Yishun HDB resident, 73, places over 100 plants & other items on ground floor, sparks safety & hygiene concerns

A member of the public lodged a complaint after noticing someone had stored their personal belongings on the ground floor of Block 886 Yishun Street 81.

According to a photo shared by the complainant, a large number of plants were placed along the common corridor and on a grass patch located at a corner of the building.

Dozens of boxes and water bottles could also be found on the ground against the wall, reported Shin Min Daily News.

The complainant lamented that although these items had been there for some time, no one had cleared them yet.

The items made the complainant worry about the safety and hygiene of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) block.

Not all residents took issues with items

A count made by Shin Min reporters who visited the HDB block on Nov. 22 evening indicated that there were over 100 plants on its ground floor.

There were also boxes and water buckets of various sizes placed along the common corridor and behind the HDB block.

While there are residents who live on the ground floor, not all of them had issues with the items.

One such resident was Julie (transliteration from Chinese), who identified herself as a friend of the items' owner:

"I don't mind those items as long as they do not affect people coming in and out [their flats]."

Owner: paid attention to fire safety, hygiene

According to Shin Min, the various items above belonged to a 73-year-old resident of the HDB block, surnamed Yang (transliteration from Chinese).

Although Yang kept the majority of his plants and boxes on the ground floor, he lives on another floor.

While acknowledging that he had taken up some space on the ground floor, Yang said he "abided by fire safety guidelines strictly" by maintaining a clear escape passage of 1.2m along the common corridor.

He added that he used the boxes behind the HDB block to collect rainwater to water his plants.

However, he had "made the boxes mosquito-proof" either by putting a cover over the boxes or keeping fish inside them.

'Never received complaints'

Yang told Shin Min that he had been growing his plants on the ground floor of the HDB block for around five years.

Most of his plants are jambu trees, and when the fruits become ripe, he would gift them to his neighbours and cleaners of the building. 

"Everyone was happy and enjoyed my plants very much," shared Yang.

As for the complaint from the member of the public, Yang said that he had never received similar feedback from other residents previously.

Nevertheless, Yang said he would "definitely be cooperative" if someone complained to him about his items.

Town council statement

In response to Shin Min's queries, the Nee Soon Town Council said that it is aware of Yang's items on the ground floor of the HDB block.

According to the town council, its team had engaged Yang, issued him an advisory, and asked him to clear his belongings by this week.

"If he requires any help, the town council will assist him with the clean-up," read the statement.

Top images via Shin Min Daily News