Toh Yi residents propose alternative site

The Singapore government has always been encouraging citizens to not just complain about problems but offer solutions as well.

Perhaps heeding that piece of advice, residents of Toh Yi Drive estate in Bukit Timah proposed last Thursday an alternative site to the block of 130 units of studio apartments for the elderly being planned by the Housing Development Board (HDB) for the area.

About 230 Toh Yi residents signed a petition earlier this month objecting to the government’s plan to build the apartments because the identified site was the 19-block estate’s only green space and it was situated on a slope that would make it difficult for elderly tenants to climb.

Fong Hoo Cheong, a resident and professional architect, submitted the proposal backed by the residents who petitioned to Holland-Bukit Timah MP Sim Ann and the HDB.

Fong suggested a site nearer the main road which is the entrance to the estate area that is in closer proximity to basic amenities such as clinics, MRT, bus stops, post office, community club and the wet market, and on more even terrain to get to such places. The previous site the government identified was located at the open space at the junction of Toh Yi Drive and Toh Yi Road, which is the highest slope point in the estate area.

He explained that the idea behind the proposed location is to facilitate the elderly’s easy movements in and out nearby places. He also pointed out that the easy access will aid in care giver and family visitations. 

He wrote, “The development should be low-rise (no more than five or six storeys) with integrated car parking, innovative measures to shield off road noise and enhance natural ventilation with a sense of community spirit.”

It is understood that the Toh Yi estate has a major car park shortage, and residents Yahoo! Singapore spoke to said if the planned studio apartments were to be built in the estate the car park problem would be faced by the elderly and their visitors as well.

Yahoo! Singapore has approached both MP Sim Ann and the HDB on the feasibility of the proposal, and is awaiting their replies.

Prior to Toh Yi residents’ opposition, Woodlands residents at block 890 and 891 opposed the construction of an elder care center at their void decks for different reasons, namely the possible drop in the value of their properties and reduction of space. Other residents there said that it is inauspicious, while others support the plan but said they were upset they had not been consulted.

In light of this saga, Marine Parade Family Service Center (MPFSC) launched their first-ever online petition on 9 February called “Say ‘Yes’ to Elder Care”. In less than a day, it had gathered more than 1,000 signatures. To date, it has more than 4,700 signatures. Its target is 5,000 signatories.

Speaking to Yahoo! Singapore, MPFSC counselor Alphonsus Lee said, “We are campaigning for the first time for a pro-elderly living environment because we believe that the elderly are part of our community, and they have rights to community resources in close proximity to where they live.”

The petition stated that as a non-governmental organisation, MPFSC is “obligated to challenge the prejudices imposed on our elderly residents. We want to rally individuals who are civic-minded to make a stand for public resources to be accessible to our seniors.”

The family service center also launched a Facebook group called ‘I Love Seniors’ created on the same day as the petition. The page currently has about 1,200 fans.

The common complaint that arose from both the Woodlands and Toh Yi residents was the fact that the citizens were not consulted before implementation of the project.

Both the founder of newnation, Terence Lee and associate professor Tan Ern Ser from National University of Singapore’s Sociology Department had previously expressed that the government should consult residents before implementing a developmental plan. Tan said that this is becoming increasingly important in the post-General Elections 2011 period. 

Most recently, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)’s secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan urged the government to consider more engagement with the residents before announcing developmental plans that affect their living environment.

Toh Yi residents told this reporter that the Bukit Timah Citizens Consultative Committee only put up a notice under the Resident’s Committee’s board at the lift lobbies which are often overlooked. Yahoo! Singapore enquired with the committee, and a spokesperson said that they have heard the residents’ feedback. The committee pledged to “do our best to send updates directly to residents’ mailboxes” if they receive any updates.

The petitioners most recently brought the case up to National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.