ST: 'No' to ring fencing residential areas in Geylang: Mah

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Feb 18, 2008
'No' to ring fencing residential areas in Geylang: Mah
After dark, Geylang becomes a one-stop location for vice activities such as gambling. -- ST FILE PHOTO View more photos Let Geylang stay the way it is. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said there is no need to 'ring fence' the residential areas in Geylang as there is vigilant enforcement to control vice activities. In his written response to a question from Marine Parade GRC MP Fatimah Lateef, who had asked on Friday if there are concrete plans to ring fence Geylang Lorongs 22 to 44 which are mainly residential areas, such as reviewing the mixed zoning in the area, Mr Mah said, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has no such intention. He said that in the 2003 Master Plan, the majority of the sites (60 per cent) in the area between Lor 22 and Lor 44 Geylang is zoned Residential. Many of the other sites are either zoned 'residential' or 'residential and institution', with a number of sites fronting Geylang Road zoned 'commercial'. For sites zoned Residential in the master plan, the change of use to non-residential uses, such as for public entertainment uses, would in principle not be supported. 'This is to retain the residential nature of these areas and helps in 'ring-fencing' the area,' said Mr Mah. He added that the 'ring-fencing' of the area is also achieved through vigilant enforcement to control vice activities. The Police have and will continue to undertake regular enforcement action in both the odd and even lorongs in Geylang. The Anti-Vice Branch (AVB) conducts frequent checks at the red-light areas and regular enforcement against vice, and the police imposes stringent licensing conditions for entertainment outlets and massage establishments in the area, and also conducts regular checks on the public entertainment outlets. 'Although there has not been any serious problem associated with these outlets, police will continue to monitor these outlets and would not hesitate to suspend or revoke the licence of errant operators,' said Mr Mah, adding that the Ministry of Home Affairs and police also work closely with agencies such as the Hotel Licensing Board and URA to regulate the operations and development of budget hotels and lodging houses there. In addition, a multi-agency effort has been set up, led by Dr Fatimah, to coordinate efforts by various government agencies, as well as the grassroots, to improve the conditions in Geylang. New initiatives, such as enhanced street lightings and installation of CCTVs, have been implemented. Mr Mah said these multi-agency efforts are aimed at curbing crime and vice through better lighting and monitoring, enhancing the sense of security among residents by reducing the number of streetwalkers venturing into the residential areas, and reducing dis-amenity to residents arising from public entertainment outlets in the area. View all thumbnail Photo 2 of 7 « Prev   Next » An illegal gambling operation in the back alleys of Geylang. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE View all thumbnail Photo 3 of 7 « Prev   Next » Sex workers plying their trade in Geylang, a one-stop location for vice activities like prostitution, gambling and piracy. -- PHOTO: NP View all thumbnail Photo 4 of 7 « Prev   Next » Teenaged girls hanging around Geylang's 'red light district' waiting for customers. -- PHOTO: BH View all thumbnail Photo 5 of 7 « Prev   Next » Among all the vice activities, Geylang still holds many gems, like this popular eateries serving delicious local food. -- ST PHOTO: TAN HOWE YANG View all thumbnail Photo 6 of 7 « Prev   Next » Hidden steals like 24-hour stalls selling durians at 50 cents each in Geylang. -- ST FILE PHOTO View all thumbnail Photo 7 of 7 « Prev   Next » A proposed plan for a ring fence around residential area has been rejected. -- PHOTO: BH   Latest comments What to say ...money is still money. Posted by: mordecai1968 at Mon Feb 18 11:54:31 SGT 2008 Don't understand how the police can let so many illegal China girls work in those KTVs and along the lorongs in Geylang! Police, do your job! Posted by: Overworked at Mon Feb 18 11:38:19 SGT 2008 Badminton Hall is still there. Bed minton is the sport and many KTVs pick up in prime movers, trucks and vans. Some came in big sporty flashy cars too. All in the same sports. Ring fence.  They will spill across the Fence. They will end up fencing in the open. Minister is wise.  No fencing.  We want bedminton and healty sports in the new Sports Hub nearby to balance off both sides of the Fence.  Many guys can hookwink families by going to the hub, but quietly enter first into one side before going to the other side for healthy living in the Hub. The fencing up will spoil it all for them. Posted by: PiePiePie at Mon Feb 18 10:42:48 SGT 2008 Stringent over the true red light area from Lorong 6-20 means they spill over to the residential areas, to me, Lorongs w/o legit whorehouses, but now there are street walkers or people having 'KTV activitists' in their vehicles. They should not approve all these institutions that cause pollution in burning of offerings, noise and congestions. Residential-some gods-residential-some gods. A real joke. Not funny when you live here. Please move the redlight district somewhere or strictly restrict them to few streets with bigger, nicer, cleaner environments. A gutter right across from a billion $ sports hub. What sports are we promoting? Posted by: ttmmfast at Mon Feb 18 10:35:55 SGT 2008 If they ring fence, how are the rich and powerful going to patronise the place? Posted by: PiePiePie at Mon Feb 18 10:04:20 SGT 2008

Comments

[Javin]

I think prostitution,gambling n piracy is the thing that make up geylang. If geylang dun hav these, it wont feel like geylang anymore. If u dun like to place with prostitutes then dun fucking go there.