents with pets or children now need to barricade their house. Maybe this is why so many of them have stun guns, is all we’re saying.
Numerous murders and suicides
Enter Yishun murders in Google and you’ll receive a whole slew of search results dedicated to the subject. Some examples are this case, this other case and the most notable is the triple murder case in 2008 committed at Blk 349 Yishun Street 11.
Aside from murders, suicides are depressingly also a common occurrence in Yishun – read all about their grisly details here.
Why do these things happen in Yishun?
Our guess is population density. Yishun is over 21 square kilometres, with a population of around 202,000. The estimated population density is 9,500 per square kilometre. Compare it to Bedok (13,360.5 per square kilometre), or Sengkang (51,000 per square kilometre), and you can see it’s not too packed.
Now if you want to do something covert – whether it’s being a cat serial killer or smuggle drugs, it’s the quieter neighbourhoods that you will move to. Yishun was emblematic of the sleepy residential enclave (until the weirdness), so you can see why a drug syndicate leader would pick the place. There are just fewer eyes to observe you.
Of course, that’s bound to change now, as Yishun’s bizarre events come more into light.
On the bright side, not all is bad
Sure, Yishun may have its quirks, but don’t let the horror stories scare you. If you take into account the relatively affordable housing and the amount of amenities available at your doorstep, Yishun is a pretty great place to live.
Average resale flat prices are one of the most attractive for home-buyers, with plenty of other residential developments in recent times such as The Wisteria ($1,002 average psf) and North Park Residences ($1,323 average psf). Both of these projects have been attracting a great deal of attention from property observers.
4-room
5-room
Executive
2016
$289,000 $365,000 $455,633
2015
$290,500 $359,250
$458,725
2014 $307,500 $372,875
$468,333
Source: HDB
Share this on WhatsApp
Categories: Guides
Leave a Comment
99.co
Powered by WordPress
Back to top
Is Yishun jinxed - or merely misunderstood?
Statistics show that the town might not be the hotbed of crime many may think it is. Talking Point investigates.
Do most crimes happen in Yishun? Is it unsafe for stray cats? Talking Point confirms, once and for all, what's myth and what's fact. Read more here.
Share this content
13,014 shares
Bookmark
SINGAPORE: Yishun has developed a reputation for bad news – home to mall stabbings, brothel raids, civilians trying to attack policemen with stun guns, as well as cat killers, among other incidents.
So much so that it became a meme, with YouTube spoof videos and a hot topic on which to sound off. "Build a wall around Yishun," says one meme, while one Twitter account has been set up dedicated to weird happenings there.
But does the town deserve this reputation?
ADVERTISING
Current affairs programme Talking Point investigated, and found that Yishun might not be the hotbed of crime many may think it is. There are other neighbourhoods with a higher ratio of preventable crimes, specifically snatch theft, robbery, housebreaking, theft of motor vehicle and outrage of modesty.
In 2015, Orchard’s crime rate was 11.7 percentage points higher than Yishun’s. And out of Singapore’s 28 estates, Yishun ranked 13th, behind the likes of Changi, Geylang, Rochor and Marine Parade.
yishun4
Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Leong Chan-Hoong, who studies neighbourhood profiles in Singapore, has an explanation for why Yishun is perceived as a place with a high crime rate, belying the national statistics.
“Yishun has one of the lower national income (profiles) compared to other housing estates. And in general, people tend to perceive lower-income neighbourhoods as associated with higher crime rates, for example,” he said.
“A place like Marine Parade has a lot of landed properties and condominiums, a lot of well-to-do residents, but at the same time, it also has quite a number of rental units. But the whole estate in general gives the impression that it’s a reasonably well-to-do neighbourhood.”
THE DEVIL’S RING
In contrast, the negative perception of Yishun has been a trending topic for some time now. There is even a blog dedicated to the weird happenings in the town.
Blogger Lhu Wen Kai, who has been compiling news articles of the unfortunate events that have happened in his estate for the past 10 years, agrees that every town in Singapore has its fair share of bizarre incidents.
But he is amazed at the “frightening consistency” of such incidents in Yishun.
yishun3
His research for his blog The Yishun Dream includes using Google Maps to plot the locations of those events, and he found that most of them occurred within the area enclosed by Yishun Ring Road, which he nicknamed The Devil’s Ring.
“There was this case of a bank executive who tried to rob a bank with a toy pistol, and he got cold feet in the end,” he cited.
And there was another case where a man tried to burgle a home, and the home happened to be undergoing renovation, and he got caught. So (Yishun) is so jinxed that even robbers can’t commit the crime.
He had started his blog mostly to practise web design, but with the narrative of Yishun as a “cursed town” – in his words – gaining traction at the time, his blog began to garner more and more reactions.
CAT ABUSE CASES
Of late, the impression is that Yishun is full of cat abusers, judging by the 41 media reports on cat abuse cases there in the last five years, far more than in any other estate.
However, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority says that of the 18 per cent of alleged cat cruelty cases in Yishun between 2015 and last month (out of 451 cases nationwide), only 5 per cent - or four cases - were actual cruelty cases.
Most of the other cases were the result of accidents or attacks by stray dogs.
Yishun cats Oct 25
Two cats found dead in Yishun on Oct 25 morning. (Photo: Facebook / Yishun 326 Tabby cat)
Cat Welfare Society executive director Laura Ann Meranda believes that the current perception of Yishun may have stemmed from cat volunteers in the area being “very gung-ho” about fighting abuse.
“When a case is actually reported by the town council, or even by any residents, the first thing is (the volunteers) swiftly come in to report the case and then they go to social media asking for help,” she said.
While this may reinforce the negative image of Yishun, she hopes the volunteers continue to give voice to animal rights. She added: “It’s only fair that they still come forward.”
There is now a standard operating procedure to ensure that cat carcasses are not disposed of until the authorities can conduct a proper on-site investigation, shared Member of Parliament (Nee Soon) and animal rights advocate Louis Ng.
When he became a MP for the constituency in 2015, he realised that there had been a spate of cat killings for years, and what was needed was to “bring all these cases to the forefront” to raise awareness.
So did we create a hype? Yes. Was it intentional? Yes as well... It was important in terms of addressing this issue and really addressing the root cause.
The number of cases have dropped in the last two years, he noted.
yishun1
Talking Point host Diana Ser with Yishun cat lovers.
MAKING YISHUN GREAT AGAIN
Whether there has been bad publicity, extensive social media coverage or preconceived notions, much of Yishun’s reputation has also been a made-up phenomenon.
Filmmaker Mohd Ridhwan Mohd Yunos, a Yishunite since birth and the creator of the video Yishun Resident Evil, a spoof of a video game about a deadly virus and zombies, views the send-ups of the town as just entertainment.
“So I don’t really get affected by all these comments about the negative parts of Yishun,” he said.
There are others, however, who hope to counter the negative headlines of the past. The Make Yishun Great Again hashtag started during United States President Donald Trump’s campaign last year – a takeoff of his promise to Make America Great Again.
One team of individuals even put together hundreds of “care packages” of food and drinks in June and delivered them to an entire block, to soften Yishun’s image.
yishun2
The Yiishun care package distributed by residents like Dawn Lim.
Each package came with this note: “Hello neighbour, in the light of all the Yishun news that has been making headlines, a small team of individuals passionate about making good vibes decided to come together to surprise a whole block overnight …”
Ms Dawn Lim did not think Yishun deserved to have a bad reputation, so she and her friends came up with this idea. It soon sparked the media coverage they wanted.
She said: “There's a lot to be done, but this was a great first step to make Yishun great again.”
Watch more of this on Talking Point here. New episodes on Mediacorp Channel 5 every Thursday, 9.30pm.
Source: CNA/yv
Statistics show that the town might not be the hotbed of crime many may think it is. Talking Point investigates.
Do most crimes happen in Yishun? Is it unsafe for stray cats? Talking Point confirms, once and for all, what's myth and what's fact. Read more here.
Share this content
13,014 shares
Bookmark
SINGAPORE: Yishun has developed a reputation for bad news – home to mall stabbings, brothel raids, civilians trying to attack policemen with stun guns, as well as cat killers, among other incidents.
So much so that it became a meme, with YouTube spoof videos and a hot topic on which to sound off. "Build a wall around Yishun," says one meme, while one Twitter account has been set up dedicated to weird happenings there.
But does the town deserve this reputation?
ADVERTISING
Current affairs programme Talking Point investigated, and found that Yishun might not be the hotbed of crime many may think it is. There are other neighbourhoods with a higher ratio of preventable crimes, specifically snatch theft, robbery, housebreaking, theft of motor vehicle and outrage of modesty.
In 2015, Orchard’s crime rate was 11.7 percentage points higher than Yishun’s. And out of Singapore’s 28 estates, Yishun ranked 13th, behind the likes of Changi, Geylang, Rochor and Marine Parade.
yishun4
Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Leong Chan-Hoong, who studies neighbourhood profiles in Singapore, has an explanation for why Yishun is perceived as a place with a high crime rate, belying the national statistics.
“Yishun has one of the lower national income (profiles) compared to other housing estates. And in general, people tend to perceive lower-income neighbourhoods as associated with higher crime rates, for example,” he said.
“A place like Marine Parade has a lot of landed properties and condominiums, a lot of well-to-do residents, but at the same time, it also has quite a number of rental units. But the whole estate in general gives the impression that it’s a reasonably well-to-do neighbourhood.”
THE DEVIL’S RING
In contrast, the negative perception of Yishun has been a trending topic for some time now. There is even a blog dedicated to the weird happenings in the town.
Blogger Lhu Wen Kai, who has been compiling news articles of the unfortunate events that have happened in his estate for the past 10 years, agrees that every town in Singapore has its fair share of bizarre incidents.
But he is amazed at the “frightening consistency” of such incidents in Yishun.
yishun3
His research for his blog The Yishun Dream includes using Google Maps to plot the locations of those events, and he found that most of them occurred within the area enclosed by Yishun Ring Road, which he nicknamed The Devil’s Ring.
“There was this case of a bank executive who tried to rob a bank with a toy pistol, and he got cold feet in the end,” he cited.
And there was another case where a man tried to burgle a home, and the home happened to be undergoing renovation, and he got caught. So (Yishun) is so jinxed that even robbers can’t commit the crime.
He had started his blog mostly to practise web design, but with the narrative of Yishun as a “cursed town” – in his words – gaining traction at the time, his blog began to garner more and more reactions.
CAT ABUSE CASES
Of late, the impression is that Yishun is full of cat abusers, judging by the 41 media reports on cat abuse cases there in the last five years, far more than in any other estate.
However, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority says that of the 18 per cent of alleged cat cruelty cases in Yishun between 2015 and last month (out of 451 cases nationwide), only 5 per cent - or four cases - were actual cruelty cases.
Most of the other cases were the result of accidents or attacks by stray dogs.
Yishun cats Oct 25
Two cats found dead in Yishun on Oct 25 morning. (Photo: Facebook / Yishun 326 Tabby cat)
Cat Welfare Society executive director Laura Ann Meranda believes that the current perception of Yishun may have stemmed from cat volunteers in the area being “very gung-ho” about fighting abuse.
“When a case is actually reported by the town council, or even by any residents, the first thing is (the volunteers) swiftly come in to report the case and then they go to social media asking for help,” she said.
While this may reinforce the negative image of Yishun, she hopes the volunteers continue to give voice to animal rights. She added: “It’s only fair that they still come forward.”
There is now a standard operating procedure to ensure that cat carcasses are not disposed of until the authorities can conduct a proper on-site investigation, shared Member of Parliament (Nee Soon) and animal rights advocate Louis Ng.
When he became a MP for the constituency in 2015, he realised that there had been a spate of cat killings for years, and what was needed was to “bring all these cases to the forefront” to raise awareness.
So did we create a hype? Yes. Was it intentional? Yes as well... It was important in terms of addressing this issue and really addressing the root cause.
The number of cases have dropped in the last two years, he noted.
yishun1
Talking Point host Diana Ser with Yishun cat lovers.
MAKING YISHUN GREAT AGAIN
Whether there has been bad publicity, extensive social media coverage or preconceived notions, much of Yishun’s reputation has also been a made-up phenomenon.
Filmmaker Mohd Ridhwan Mohd Yunos, a Yishunite since birth and the creator of the video Yishun Resident Evil, a spoof of a video game about a deadly virus and zombies, views the send-ups of the town as just entertainment.
“So I don’t really get affected by all these comments about the negative parts of Yishun,” he said.
There are others, however, who hope to counter the negative headlines of the past. The Make Yishun Great Again hashtag started during United States President Donald Trump’s campaign last year – a takeoff of his promise to Make America Great Again.
One team of individuals even put together hundreds of “care packages” of food and drinks in June and delivered them to an entire block, to soften Yishun’s image.
yishun2
The Yiishun care package distributed by residents like Dawn Lim.
Each package came with this note: “Hello neighbour, in the light of all the Yishun news that has been making headlines, a small team of individuals passionate about making good vibes decided to come together to surprise a whole block overnight …”
Ms Dawn Lim did not think Yishun deserved to have a bad reputation, so she and her friends came up with this idea. It soon sparked the media coverage they wanted.
She said: “There's a lot to be done, but this was a great first step to make Yishun great again.”
Watch more of this on Talking Point here. New episodes on Mediacorp Channel 5 every Thursday, 9.30pm.
Source: CNA/yv
The 'standard' rate of a prata kosong is around the price of a cup of kopi at an average kopitiam or hawker centre, probably just a bit over $1.
I think selling prata kosong yields the highest profit margin, even if you were to factor in the cost of the curry and ghee.
forgot about........chee cheong fun............nothing but rice water...............
i've stopped eating pratas since price went up to 70cents...........
Similar threads
