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A Sengkang resident at Block 471C, Fernvale Street objected to the installation of bird nets at his block.
He used a pole to express his displeasure.
Man wields a pole
In a video posted by Stomp from Dicky, two construction workers were seen standing on a gondola hanging from the HDB block, trying to set up a bird net.
Their efforts were being thwarted by a male resident from the second floor, who brandished a pole and used it to push against the gondola rope, in a bid to stop the gondola from rising further.
"What I heard was that he was shouting at them that the town council had already informed the residents that there will be no work activity going on... he wanted to engage a lawyer and sue those workers," Dicky said.
Subsequently, the man abandoned his original weapon of choice and used his bare hand to try and stall the gondola rope instead.
The disgruntled resident was revealed to be a 45-year-old designer who goes by the name of Chen.
Worried about house pricing, but he's not selling his house
Chen told Shin Min Daily News that he had heard noises from his home and stepped out to investigate.
When he discovered that the disturbance came from workers trying to install the bird netting, he decided to stop it.
"I was very angry and immediately stepped forward to stop the other party's construction. I used bamboo poles to block the workers, and then grabbed the ropes of the lifting platform to prevent them from going up. After all, I did not approve the town to install bird-proof nets."
Chen said he was not bothered by the bird problem.
He told Shin Min that the nets would not only making it difficult for the authorities to paint the exterior walls, but also increase the risk of air-conditioning maintenance personnel falling.
The pole wielder also mentioned that the bird nets would affect the sale of the houses in the block.
But he said he's not planning to sell his house.
Left bird net survey blank
Other residents in the block told Shin Min that the town council had previously sent out a questionnaire asking residents to state whether or not they wanted bird nets.
The town council then put up notices around the void deck to inform residents of their voting results.
Notices were also posted in the lift informing residents that construction works would be carried out between May 31 and Jun. 30.
More than 78 per cent of the residents in Block 471C were pro-bird nets.
Chen said he had seen the questionnaire, but had just left it blank as he could not decide what to answer.
"They can't make decisions for me, and two weeks isn't enough time to think about it," the pole handler complained.
Installation suspended
It appears that Chen's revolt against the bird net agenda has succeeded, though maybe not in the way he intended it to.
Citing the incident as a "potential hazard to both residents and workers", a spokesman for Ang Mo Kio town council informed Shin Min that the bird net installations at the block have been suspended.
The council is taking "appropriate action" to resolve the issue.
All images via Stomp