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New Paper
3 days ago
- General
- New Paper
Tiong Bahru blocks to be painted brown after criticisms over purple makeover
The 14 Tiong Bahru Housing Board blocks, that had ignited much debate and discussion after residents found out the buildings were going to be painted in purple, are now going to be painted a new colour - brown. The decision on the new colour scheme comes after the views of residents were sought through a poll held from May 26 to 28. A notice by the Tanjong Pagar Town Council on May 30 showed that 40 per cent of the Boon Tiong Road residents who voted selected the "taupe" colour scheme from four different options. The initial purple paintjob had come under the spotlight earlier in May, after parts of the exterior of Block 9A Boon Tiong Road was painted several shades of purple, including a dark plum which some residents said looked gaudy. Residents were upset as they said their views were not sought. Following the uproar, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Foo Cexiang had decided to do a poll after residents told him they wanted a choice over the colour scheme. Two of the options were variations of purple. The "classic purple" option, which had more white portions and shades of light purple, garnered 17 per cent of votes. Another option, called "lightened purple gradient", had more purple sections. It received 13 per cent of votes. The other option, a yellow colour scheme, got 30 per cent of the vote. A resident, Ms Nicole Lau, felt the winning taupe colour scheme was acceptable, she hoped that the classic purple option would be chosen as she liked the finished paint job at Block 2A Boon Tiong Road, which sported shades of lilac. "The lilac colour looks quite soothing. What I didn't like was the dark purple shade," said the teacher who is in her 40s. "Are we going to be called the Milo blocks now?" she added, referring to the chocolate malt beverage. A resident at Block 2A, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chen, said he was disappointed with the results as his block would have to undergo another round of painting. "The purple colour is nice, I don't understand why there was a huge fuss over it. Now, residents at Block 2A will have to be inconvenienced again," said the 60-year-old IT consultant. He said the block's purple makeover took about a month and was completed in early May. It was previously off-white with shades of light orange. Mr Foo told reporters on May 17 that the purple colour scheme was selected to reflect the purple-blossomed bougainvillea planted along Boon Tiong Road as part of a community event in 2015. The idea came from a discussion between Ms Indranee Rajah - who was previously adviser to Tanjong Pagar GRC Grassroots Organisations - as well as residents and architects, he said. Ms Indranee was MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC from 2001 to 2025 before moving to head the PAP's team in Pasir Ris-Changi GRC for the 2025 General Election. As to why voting was not done earlier, Mr Foo said there is no protocol on how advisers should conduct the repainting process. He said painting will start about three to four weeks after the colour scheme is chosen.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Tiong Bahru blocks to be painted brown after criticisms over purple makeover
The initial purple paintjob had come under the spotlight earlier in May. PHOTO: ST FILE Tiong Bahru blocks to be painted brown after criticisms over purple makeover SINGAPORE - The 14 Tiong Bahru Housing Board blocks, that had ignited much debate and discussion after residents found out the buildings were going to be painted in purple, are now going to be painted a new colour - brown. The decision on the new colour scheme comes after the views of residents were sought through a poll held from May 26 to 28. A notice by the Tanjong Pagar Town Council on May 30 showed that 40 per cent of the Boon Tiong Road residents who voted selected the 'taupe' colour scheme from four different options. The initial purple paintjob had come under the spotlight earlier in May, after parts of the exterior of Block 9A Boon Tiong Road was painted several shades of purple, including a dark plum which some residents said looked gaudy. Residents were upset as they said their views were not sought. Following the uproar, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Foo Cexiang had decided to do a poll after residents told him they wanted a choice over the colour scheme. Two of the options were variations of purple. The 'classic purple' option, which had more white portions and shades of light purple, garnered 17 per cent of votes. Another option, called 'lightened purple gradient', had more purple sections. It received 13 per cent of votes. The other option, a yellow colour scheme, got 30 per cent of the vote. A resident, Ms Nicole Lau, felt the winning taupe colour scheme was acceptable, she hoped that the classic purple option would be chosen as she liked the finished paint job at Block 2A Boon Tiong Road, which sported shades of lilac. 'The lilac colour looks quite soothing. What I didn't like was the dark purple shade,' said the teacher who is in her 40s. 'Are we going to be called the Milo blocks now?' she added, referring to the chocolate malt beverage. A resident at Block 2A, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chen, said he was disappointed with the results as his block would have to undergo another round of painting. 'The purple colour is nice, I don't understand why there was a huge fuss over it. Now, residents at Block 2A will have to be inconvenienced again,' said the 60-year-old IT consultant. He said the block's purple makeover took about a month and was completed in early May. It was previously off-white with shades of light orange. Mr Foo told reporters on May 17 that the purple colour scheme was selected to reflect the purple-blossomed bougainvillea planted along Boon Tiong Road as part of a community event in 2015. The idea came from a discussion between Ms Indranee Rajah – who was previously adviser to Tanjong Pagar GRC Grassroots Organisations – as well as residents and architects, he said. Ms Indranee was MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC from 2001 to 2025 before moving to head the PAP's team in Pasir Ris-Changi GRC for the 2025 General Election. As to why voting was not done earlier, Mr Foo said there is no protocol on how advisers should conduct the repainting process. He said painting will start about three to four weeks after the colour scheme is chosen. Isabelle Liew is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers housing issues in Singapore, with a focus on public housing. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Online Citizen
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Online Citizen
MP Foo Cexiang proposes Tiong Bahru residents vote on colour scheme after purple flats backlash
SINGAPORE: Residents in Tiong Bahru will soon get the chance to vote on the colour scheme of their HDB blocks, following public backlash over an unpopular purple paint job that halted repainting works along Boon Tiong Road. Newly elected Tanjong Pagar GRC Member of Parliament Foo Cexiang announced that all Boon Tiong households will be polled after concerns were raised about the use of dark plum hues on Block 9A. The repainting works, which were part of a broader project involving 14 blocks, were paused after residents criticised the colour and questioned the lack of consultation. According to Chinese media outlet 8World News, protest signs were seen at Blocks 9A and 9B, with messages calling the colour 'the most saturated and awful purple' and questioning the legitimacy of the decision-making process. Some residents alleged that no vote had taken place before the works began. Several individuals who contacted the Town Council said they were informed that no voting process had been conducted. Typically, repainting projects for HDB flats involve residents choosing from a set of proposed colour schemes, with voting overseen by the Town Council or Residents' Network. The apparent bypassing of this process drew attention online, with netizens discussing both the controversial colour and the lack of public engagement. In a Facebook post on 10 May, Foo responded to the growing discontent, acknowledging the feedback and promising to investigate the issue. He confirmed that he had requested repainting works to be paused while the matter was reviewed. 'Several of you have written to me on the painting of your blocks. I am looking into this urgently — to understand the context and also plan the steps ahead, including to engage you,' he wrote. Poll to Be Held, Options to Be Refined Foo later met with over 200 residents to address their concerns. In an update posted on 17 May, he announced that a poll would be conducted to determine the preferred colour scheme, although the exact date has yet to be confirmed. 'My team and I will take a bit of time over the next few days to refine the options. I seek your patience and understanding,' he said. 'We will post notices in your lifts to let you know when voting begins. We will also have clear communication to all of you ahead of the works, and will do our best to minimise disamenities during the works.' According to The Straits Times, residents will be able to choose between the current purple concept and an alternative off-white and orange palette. More options may be added based on additional feedback. Foo explained that the original purple scheme was inspired by bougainvillaea flowers lining Boon Tiong Road, planted as part of a 2015 community initiative. The concept was developed in consultation with architects and former MP Indranee Rajah. While Block 2A has already been painted in lighter lilac tones, Foo clarified that the dark purple seen on Block 9A was merely a mock-up and not part of the final design. He also acknowledged the absence of a formal process for colour selection in HDB projects and said that after consulting Indranee, he was advised to work closely with both residents and architects to make adjustments if necessary. Repainting works are expected to resume within a month after residents have cast their votes and a final colour scheme is selected.
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Too purple to please? Tiong Bahru's HDB repaint sparks rare resident vote
SINGAPORE, May 18 — A plan to repaint public housing flats in a heritage neighbourhood in Singapore has stirred rare public pushback, prompting authorities to let residents vote on the final colour scheme. In Malaysia, it's common for high-rise residents to be consulted or vote on building upgrades – but in Singapore, such decisions are usually left to town councils and grassroots leaders. Residents of 14 Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks in Tiong Bahru were caught off guard when they saw their ageing off-white and orange buildings getting a dramatic purple makeover. One floor of Block 9A Boon Tiong Road was already painted in several shades of purple, including a dark plum that residents described as 'gaudy', The Straits Times reported today. Complaints quickly surfaced, with many upset that they were not consulted before such a bold choice was made. Singapore's newly elected MP for the area, Foo Cexiang, has now stepped in to calm tensions. He said he personally spoke to over 200 residents in recent days and confirmed that a vote will be held to decide the final colour scheme. 'It is also an opportunity to bring together residents and build a community,' he was quoted as saying. Foo explained that two options are confirmed: the original purple theme or the current off-white and orange colours with some tweaks. Other colour choices will also be included, but they have not been finalised. He said there is no date yet for the poll, which will be held outside two community centres on Boon Tiong Road. Foo also clarified that the dark plum shade seen on Block 9A was just a test and 'not the colour that the architect envisioned'. 'We will not have that level of darkness for the proposed purple scheme,' he assured. The purple idea came from discussions years ago between residents, architects, and then-MP Indranee Rajah. In 2015, purple-blooming bougainvilleas were planted along Boon Tiong Road as part of a community event. 'The idea was to have a colour scheme that reflects the purple bougainvillea,' Foo was quoted as saying. Indranee, who served as MP for the area from 2001 to 2025, now represents Pasir Ris-Changi GRC after winning in Singapore's last general election. So far, one block — 2A Boon Tiong Road — has already been painted in lilac tones,. The Straits Times reported. Repainting had been scheduled for another 11 blocks, with gondolas already set up and some purple paint applied. When asked why residents weren't consulted earlier, Foo said there is no fixed rule on how MPs or grassroots advisers should handle repainting works. He said he had spoken to Indranee, who encouraged him to work closely with both residents and architects to make necessary changes. Foo said he hopes to minimise delays, with repainting set to begin around three to four weeks after a final decision is made. In tightly managed Singapore, where community decisions are often top-down, the paint job row has sparked an unusual grassroots moment – and possibly a more colourful future for Tiong Bahru, depending on the vote.
AsiaOne
18-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Tiong Bahru residents to vote on colour scheme over purple backlash; MP Foo Cexiang urges 'patience', Singapore News
Following complaints about the exterior of their HDB flats being painted purple, residents of 14 blocks in Tiong Bahru will have the chance to vote on a new colour scheme. In a Facebook post on May 18, newly minted Member of Parliament (MP) Foo Cexiang said more than 200 residents joined the townhall sessions held at the Block 4B and 10A Residents' Committees Centres on May 16 and 17. He shared that the original design was inspired by the purple-blossomed bougainvillea that the community had planted years ago. "Some of you told me that having learnt this, you can better appreciate the design," said Foo, who oversees the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division of Tanjong Pagar GRC. "I want to build on this with all of you - to strengthen our community spirit and togetherness in Boon Tiong. I will start by taking onboard your feedback and very helpful suggestions." Foo said a poll will be held for all Boon Tiong households to vote for the colour scheme, and notices will be posted in the HDB blocks' lifts to let residents know when voting begins. "In designing the scheme options, we will incorporate several suggestions which were discussed during the townhalls - including to make refinements to the schemes. "My team and I will take a bit of time over the next few days to refine the options. I seek your patience and understanding," he posted. Foo also said that they will do their best to minimise any disamenities during the works. 'Most saturated and awful purple' Prior to this, the blocks had been painted a neutral, off-white colour. A few days ago, a sign had been put up at blocks 9A and 9B Boon Tiong Road saying that the flats were about to be painted in "the most saturated and awful purple". The resident who posted the sign said they had allegedly called the town council and were told that there was no voting process on the decision and it was decided by a third party contractor. They urged other residents to call Foo or the town council to sound out on the matter. Some residents have since used markers to write their thoughts on the sign, with one saying they "liked the colour" and in response, another wrote: "Are you colourblind?" During a weekend visit to Boon Tiong Road, AsiaOne observed that the paintwork for Block 2A had already been completed. Some portions of blocks including 6B and 8A had also been painted various shades of purple. Notices regarding the upcoming poll were found pasted in the lift and on notice boards in the void deck. The gondolas set up for the painting work have been left idle at the base of the blocks for several days. [[nid:692566]] melissateo@
