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.

29: The Walkway is locked up!

It finally happened: the Walkway from Jalan Isnin to Shunfu Rd is locked up. In the early morning of Thu 18 Apr 13, at 6am students going to school via this short cut had to hurry back the way they came, early working adults had to quickly find another way to the nearest bus-stop, and later PCF kindergarten children had to drag their guardians down a different path. And so with many other former users of this walkway: housewives and maids going to Shunfu Mart, Senior citizens having their breakfast @ Shunfu Food Court, etc, etc.

Here's a video of my take on the matter: Click to view:

28: Late nite discussion on the Walkway

Last nite, 3 concerned residents of Thomson Garden Est, namely Mr Tee, my wife and I had a discussion on why the MPs and NC leaders failed to convince Shunfu Ville to keep the Walkway open.

Mr Tee gave me a sms hph connection to ST: 82823343, which he said, can highlight our concern about losing the short cut which has existed for decades. And so this morning, I sent an sms to it.

Will there be any outcome, I wonder.

27: Posting our cause on STOMP:

The walkway from Jalan Isnin to Shunfu Road serves kindergarten children going to PCF Kindergarten, housewives going to market @ Shunfu Mart and Food Centre, working adults going to office, seniors going to the Community Club for recreation, etc, etc. But now by midnight tomorrow, this facility which has been in existence for decades will be closed by Shunfu Ville due to privatisation. Nobody seems to be able to help, neither MPs, NC leaders and concerned citizens !

26: The NC does not understand the problem

Yeah, it looks like it, doesn't it? Para 5 item 1/4 that the "footpath was built after Shunfu Vlle estate came into being" is tarradiddle and gobbledegook - ie: nonsense! No rebuttal, NC?

What do they mean: no easement rights! We have been using the footpath when Shunfu Ville was not even an idea in anyone's mind, except a piece of dirt & grass!

Para 6 - the concluding para talks about children & seniors. Come on, NC, what about our working men & women. They are the task force of our economy, and they use the footpath to go to work. Don't our leaders & grassroot advisers know this? That's why they (SFV) gave the feeble excuse of "legal liability" in para 5 item 3/4, and posited a figment of their imagination: vandalism.

And so they cage themselves in and blame us for alleged vandalism?

25: Email to Grassroot Adviser

24: The Footpath is Closed!

An SMS from Thomson Garden Neighbourhood Committee sent by Eugene Lee is reproduced here for residents' information.

Looks like there is no graciousness when you want to be selfish. Now, what would that strip of land do after it's caged in?

23: What's happening @ Jalan Pintau Park?

Strange-looking solid fences made of corrugated metal sheets painted in green are being erected at Jalan Pintau Park once the property of Thomson Garden Estate. Does it look like Thomson Garden Estate residents are going to lose a portion of the park? First, Shunfuville caged up their estate with fences, now dun-know-who are erecting the green solid fences. In times not so long ago, PWD used to put up Project Signages informing the public about public works affecting the man-in-the-street. No such thing now! So we ask our MPs, "Do you know what's happening? If you do, tell us, won't you?

Here's a video of the ugly mess that's cropping up on Jalan Pintau Park.

Click to view.

22: Solid Fencing @ Jalan Pintau Park.

In case we have forgotten, Jalan Pintau Park was once the property of Thomson Garden Estate residents.