Latest news with #TanjongPagarTownCouncil
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.
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Tiong Bahru residents upset over 'gaudy' purple paint job, town council asked to pause works
On May 13, ST observed that the paint job appeared to be completed for one block, 2A Boon Tiong Road, which sported shades of lilac. Isabelle Liew The Straits Times May 13, 2025 Tiong Bahru resident Jasmine Chin, 59, got a shock at the weekend when she noticed that the exterior of one storey in her Housing Board block was painted several shades of purple - a stark contrast to the rest of the building, which is off-white. The part-time cleaner, who has lived at Block 9A Boon Tiong Road for 10 years, said one of the purple shades - a dark plum - was "unacceptable". "I want our estate to look bright and inviting. If every block here is painted that dark colour from top to bottom, it will look gaudy," said Madam Chin. "Why weren't residents allowed to vote for the colours?" She is among eight residents in Blocks 9A and 9B Boon Tiong Road who told The Straits Times that they wish they had a say in choosing the buildings' colour scheme. They said they hope the town council can veto the purple colour palette and let residents vote on their preferred shade. On May 13, ST observed that the paint job appeared to be completed for one block, 2A Boon Tiong Road, which sported shades of lilac. Another 11 blocks in Boon Tiong Road were set to undergo repainting, with gondolas set up and some external portions painted purple. The notice boards at the lift landings did not have notices indicating any painting work or voting results. When ST visited Blocks 9A and 9B on May 13, a sign pasted at the lift lobbies said: "Our blocks of flats (are) about to be painted in the most saturated and awful purple." The message urged residents to contact their newly elected MP Foo Cexiang or Tanjong Pagar Town Council. The notices highlighted the purple colour scheme and lack of a voting process. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Mr Foo, who oversees the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division of Tanjong Pagar GRC, said in a Facebook post on May 10 that he had asked the town council to pause the work and was looking into the situation "to understand the context and also plan the steps ahead". His response was also put up next to the residents' sign. When contacted, Mr Foo said he had nothing further to add beyond his post. Tanjong Pagar Town Council also pointed to Mr Foo's statement, in response to ST's queries. Accountant Steve Ng, 39, who lives in Block 9A, said that while the lighter purple shades were "quite nice", the dark purple was an "eyesore". "We should be allowed to vote on the colour - even if not everyone is satisfied, at least it's a majority vote," he said. Madam Alice Yap, 69, who has lived in Block 2A for over 20 years, said she liked the makeover, but that she was confused as to why the residents were not asked to vote on the colour. "The previous time the block was repainted, about eight years ago, I remember voting for the colour scheme," she said. Block 2A (back) in Boon Tiong Road fully repainted in lighter shades of purple. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM When HDB blocks are set to be repainted, town councils typically ask residents to vote for a colour scheme from among several options. For instance, Tampines Town Council had in 2024 painted a cluster of 13 HDB blocks to match a theme inspired by aeroplane chess, a popular Chinese childhood board game. Out of the 41 people who voted, 61 per cent selected the red, green, blue and yellow colour scheme from three different options. The walls of two of the blocks were repainted white after some residents raised concerns with Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng about the red or green glow that the paint job at those two blocks had cast into their flats. Mr Lim Biow Chuan, the former coordinating chairman for PAP town councils, said that to his knowledge, there is no rule stating that a poll must be carried out. Mr Lim, who was MP for Mountbatten from 2011 to 2025 before retiring from politics, said each town council has its own process for deciding the colour scheme when blocks are repainted. "But we do recommend that a poll be taken among the residents because choice of colours is subjective. Each resident has their own perspective of what is their preferred colour. The better option is to follow the choice of the majority," he said. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some Tiong Bahru residents upset about HDB blocks being repainted a ‘gaudy' purple without vote
SINGAPORE – Tiong Bahru resident Jasmine Chin, 59, got a shock at the weekend when she noticed that the exterior of one storey in her Housing Board block was painted several shades of purple – a stark contrast to the rest of the building, which is off-white. The part-time cleaner, who has lived at Block 9A Boon Tiong Road for 10 years, said one of the purple shades – a dark plum – was 'unacceptable'. 'I want our estate to look bright and inviting. If every block here is painted that dark colour from top to bottom, it will look gaudy,' said Madam Chin. 'Why weren't residents allowed to vote for the colours?' She is among eight residents in Blocks 9A and 9B Boon Tiong Road who told The Straits Times that they wish they had a say in choosing the buildings' colour scheme. They said they hope the town council can veto the purple colour palette and let residents vote on their preferred shade. On May 13, ST observed that the paint job appeared to be completed for one block, 2A Boon Tiong Road, which sported shades of lilac. Another 11 blocks in Boon Tiong Road were set to undergo repainting, with gondolas set up and some external portions painted purple. The notice boards at the lift landings did not have notices indicating any painting work or voting results. When ST visited Blocks 9A and 9B on May 13, a sign pasted at the lift lobbies said: 'Our blocks of flats (are) about to be painted in the most saturated and awful purple.' The message urged residents to contact their newly elected MP Foo Cexiang or Tanjong Pagar Town Council. Mr Foo, who oversees the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division of Tanjong Pagar GRC, said in a Facebook post on May 10 that he had asked the town council to pause the work and was looking into the situation 'to understand the context and also plan the steps ahead'. His response was also put up next to the residents' sign. When contacted, Mr Foo said he had nothing further to add beyond his post. Tanjong Pagar Town Council also pointed to Mr Foo's statement, in response to ST's queries. Accountant Steve Ng, 39, who lives in Block 9A, said that while the lighter purple shades were 'quite nice', the dark purple was an 'eyesore'. 'We should be allowed to vote on the colour – even if not everyone is satisfied, at least it's a majority vote,' he said. Madam Alice Yap, 69, who has lived in Block 2A for over 20 years, said she liked the makeover, but that she was confused as to why the residents were not asked to vote on the colour. 'The previous time the block was repainted, about eight years ago, I remember voting for the colour scheme,' she said. When HDB blocks are set to be repainted, town councils typically ask residents to vote for a colour scheme from among several options. For instance, Tampines Town Council had in 2024 painted a cluster of 13 HDB blocks to match a theme inspired by aeroplane chess, a popular Chinese childhood board game. Out of the 41 people who voted, 61 per cent selected the red, green, blue and yellow colour scheme from three different options. The walls of two of the blocks were repainted white after some residents raised concerns with Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng about the red or green glow that the paint job at those two blocks had cast into their flats. Mr Lim Biow Chuan, the former coordinating chairman for PAP town councils, said that to his knowledge, there is no rule stating that a poll must be carried out. Mr Lim, who was MP for Mountbatten from 2011 to 2025 before retiring from politics, said each town council has its own process for deciding the colour scheme when blocks are repainted. 'But we do recommend that a poll be taken among the residents because choice of colours is subjective. Each resident has their own perspective of what is their preferred colour. The better option is to follow the choice of the majority,' he said. Isabelle Liew is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers housing issues in Singapore, with a focus on public housing. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Straits Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Some Tiong Bahru residents upset that HDB blocks were to be repainted ‘gaudy' purple without vote
On May 13, ST observed that the paint job appeared to be completed for one block, 2A Boon Tiong Road, which sported shades of lilac. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Some Tiong Bahru residents upset that HDB blocks were to be repainted 'gaudy' purple without vote SINGAPORE - Tiong Bahru resident Jasmine Chin, 59, got a shock over the weekend when she noticed that the exterior of one storey in her Housing Board block was painted several shades of purple – a stark contrast to the rest of the building, which is off-white . The part-timer cleaner, who has lived at Block 9A Boon Tiong Road for 10 years, said one of the purple shades – a dark plum – was 'unacceptable'. 'I want our estate to look bright and inviting. If every block here is painted that dark colour from top to bottom, it will look gaudy,' said Madam Chin. 'Why weren't residents allowed to vote for the colours?' She is among eight residents across Blocks 9A and 9B Boon Tiong Road who told ST they wished they had a say in choosing the buildings' colour scheme. They said they hope the town council can veto the purple colour palette and let residents vote on their preferred shade. On May 13, ST observed that the paint job appeared to be completed for one block, 2A Boon Tiong Road, which sported shades of lilac. Another 11 blocks in Boon Tiong Road were set to undergo repainting, with gondolas set up and some external portions painted purple. The notice boards at the lift landings did not have notices indicating any painting work or voting results. When ST visited Blocks 9A and 9B on May 13, a sign pasted at the lift lobbies said: 'Our blocks of flats is about to be painted in the most saturated and awful purple.' The message also urged residents to contact their newly elected MP Foo Cexiang or the Tanjong Pagar Town Council. The notices highlighted the lack of a voting process and the purple colour scheme. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Mr Foo , who oversees the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division of Tanjong Pagar GRC, had said in a Facebook post on May 10 that he has asked the town council to pause the works and was looking into the situation 'to understand the context and also plan the steps ahead'. His response was also put up next to the residents' sign. When contacted, Mr Foo said he had nothing further to add beyond his post. The Tanjong Pagar Town Council also pointed to Mr Foo's statement , in response to ST's queries. Accountant Steve Ng, 39, who lives in Block 9A , said that while the lighter purple shades were 'quite nice', the dark purple was an 'eyesore'. 'We should be allowed to vote on the colour, even if not everyone is satisfied, at least it's a majority vote,' he said. Madam Alice Yap, 69, who has lived in Block 2A for over 20 years, said she liked the makeover, but added that she was confused why the residents were not asked to vote on the colour. 'The previous time the block was repainted, about eight years ago, I remember voting for the colour scheme,' she said. The fully painted Block 2A (back), in lighter shades of purple, in Boon Tiong Road, on May 13. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM When HDB blocks are set to be repainted, town councils typically ask residents to vote for a colour scheme from among several options. For instance, the Tampines Town Council had in 2024 painted a cluster of 13 HDB blocks to match a theme inspired by aeroplane chess, a popular Chinese childhood board game. Out of the 41 people who voted, 61 per cent selected the red, green, blue and yellow colour scheme from three different options. The walls of two of the blocks were repainted white, after some residents raised concerns with Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng about the red or green glow the paint job from those two blocks had cast into their flats. Mr Lim Biow Chuan, the former coordinating chairman for PAP town councils, said that to his knowledge, there is no rule stating that a poll must be done. Mr Lim, who was MP for Mountbatten from 2011 to 2025 before retiring from politics , said that each town council has its own process for deciding the colour scheme when blocks are repainted. 'But we do recommend that a poll be taken among the residents because choice of colours is subjective. Each resident has their own perspective of what is their preferred colour. The better option is to follow the choice of the majority,' he said. 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.
