Clannies monthly stats (Dec 07)

In accordance with Tracking – TNRM Reimbursement from CWS:

	No.	Remarks
Total number of cats	21	4 in Area 3: Marty, Hannah, Marcus, Mary 9 in Area 2: Benji, Benny, Sally, Kenji, Stanley, Scottie. Free-ranging pet cats: Saba, Sumie, Sunny 8 in Area 1: Ivan, Cara, Carlie, Chloe. Free-ranging pet cats: Ian, Baby, Chica, Isam
Total sterilised	17	4 in Area 3: Marty, Hannah, Marcus, Mary 6 in Area 2: Sally, Benji, Kenij, Scottie, Sumie, Sunny 7 in Area 1: Ian, Baby, Chica, Ivan, Cara, Isam, Carlie
Newly sterilised this month	0	–
Still unsterilised	4	3 in Area 2: 2 males – Benny, Stanley. 1 females – Saba 1 in Area 1: 1 Female – Chloe.
Newly abandoned this month	0	–
Newly killed or missing this month	1	1 in Area 1: Iggy (not sighted since ealy November)
Number of complaints this month	0

Farewell to the old

While the year-end party crowds does the usual, cramping onto the party spots, getting sweaty and molested, we’re contented to laze around the home and do nothing along with the kitties.

The sun burns up and fades away every single day. Why should the 365th fading be any more exalted then the 1st or the 158th? Why do we celebrate only the year, and not the day? Why isn’t every sunrise celebrated with the same zeal that goes into the year-end countdown? Maybe it’s because we can’t face the everyday… well at least most of us can’t. That’s how the Monday Blues got born.

I rather suspect too, that problems and faults are easier to hide in a pile. But then, more of the good and happy gets lost in the clutter too, don’t they?

It’s the bottle of Hooch I was nursing speaking – yes, I am a disgrace with the bottle. But this is a kitty blog, and what’s a year in review without mentioning the stars themselves?

There’s so much to say, in this tec year. But I don’t know where to start.

On the homefront, we lost Kheilly early in the year, and the loss still aches. Bam Bam’s ARF is under control, but we found that Teddy has kidney stones. Both old coots are being monitored, and neither likes having to give up some urine from to time, nor the constant medication.

As for the clannies, Sasha, Macy, Martin, Salvi, Kenji have gone missing. Benji, whom we thought lost along with his brother, Kenji has been sighted at Sally’s. We’ve also gotten new clannies: Carlie, Scottie, Sumie, Sunny, Saba, Stanley, Freddy. Iggy appeared only for a few months before he disappeared too, likely dumped elsewhere. Saba’s babies, Sabia and her new soon-to-be litter, makes up the newbies list. Freddy should be mojo-free by weekend, and Stanley… he remains too elusive for us to be to able to get him. As for Saba, Sabia and the new kittens, we hope their family will do the right thing. Thankfully, Scottie, Sunny, and Sumie are done, and Carlie came pre-robbed. On the human side, tnrm is still not officially recognised by the authorities in our estate. We can only hope that things remain peaceful for the clannies.

Rehoming… that’s a long, convoluted report. Right on 1 Jan 2007, we got Neo, barely days after we got Chrissy. Along the way, we picked up Lizzy and April, and recently, Gunnar and Mattie. They joined Corrie, Frankie, and Angel at the cattery. We also had to rehome Dharma and Sanga, and we moved Cassie into foster care too.  Snowball was also returned, but luckily for him, he was quickly bundled into a new home with a most patient new Mum. Cassie too has found a home where she will be spending her new year, as are Lizzy, Gunnar and Mattie.

Joe, whom we had hoped to rehome, faded away suddenly, just as he was beginning to get used to cattery life. Thankfully for him, the process was a fast one, and he did not have to suffer much.

Among the stalwarts, Chrissy’s liver problem was contained with Foster Mum’s tlc. But her mojo was not deemed suitable for removal until recently, when it was taken along with April’s. Angel, as ever, had gum problems, but she’s got her own sponsors so her expenses have always been covered.

Frankie too, suddenly got sick with kidney problems in April/May. But Corrie was blooming in the early part of the year before her sudden decline in the 3rd quarter. Along with April, all these cattery long-stayers played tag and went to see the vet one after another, sometimes in pairs, and repeatedly.

Us minions have had an objective in mind since we began our servitude – that we will depend on ourselves to finance the kitties’ needs. But with the prodigious number of vet bills piling up this year, with no end in sight, we had to say “Uncle” and ask for help.  Thankfully, there are folks out there who trust in our integrity. Their helping hands have made a big difference with our ability to cope with the kitty vet visits.

Dear friends, you know who you are. It’s such an inadequate thing to say thanks, or as the Chinese say: 大恩不言謝. You  probably think nothing of extending your helping hand, but to the kitties, it meant a lot. We know you are not expecting returns. But still, on behalf of the kitties, say it again we must: Thank you very much.

It’s been a most eventful kitty year, and us minions are amazed to arrive at the end with our sanity still relatively intact. So we heave a sigh of relief as we close the book on 2007 and take a bit of a breather.

May 2008 be a happy, healthy, and fulfilling year for one and all.

Dawn is leaving CWS

All good things come to an end. Today, Dawn bids farewell to her tenure with CWS.

Rheilly: Huh? Dawn, leave?

We’ve only gotten more actively involved with CWS in the last 2 or so years (read bother Dawn with tnrm stuff). Though we rarely met Dawn in person, she’s always just an email away. Except when she’s away on leave. At times, she is the only person who understood how we felt about the situation in our estate. Sure, there are caregivers, just as there are feeders, intolerant residents as well as sympathetic ones.

The main difference is that we’ve got the potential to make a case for getting the TC’s cooperation. The stumbling block? Caregiver inertia. Short of pointing the gun at caregiver heads, there doesn’t seem to be any way to get the others to band together and troop down to see the TC management and the MPs. We’ve done our part, and the tec areas are “protected”. But we would dearly love to see the protection extend to the rest of the estate. But our hands are tied.

Throughout this period, Dawn has been patient and encouraging with our efforts, as only a ring-sider is able to. She has even listened to our rants and whines.

Just a few weeks earlier, she came to do a workshop for new folks in the estate. There were also a few veterans whom I managed to get to attend, only because there’s been rounding up almost right on their doorsteps. Dawn, in her objective and discreet way, helped to nudge the participants toward the ideas of seeing the MPs and the TCs. That workshop held the most promise of getting things moving… but alas, it fizzled out… yet again.

That time, as before, we feel like giving up and just concentrate on taking care of the clannies. But we also know that the protection they have lasts only as long as the same property manager is in charge of our area. We can’t keep our heads buried in the sand forever. But without getting the stubborn herd to stop their nonsense and to see above sand level, we can’t do a thing more.

Thankfully, there’s Dawn and her blog, through which we experience the ups and downs of running tnrm programs vicariously. We are not alone – that is the important thing to keep in mind. And thanks to Dawn, it is something that we can keep a gripe on.

Thank you, Dawn. Au Voir for now, but remember to come back around sometime!!

Book: The Cats’ House

The Cats’ House by Bob Walker
(available for loan from the nlb)

For the true minion with the resources to build or renovate the home for kitty’s pleasure, this is a Bastsend. For the rest of us mortal minions, it still offers a great read, a peek at possibilities to tantalise our wildest dedicational dreams. Photos of kitties cat-walking along the beams, sashaying from room to room along the kitty skylink… true minion heaven.

My only grip is there’s no mention of how kitty potty needs are addressed.

Regardless, this book demonstrates conceptualisations, considerations and tips during work-in-progress. And being a “I’m telling you this cos I’ve done it” book, it is quite the inspiring book. Just remember to wipe the drool from the corner of your mouth, and don’t allow your eyes to stay permanently green.

And yes, don’t let kitty see it, if you don’t want your life complicated by feline castles in the sky.

More reviews: on about cats

[Search Keyword: KittyBooks]

Impurrsonation: We can haz jack rascals

In no particular order of rascalliness:

Philly Jack Rascal

Joey Jack Rascal

Bam Bam Jack Rascal

Teddy Jack Rascal

Rheilly Jack Rascal

Freddy, nose kissing purr machine

This morning, before we escort the new conscript for his pre-mojo-rob in-camp program, the HQ personnel could not resist one good look at the boy.

Ragdoll. Completely boneless, and purring at 100%

He’s still as fearless, or probably clueless, about his situation. Still as trusting and affectionate, he tried to climb on everybody’s laps and get his nose kisses, in between of threading between legs and rubbing his furry flanks against everything. In short, he’s shameless.

Ragdoll grows spine, just to try for a kiss

And of course, given how unaffected he is by the environment change and how utterly unself-conscious he is about begging for affectionate, we can deduce that he is, or once was, a pet cat.

Purr machine

Chloe is actually a Freddy

Earlier this evening, we came home by way of Chloe’s spot.

She wasn’t there, but instead we saw her on Ian’s, or rather Isam‘s perch.

Again, with this family’s penchant for luring good-looking cats to their door, we were not surprised. the famil was not home however, and nor one of the resident cats were around. We called to her, and surprising us out of our sandals, she immediately jumped out of the shoe rack and trotted towards us. She was extremely friendly and responsive. We decude that this msut be the usual tmie she got fed by the family, and being deprived of her usual meal, she’s hungry and willing to be friends.

We got her to follow us behind the family’s unit for a good look. It turns out that she has balls… so now she is Freddy.

Floored by the revelation

A very handsome agouti tabby tuxedo, he has a perfect lnog tail. He looks to about 1 year old. He also has a very soft sweet voice.

Freddy is also extremely friendly and trusting. Even though he’s not a girl, we still feel that he ought to be relieved of his mojo – our operation treats all cats the same way. But this being the weekend, and Monday New Year’s Eve, it would be difficult to book him an appointment with any vet. But given that it was a rare chance to see him outside the school premises, and being so responsive, we did not want to miss the chance.

So we called Foster Mum to see if she’s able to pull some strings. But, too bad, she could not. However, she would be able to house him temporarily until arrangements could be made for him, which ough to be very soon. Grateful and relieved, we hung up and plotted his kitnapping, which turned out to be a non-event.

While btmao went home to get a carrier, I lured him to the void deck at our block to facilitate the necessary. He followed willingly, even though all I did was clicked at him, as we did not have any kitty treats on us.

I could handle him easily, and he was putty in my hands.

When btmao came down with the carrier, he got slightly spooked at the sight of the carrier – it was something obviously alien to him.

But then he quickly resume his trust, and with a slight push, he entered the carrier and did not struggle at all. Even when we got him home, all he did was sit in the carrier obediently.

We tried to give him some water. He came out of the carrier readily but instead of drinking, he was curious about the new situation he was in. He was fearless, did not slink though his hindquarters were set a little low. It was again a simple matter to turn him around and nudge back into the carrier.

Tomorrow, we will send him over to Foster Mum’s.

However, finally getting him now still leaves questions: the kitty btmao saw Ivan chase off was a girl and wearing a collar, and she resembles Freddy a lot, who is she?

Cadbury, a cat no adopter is interested in

When pretty kitties get adopted, and with such ease, I can’t help but feel for the less “attractive”, actually to me, simply less popular ones.

Take Cadbury for example. She was put up for adoption at the same time as Can Can. Both are tortoiseshells, and even as kittens, their chances were that much smaller than every other coat-patterned kitties, except for black ones.

Cadbury. Isn’t she a beautiful cat, with a lovely artistic bi-colour coat? With agouti accent to boot.

Can Can, though, had the advantage of being an extremely affectionate baby. Even then, she found a home only 5 months later.

Cadbury, as a painfully shy tortie, had worse than dismal chances. No one’s ever asked about visiting her in all these months that she was put up for adoption. Again, compare that to Imbie, for whom 2 enquiries came in as soon as her adoption blurb got on the CWS adoption board.

Imbie

Today, while getting the updates on Imbie and Shelly, I asked Foster Mum about Cadbury’s status. She said to take Cadbury’s adoption notice down, as her chances are so slim. So Cadbury will become a Foster Mum cat.

Am I not pretty?

Do torties and black cats have so little redeeming qualities? I beg to differ. The coat pattern scarcely make a difference. There are affectionate torties and blackies, just as there are insufferable pedigrees/mix-breed good-lookers. Given half a chance, shy girls like Cadbury can become nominees for “The Most Devoted Cat on Earth” award… given the chance and patience.

While we believe firmly in chemistry, and that the cat will decide who takes her home, how can a kitty make the decision if there isn’t even ONE person who would give her a chance? There so few of the special people who would give the “uglies”, the torties, the blacks, and even the common tabbies, a fair chance.

Luckily for Cadbury, she will never have to worry about having no one to love her for herself. But she is only one tortie among many.

Imbie and Shelly are adopted.

Great news at Foster Mum’s today. We visited after 1pm and foster Mum immediately broek the good news – Imbie had been adopted that very morning!

Imbie

Also, she confirms that the mittens duo, Shelly and Socks’ adoption is going well.

Shelly

Shelly

So that’s two cats off our Foster Mum’s homeseekers‘ board, and 3 cats out of the cattery.

Area1 cat: Iggy

Meet Iggy, who first appeared in Area 1 in July.

He was elusive at first, and we, or rather btmao, only saw him in the distance. Then as time went by, he became more settled in, and wasn’t so difficult to sight. But I caught my first glimpse of him only on Sep 1. I managed to feed him, like btmao had before. But he was obviously new to the idea of being caregiven as he sometimes seem to be bewildered by the concept of kibbles.

He was very wary though, and wouldn’t allow us near.

After that, from time to time, when he appeared, we would feed him. He started getting comfortable and eventually settled down in the area and was most often found lazing in front of Ian’s home.

Up until October, he was always spotting a few wounds here and there – which we could not help him with as he wouldn’t allow contact. But as they always appear to be clean and healing, we were not too worried.

Healing wound on his chest

Face, and muzzle wound

Closeup of the muzzle wound.

By end of October, btmao was getting somewhere with program close contact for him. She was in fact able to scruff him already. We were ready for operation-rob-Iggy-mojo.

But before we could get it done, Iggy disappeared. By early November, we knew he was gone for good . We do not know where he’s gone, but we have an idea what happened to him.

Ian’s family had previously confessed to moving cats from the area elsewhere when we asked them if they’ve seen this or that cat. Granted, these were not their cats: they claimed that the new cats were aggressive and picking fights with Ian, who is a free-ranging pet. We then told them not to do so, as their action, dumping, was tantamount to abandonment and while they have got rid of their problem, they were getting the cats and people in the areas who got their “presents” into trouble. We told them that any new cat appears, we will try to sterilise and to please tell us about it if they find new ones.

We’re not sure if our message got across, as after that, the cats which appeared, were good looking cats, Izzy and Isam. Izzy of course we moved to foster care eventually and got adopted out. Isam, due to his temperament, we sterilised and just released back. But the family, in the most el-cheapo way possible, started to lure these two handsome guys to their homes, AFTER we got them sterilised, and even though Ian was not happy and fights happened, the family was tolerant of the problems and actively encouraged every cat to get along.

When we moved Izzy into foster care, the family even asked if we’ve seen him around. Now Isam is their free-ranging pet cat too. Before you say we’re biased, previous “intruder” cats that we sterilised were all so-called ordinary cats, and every one of them got dumped, that is, the Iggy treatment.

I had met the family’s father when Iggy was settling in at the front of their house. It was in the carpark where I was preparing to feed Ivan. I asked him about Iggy and if he knew where the boy came from. He said he didn’t know, but seemed proud that he’s got the handsome boy settling in with his brood. He was obviously expecting the usual, that we do the dirty work and he reap the harvest of having another beautiful cat without having to pay for the sterilisation or put in effort.

Frustrated, I had told him that we would appreciate if he could help keep a lookout for Iggy, and if he knows who is his owner or if someone takes him in, to let us know so we can arrange for his sterilisation and to get his family to be responsible and pay for his sterilisation. I also said that it’s getting costly to keep sterilising cats who in the end turn out to be pets belonging to other people, who should be responsible in the first place.

The man’s face changed colour immediately, but he nodded. I don’t know if he really got what I was trying to say because he and his family only ever nod, and then we’d see them continuing whatever it is they’re doing which we felt were detrimental to the cats’ safety. It was shortly after that Iggy went missing.

Beautiful markings on his legs

Given that Iggy was settling well and had taken to lounging in front of their house with Ian, and that they fed him like he was a pet too, I can’t help but put two and two together.

In any case, Iggy is now no longer around and we can only hope that he is doing well wherever he is.

Sneaking around in the name of the cause

Information leads to dumping. That’s what happened to some blogging caregivers, according to Dawn.

Getting such bonuses because we share info online is a nightmare we worry a lot about. We want to raise awareness among people about the cat’s situation here in Singapore through blogging. But at the same time, we do not want to have to clean up after irresponsible people who just want to fob off their conscience on others. As it is, we are already familiar acquaintances with dumping even before we started blogging.

Photos are carefully edited, and vids filmed discreetly to minimise identifiable features of the clannies’ abodes.

That is part of the reason why there are much less updates on the clannies than we would like to do.

Dumpers may well think to call the bluff on us and question our Scrooginess – since we’re already doing it, why begrudge extending the soup kitchen service to more kitties? After all, dumpers will provide the kitty transfer, at no cost to us, and dump so covertly that we would only see their handiwork, the transferred kitty, bewildered and stressed… if the resident cats had not yet run them off, or in their confusion, tried to cross roads and became roadkills. Here’s a bit of news about such situations: dumpers, the blood is on your hands.

Here’s another: not that we don’t want to help, but we also have our limits. Plus since you, the kind-hearted dumper don’t want to take on the responsibility, what makes you think we want it? You dump, and that’s the end of the story for you, but for us, it’s just the beginning of having to shoulder a responsibility that you meddled with and then abandon.

All the “kind” people who dump seem to think it perfectly conscioncible to leech off and exploit the species of softies called cat caregivers. What a great example of sharing woe.

How about some passing out some weal and decency too, dumpers? Why not try a concept that may be novel: don’t dump, and if you really think you MUST, then be responsible, talk to the caregiver and shoulder your inductees’ maintenance costs.

But that’s too much to ask for. Just as good karma feeders have to be fished out of their feel-good wading pool, dumpers need to be rubbed in the nose with this fact: being kind isn’t just about grabbing the easiest, most convenient solution. Why? Because dumpers are abusing the concept to disguise their own lazy conscience and to get that “high” of having notched a good deed on their misshapen totem pole of karmic goodness.

The best reward for dumpers is for them to get a taste of their own medicine, sans candy-shell.

LianHe ZaoBao: AVA should resume sterilisation for strays (农粮局应恢复为流浪猫绝育 )

An update on this letter to the Chinese press.

Once again, our source is Dawn’s blog. 

The letter  is extremely well-written, and even though is sympathetic toward cats, also show empathy for the complainant’s problems. What’s more laudable is that the writer does so in a well-balanced way. I will try to work out a translation for it too.

农粮局应恢复为流浪猫绝育

2007-12-27

● 尤美珍
　　阅读了日前张利春先生的《野猫叫春扰人清梦》一文，心里不禁有一些感触。

　　我同意流浪猫叫春的声音无论是夜晚还是白天，都是十分扰人的。但那是它们再自然不过的生理反应，绝对不是它们所能控制的。

　　我家楼下曾有一只十分讨人喜欢的黑色母猫，它虽然成年了，但是身体却十分瘦弱，犹如一只半岁大的小猫。有一天，我们发现它怀孕了。但由于它的身体无法负荷怀孕的过程，又加上遭人虐待，它最终连同腹中的胎儿死去了。

　　从这起事件，我们能看出猫儿根本不能控制自己的生理反应。否则那只可怜的母猫又怎会选择让瘦弱的身子去承受怀孕的辛苦呢？

　　要解决流浪猫带来的问题，我认为最好方式就是为它们绝育。农粮与兽医局也曾为流浪猫进行免费的绝育手术。但是近年来，当局却停止了这项服务。一些本地的爱护动物组织也会提供类似的服务或津贴，但是这些组织的能力却十分有限。

　　相信大多数人会认为让流浪猫进行绝育手术的责任应该落在喂养流浪猫的人士身上。他们的确应有这样一份责任，但是我们可曾想过他们的能力也是有限的？

　　那些喂猫人喂养流浪猫是出自一份爱心与同情。他们并非百万富翁，他们也同样面临了“物价飞涨，薪水没涨”的烦恼。猫粮在物价飞涨的时期也涨价了。我所认识的喂猫人（包括我母亲），个个都是收入不多的人士。在为一只猫儿进行绝育手术的费用相等于二十只猫一个月每日一餐的费用的情况下，不知各位会如何取舍？

　　此外，不难发现，有些喂猫人是年迈的退休人士。他们没能力带那些猫儿去绝育，更加不知道要到哪里去申请津贴。

　　在此，我呼吁农粮局考虑恢复免费帮流浪猫绝育的服务。同时，我也希望社会上的善长仁翁们能够献出一份爱心，去帮助或协助本地的一些爱护动物组织，让更多流浪和遭遗弃的动物受益。

　　最后，在来临的新年里，我想替流浪猫向大家乞求一份新年礼物，那就是大家的“包容心”。

Dawn’s blog post also mentioned that the editor also weighed in, and a translation was provided. Here are the two versions:

站长的话

（2007-12-27）

　　野猫、喂猫，这个课题已经不只一次在交流站讨论过，我们希望讨论不只是重复，而是能唤起更多人对这个课题有较深入的认识。大家最终能逐渐形成共识。

Translation:
“The issue of strays and feeding of stray cats has been discussed many times on Zao Bao forum. We hope that the discussions do not merely repeat what has been said before, but to raise the awareness of the issue so as to allow readers to have a deeper understanding and to eventually establish a consensus.”

Working Class Cats

We got linked to this interesting blog: Working Class Cats, via this post: NYTimes 20071221: To Dismay of Inspector.

What’s interesting is the focus of the blog. Putting the words Work and Cats together seem such an oxymoron at first glance. After all there are no seeing-eye cats, nor are there police cats (unless you count this furry one)

But even if mousing is not recognised as a respectable profession, as in the NYTimes piece, surely there are other trades the cat ply? For example: Prison Yard Cats

Is there any denying that the cat, just like the dog, has work cut out?

Mango photo update

Cassie, now Mango, is settling down with her new dad. He sent these pictures… we miss her! But we’re so happy for her too. She has a personal lap now, and doesn’t have to wait til weekends for that 15 mins on btmao’s.

LianHe ZaoBao 20071224: Cauterwauling Homeless Cats Disturb Our Dreams (野猫叫春扰人清梦)

Got this off Dawn’s blog… once again, the astounding egos of complainants in Singapore, and the authorities’ eagerness to pander to them, simply astounds.

This is the complainant’s letter (will attempt a translation later) :

野猫叫春扰人清梦

（2007-12-24）

● 张利春

有人讲过“不管是黑猫，白猫，会捉老鼠的都是好猫”。可在新加坡却有个奇怪现象，就是不管是组屋楼下、公园、巴刹、路边，不管是白天、黑夜，新加坡的猫全都悠闲的躺在一旁休息，有时甚至还随地大小便，但从来不曾见过它们捉过老鼠，养它又有何用呢？

本人于今年5月买了一间大巴窑大牌143的组屋，可刚刚才入住，每当半夜十一、二点有时甚至是三、四点，楼下的猫发出刺耳的尖叫及打架的声音，让人从睡 梦中惊醒，这些声音有时可以持续二、三十分钟，而有一段时间差不多每晚都会发生，而楼上楼下及对面大牌144的邻居，他们对此也深有同感，我们有把这些声 音录下来，也有去市镇理事会、HDB、市理会的议员处投诉，可从今年5月至今半年，结果是：猫从5月的两、三只，到现在它们又生下的七、八只，从小猫到它 们怀孕到它们生小猫，而现在这些小猫又要成大猫，又会思春，又要生小猫了。而我们又没好觉可眠了！

可怜我们这些花了几十万买屋的屋主，每个月为了要还组屋贷款及市镇理事会的各项杂费，每天白天要出外工作，而晚上回家却不能有一个好的休息环境，为了这些猫的问题焦头烂额，困扰不休。

新加坡的法律对于保护动物有着完善及明确的保护条文，不可虐待及殴打。我们这些屋主该怎样办呢？它们是动物，我们不可用语言来沟通：“请不要半夜喧闹， 我们想睡觉”。驱赶它们，不到一天又全回来了。而有些人则打着爱护动物的名义去喂养它们，它们又怎么肯离开这样舒适的环境呢？

请问我该找谁帮我们解决问题呢？总不能因此就卖掉屋子吧。新加坡有相关法律来保护动物，那么我们这些需要休息的屋主又有什么相关法律来保障及维护我们的权益呢？我才买屋几个月，希望今后20年要在这里度过，我该怎样办呢？

请大家帮帮我们，或提出一些好的建议。

Go read the comments on the post. You will see the link for this english language article, showing once again, that it’s not just cats who are up against irrational complaints, commonsense and tolerance are at critical risk too.

So much trouble over a table

Joyce Lim
Tue, Dec 25, 2007
The New Paper

IT is a case of ‘bang table, bang chair’. On one side of this wooden table is one woman pushing for its removal.

On the other: Those who oppose her.

A group of residents at Westwood Crescent, in Jurong, built it five years ago. They placed it next to the pavement by the road, and said anyone could use it.

It was at this table that residents held their weekly gatherings, sharing food and drinks with each other.

Now, the table – which is as long as a ping-pong table and half as wide – is also destroying the harmony in the area.

A resident who moved in in April wants it out of her sight.

She has written numerous complaints to the Singapore Land Authority and the Land Transport Authority about it.

INCONVENIENT

She feels that the gatherings are disturbing her peace and causing her much inconvenience.

When approached by The New Paper on Sunday, she declined to comment further or give her name.

The authorities acted on the complaints and tried to remove it. As the table was placed in a public area, it was considered unlawful occupation of State land.

Resident Joanne Chua, who wants the table to stay, said: ‘First we saw a warning notice from the authority pasted on the table. Then some officers came and tried to remove it. We negotiated (with the officers) and kept the table in one of our neighbours’ home.’

Then, a few weeks later, the table appeared outside resident Wendy Foo’s house. Mrs Foo said her neighbours asked if they could put it there. She agreed.

But the 40-year-old housewife lives directly opposite the resident who is against having the table.

Seeing it outside Mrs Foo’s house, the resident alerted the authorities.

Meanwhile, the other residents sought help from their Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Alvin Yeo.

They managed to gather 96 signatures from 26 households in a petition to keep the table outside Mrs Foo’s house, and presented it to Mr Yeo during a meet-the-people session.

Neighbourhood disputes are not new to the 45-year-old MP for Hong Kah GRC, but this is the first time he has come across one brewing over a table.

Mr Yeo has met both parties over the past few months.

He said: ‘Both sides have their own points. It’s a good thing that these residents have bonded together through their gatherings at the table. On the other hand, the other party is entitled to her family privacy.

‘It comes down to neighbourliness and it’s a matter of give-and-take.

‘What’s considered noisy to one person may not be noisy to another.’

Mr Yeo added: ‘I hope both sides can get together to find a common ground and I will be happy to help them resolve this amicably.

‘There are laws to follow. I’m afraid if there’s no consensus among the residents, the general rule will have to be applied.’

Last Friday, officers from the authorities were there to remove the table. Again, the residents negotiated with the officers. They finally agreed to keep it in another resident’s home.

Mrs Foo said: ‘This time, the officers were really persistent about confiscating it. We negotiated with them for three hours under the hot sun.’

The table is now kept in Mr Roland Sim’s house. Mr Sim lives two units away from the resident who is against keeping the table.

The 53-year-old businessman said in Mandarin: ‘It’s not an ordinary table. It is one that makes us feel a sense of belonging to this place.

‘When this resident moved in with her family in April, I greeted them and welcomed them to Westwood.’

Another resident Jenny Lim, 48, a housewife, piped in: ‘We have been neighbours for eight to nine years. We celebrate special occasions like Chinese New Year and the mid-autumn festival together. We’re like a big family.’

Mr Wilson Foo, 41, a regional sales manager, said the table is not just for their gatherings.

‘We have old folk taking a break there when they walk from the bus-stop to their houses. Sometimes the road sweepers rest there too,’ he noted.

Polytechnic student Val Chua said that she likes to study at the table as it is windy there in the evenings.

So why not put the table further away from the unhappy resident?

Mrs Foo replied: ‘Wherever we put the table, I believe she will continue to complain to the authorities.’

The residents gather outside Mrs Foo’s house every Tuesdays and Saturdays. Now, they put up a smaller, portable plastic table that they can fold away after use.

Do they talk about the unhappy resident at their gatherings?

No, they said. ‘We’ve better things to talk about, like current affairs, our children’s schoolwork, their exams. We talk about anything, but her.’