SINGAPORE: Joss paper was left at the foot of a Housing & Development Board block in Jurong, along with notes about a woman who was said to have been the mistress of a man who has since died.
This occurred during the Lunar New Year holiday at Jurong West Avenue 1.
According to a report in Shin Min Daily News on Monday (Feb 23), photos of the scattered joss paper and notes were posted by a member of the public on social media.
The notes appeared to refer to a resident living nearby. They alleged that the woman not only wrecked the family of the man, but also cursed them and caused the man’s death. Shockingly, the notes also said that she needed to pay for her alleged misdeeds with her life.
The report added that people living in the area have steered clear of the public walkway where the notes and joss paper were found.
By Feb 22 (Sunday), when a Shin Min Daily News reporter visited Blocks 490 and 491, Jurong West Avenue 1, the notes had already been taken away.
Residents whom the reporter spoke with were understandably upset at the incident; however, not just because of the litter caused by the notes and joss papers.
Under Singapore’s Environmental Public Health Act, littering is an offence. First-time offenders may be fined at least S$300 for minor litter, but fines can go up as much as S$2,000 for the first, S$4,000 for the second, and S$10,000 for subsequent offences. Litterers may also be made to clean for up to 12 hours when they are given a Corrective Work Order.
Some Jurong West Avenue residents said they had to take a detour to avoid stepping on the joss papers, and one resident pointed out that the issue between the families should have been handled calmly and privately.
A 70-year-old witness named Madam Zhou told Shin Min Daily News that she saw a man whom she guessed was in his 30s or 40s who was riding a bike in the area on Feb 19.
Before 12 noon on that day, she saw the man posting notes near the traffic lights at the intersection, as well as in other areas.
And although other people saw the man and noted his unusual behaviour, nobody stopped him.
When she looked at the area later that day, some of the notes had already been taken down. /TISG
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