68: Now they've removed the railings of the Walkway

67: The New Paper report - War over Walkway - Sat 7 Dec 2013

I read the report by reporters Ng Hun Sen and Rennie Whang after buying a copy from a Shell Station.

It included Timeline of Events, comments by Mrs Josephine Teo, ShunfuVille management declining to comment, What does the Law say, and views from some residents. It quoted Thomson Garden resident Albert Ong of having said: "By destroying the walkway, they are challenging us to see what we can possibly do next."

Here's an excerpt from The New Paper Online:

The New Paper contacted a number of lawyers to respond to the question: What does the Law say? Do Thomson Garden residents have a right to use the walkway?

Their answer was: Yes, they do. These right of way, known as easements, enable property owners to walk across another's property in order to get to their own.

There you have it, from the mouths of lawyers!

For a full report, read The New Paper!

66: The story of the Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd Walkway for the New Paper

About 5pm today (Thu 5 Dec 2013), a reporter from The New Paper knocked at my gate and wanted to speak to me about the situation concerning the disputed walkway.

I traced for him the historical facts concerning this walkway:

1: It has been in existence for decades, from a dirt footpath until it was renovated into a tiled walkway by the then MP Leong Horn Kee. Thanks to him we, the residents of Thomson Garden Estate, have used this facility as a shortcut to Shunfu Mart, the neighbourhood kindergarten, Thomson CC and the MRT.

2: Now the walkway is in disputed territory owned by ShunFuVille as part of the privatisation process. As a result, they have locked up the walkway, and now unilaterally demolished the steps of the walkway, a most odius thing to do in terms of the ethics of neighbourliness. This slap in the face was done while we are patiently waiting for the Authorities and the President to mitigate the harshness of this unfortunate event, and hopefully reinstate the use of the walkway.

3: My opinion that all this could have been avoided had the person/s in HDB-HUDC drawn the border line on the other side of the walkway, along the side of the retaining wall, and declared the metre-wide land on which the walkway sits as State Land.

But is it too late to undo the mistake at 3 above?

Photo above shows me and Ng Hun Sen, the New Paper reporter, making a site visit overlooking the demolished steps of the Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd Walkway

65: The Footpath steps: hacked, smashed & swept away by ShunFuVille!

This afternoon (Thu 5 Dec 2013) a New Paper reporter rang about the demolition of the disputed Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd footpath. After talking to her, I went down to have another look at the demolition site. But the broken bricks that were hacked off the steps of the footpath have been cleared. All gone!

But I think they have just opened a can of worms!

64: Updating our "absent" MP on the current happenings in Dec 2013

Hi, Hon MP Hri Kumar. You might like to know what's happening with regard to Thomson Garden Estate as you have been absent around here for some time.

Go see your Facebook as most probably your FB Administrator is shielding you from the breaking news. :-( (*To your disadvantage*)

63: ShunfuVille contractor started to demolish the disputed Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd footpath today unilaterally.

Only 2 days ago, Thomson Garden residents listened to a speech by their Grass Roots Adviser, Sr Min of State for LTA Mrs Josephine Teo with reference to the Footpath in which she restated her promise to help.

I'm wondering whether the Hon Minister & the Chairman of the Thomson Garden Neighbourhood Cttee were aware that this was going to happen today, and if so, why wasn't there any effort to inform us?

This action by ShunfuVille shows that they are above talking to our Residents' Representatives, and disregard our patient waiting for the President of Singapore to give us a reply to our petition to have the footpath reinstated.

Historically, the footpath existed decades ago when ShunfuVille was not even a figment of imagination in the minds of the HDB-HUDC, let alone the current owners of the HUDC flats!

Is there anyone who can help?

62: Thomson Garden residents' Festive Lunch - Sun 1 Dec 13

View slideshow of the event >>>

Listen to speech by Mrs Josephine Teo, their Grass Roots Adviser >>>

61: Coming event - Notification via Flyer

60: Festive Lunch @ RiverView Hotel

The residents of Thomson Garden Estate will be enjoying a Festive Buffet Lunch @ the RiverView Hotel on Sun 1 Dec 2013, time 12noon - 3pm. Tickets @ $15.00/pax can be purchased from Eugene Lee. He says that tickets are limited, so contact him to reserve them for you if you intend to go.

59: Thomson Garden Est Residents visit to Jamiyah Nursing Home

Our Thomson Garden NC are organizing a visit to Jamiyah Nursing Home on Sat 23 Nov 2013. Please give this event your support. Time: 3pm - 5pm.

Contact Eugene Lee to confirm your attendance as a bus will be used to transport us there. Meeting place: Jalan Isnin bus shelter @ 2.15pm.

58: My response to our MP who didn't respond to my alerts about the closure of Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd Walkway

57: They are going to dismantle the Walkway - Breaking News on Thu 26 Sep 2013

This afternoon at around 4.45pm I saw a woman walking along the locked up Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd Walkway with a camera, taking pictures from inside the gate at the end of Jalan Isnin. I asked her what she was doing and how did she get into the locked walkway. Her answer was: "I'm going to dismaantle the walkway, pointing to the steps at the top." I quickly went home to get my handphone to video her. Luckily, she was still walking around in the walkway. This is the video:

Click here to view video >>>

56: Meeting with Minister of National Development

55: A note to our MP Hri Kumar

54: Hi, learned Grassroots Adviser. What's your next line of action?

Doesn't it sound like the old refrain: "It shouldn't have happened, but it did"? So now there's nothing we residents of Thomson Garden Estate can do? Just listen to the tone of the response from MND and we know why nothing positive is being done for us.

53: Hey, Thomson Garden NC, what's your take on Post 52 below?

52: A Response at Last, but no result

We have just received a response from an authoritative source:

WALKWAY ALONG PERIMETER OF THOMSON GARDEN ESTATE AND SHUNFU ESTATE

We refer to your letter of 6 May 2013 regarding the closure of a footpath and stairway which lies within the boundary of Shunfu Ville, a former HUDC estate. You have requested for the footpath to be kept open to the residents of Thomson Garden estate.

2. The subject footpath lies within the boundary of Shunfu Ville, which is now a private estate. As owners of the land, the residents of Shunfu Ville have the legal right to decide on the use of the land, including whether to keep the footpath and stairway open. We are mindful that the residents of Thomson Garden have been using the footpath and stairway as a convenient access to the market and MRT station. Because of this, HDB and the Adviser Mrs Josephine Teo have encouraged the residents of Shunfu Ville and Thomson Garden to work out an amicable solution regarding the footpath and stairway. We understand that the Shunfu Ville residents are concerned with issues of liability in the event of accidents arising from the use of the footpath and stairway. You may wish to raise your suggestions through your Neighbourhood Committee to the Management Council of Shunfu Ville for its consideration.

3. We also wish to take this opportunity to clarify some of the issues raised in your letter. You have mentioned that the footpath serves as an emergency exit and fire escape route for the Thomson Garden residents. The Fire Safety and Shelter Department (FSSD) has assured us that there are other emergency exit points within the Thomson Garden estate even though the footpath and stairway is closed. We have also taken note of your feedback on the narrow roads and vehicles parked along the roads within Thomson Garden estate. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be looking into this matter. Regarding the setback requirement for No. 72 Jalan Isnin, HDB’s checks verified that the 1m setback refers to the building setback from the site boundary and does not apply to fencing.

4. HDB is mindful of the impact of privatisation on neighbouring estates. Where possible, HDB and the relevant agencies will try to provide alternative routes to existing public amenities to minimise inconvenience to the public. In the case of the footpath, there are existing alternative routes for Thomson Garden residents to access the nearby amenities. Even so, HDB and the relevant agencies had studied the various options raised by the Advisers and residents of Thomson Garden. However, the agencies were unable to find feasible alternatives.

Regards,

Sherry Ng

Assistant Director (Housing)

For Permanent Secretary, National Development

51: C'mon Hri - Get the locked gates open!

50: What our Grassroots Adviser said on Sat 29 Jun 13

49: "Poo poo," said the dog owner

Dog owners in our estate are requested to keep their dogs on leash when walking their dogs. It is against the Dog Licensing Regulations to let a dog run freely on the road without a leash.

In addition they should carry a polythene bag or newspaper with them to pick up their dog poo. Failure to do so may result in a resident reporting them to the Anti-littering arm of NEA.

The photo below was taken on 26 Jun 2013 when the dog owner walked his dog 20 houses away from his to encourage his dog to defecate in front of a resident's house, using the common coaxing words of "poo-poo, poo-poo".

This is bad behaviour on the part of the dog owner. It is a premeditated offence as he has been alerted to this offence before. It is a matter of time before this kind of anti-social behaviour is reported to the authorities for appropriate action.

48: Tracking the slow response to the Petition to unlock the Walkway

47: A Reminder to the President's Office a month later

46: A reply from the President's office

An official reply from the President's office:

Our reply:

45: Appeal to the President on 6 May 2013

Finally the Petition to the higher authorities has been sent.

The Petition carries 154 signatures representing 695 family members who are residents of Thomson Garden Estate.

44: To Hri Kumar 5 May 2013

43: Coming soon - an appeal to the highest authorities

The residents of Thomson Garden Est are frustrated with the failure of their MPs and TGNC to reopen access to the Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd walkway, and are in the process of collecting signatures to appeal to the highest authorities since the local leaders are powerless and ineffective.

Here is a draft of their letter of appeal.

Sorry:page 3 is blurred. Will try to get a clear copy soon.

42: Comment on Youtube about "Last walk down the Walkway"

41: Is there a lesson to learn from Charles Chong?

40: An ST reader's comment dated 28 Apr 13

To a M Lukshumayeh who commented on the Walkway issue in the Sunday Times of 28 Apr 13, to the effect that it should be resolved by both sides instead of passing the buck to the Government, may I point out that in this instance only the Government has the power to do what is right untuk kebaikan rakyat ie pro bono publico. This is because the local leaders seem to be powerless as to how to go about resolving the issue.

39: Another Resident wrote

You have a point, Wong: How can a footpath that we have been using since the 1960s be considered Shunfu Ville property. My guess is that somewhere along the way, someone must have blundered. So now, many years down the line, matters have come to a head, and the leaders don't know what to do. At the last Dialogue, I heard this refrain: What can I do? If our leaders are powerless at their level, maybe a higher office eg: PMO can lend support.

38: Another appeal that fell on deaf ears?

Seems to me that our so-called leaders never practised the concept of being PROACTIVE. What we are seeing is the result of being REACTIVE! That's why the loss of the use of the walkway is a fait accompli.

37: 48% of readers were disgusted!

The Straits Times ran the story of the closure of the Jalan Isnin-Shunfu Rd Walkway on 20 Apr 2013.

In its website, AsiaOne ran a Mood meter to find out what the feelings are of the readers who read the report.

Here's the result:

36: Twitter posting

35: Aide Memoire on the Dialogue held last Sat 20 Apr 13

About a 100 concerned residents of Thomson Garden Est attended the Dialogue with GrassRoots Adviser MP Mrs J Teo regarding the closure of the walkway from Jalan Isnin to Shunfu Rd. Mrs Teo chaired the meeting with Eugene Lee, the Chairman of the Thomson Gdn NC assisting.

As I recall, the residents made the following points: ( I cannot quote the exact words as I was told not to video the meeting. The video would have captured the exact words of everybody.)

1. The footpath of dirt and grass existed in the 1960s before Mr Leong Horn Kee, the then MP for Thomson, upgraded the footpath into a stone & mortar walkway in the 1980s. Thanks to Mr Leong, the residents have been using the walkway as it is a short cut for them to reach various points eg Shunfu Mart, PCF Kindergarten, bus stops, MRT, etc. They would like to continue using this walkway.

2. They put forward a suggestion for a land swap for this little strip which has been locked up since Wed 17 Apr 13. Responding, Mrs Teo quoted HDB as saying that there has never been such a procedure like/for this.

3. A legal search for the actual & historical ownership of this strip of land and easement rights attached to it. Mrs Teo said MP Hri Kumar, a legal officer, has said in his personal capacity that there is no easement rights to this strip of land.

4. That the authorities could consider acquiring this little strip pro bono publico. Although an elderly resident suggested this, it was not accorded due attention. Left unheeded, it was relegated as the meeting moved on.

Personally, I feel that the meeting was a waste of time as it achieved nothing that can be said to be positive enough to help Thomson Garden Est residents have continued use of the short cut.

As the attendees requested for minutes of the meeting to be recorded and circulated to them so that they can have an accurate record of the discussion, we are all waiting for it to be published.

34: No breakthrough

Yesterday's Dialogue Session (Sat 20 Apr 2013) with GrassRoots Adviser & MP Mrs J Teo wrt the Closure of Jln Isnin-Shunfu Rd walkway arranged by the Thomson Garden Neighbourhood Cttee ended in a stalemate as there was no breakthrough in finding a solution to the problem.

In the diagram above, Black=TGE residents

33: Today's newspaper: The Straits Times, (ST 20 Apr 2013), reported on this matter:

32: An excellent appeal to good sense

Thank you Mr Choo Swee Hong. You have made an excellent assessment of the situation. Now can our leaders take the required initiative to do the needful: remedy the situation as it has gone from bad to worse. The worst is yet to be?

31: Meeting with MP today - 20 Apr 13

30: An unsigned document

Found this in my postbox early this morning. Will the writer please identify him/herself. Have the courage to be identified, because you have a valid point.