Man accidentally locked in flat by HDB officers
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Man "accidentally" locked in flat by HDB officers
Yahoo! Newsroom – 44 minutes ago-
A 63-year-old man was accidentally locked in his rental flat after HDB officers changed the lock to repossess the flat due to rental arrears. (Yahoo! file photo)
Imagine being locked inside your flat without food or water for a day. At least that’s what a 63-year-old elderly man experienced after finding himself locked inside his rental flat in Bukit Merah.
Officers from the Housing Development Board (HDB) had changed the locks to his two-room rental flat at Henderson Road on Monday afternoon without realising the man, who wanted to be known as Mr Liao, was still inside, The New Paper reported.
Apparently, officers did that to repossess the flat as it had been in rental arrears amounting to $2,000 for more than three years, the paper said.
According to local Chinese tabloid Shin Min Daily, Liao was not able to respond well to questions posed by its reporter.
On this issue, an HDB spokesman told TNP that referrals have been made to the family service centre and Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to assist him but it has not been successful as Liao was not responsive.
When officers first arrived at the flat, they found the main door wide open and, despite repeated calls to find out if anyone was inside the flat, there was no response.
In light of this issue, an HDB said that its internal procedures will be tightened to ensure such incidents do not take place again.
Liao was “released” from his flat on Tuesday afternoon after a neighbor informed HDB officers of the incident.
Throughout the day he was locked in, TNP reported that Liao allegedly had no water for consumption and asked neighbours for water and food.
But even prior to the incident, Liao, who is unemployed would sometimes ask for money and food. A neighbor said she has seen him leaving his flat with a plastic bag, searching for leftover food at coffeeshops, the paper said.
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its a "honest" mistake n he is just doin his job
he is helpin the man to lock his door, if kenna thief then how?
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Two room rental flat is just a hall and the kitchen. The hall may be partitioned.
How difficult is it to look around a 10ft square?
The flat got tonnes of rubbish and the man is buried in the rubbish?
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Originally posted by mancha:
Two room rental flat is just a hall and the kitchen. The hall may be partitioned.
How difficult is it to look around a 10ft square?
The flat got tonnes of rubbish and the man is buried in the rubbish
Yours is a question worth the thought.That is the way they treat the poor. There is no welfare or has limited welfare. Welfare for MIW only. They are afraid to spend money on welfare lest these eats up their highest pay in the world. Want help from govt , they let the poor go thru red tape and pose many questions to try to stop poor from asking for help. Interrogation, scrutiny , are what they do best.
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Eh i thought one MP said GST is to help the poor ?
Our GST collection not enough to pay the $2000 rental arrears for this poor old man ?
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GST is to help finance the super high pay of the ministers.
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If pay for him, must pay for the neighbour also lah. Neighbour also poor you know. If pay for the neighbour, must pay for whole block. If pay for the whole block, must pay for the next block also. Like that, must pay for the whole constituency. Sure spread one to whole GRC.
Believe me like that, more people purposely want to remain poor.
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Please , nobody chooses to be poor. Moreover, it is bad luck to remain poor.
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Originally posted by mancha:
Two room rental flat is just a hall and the kitchen. The hall may be partitioned.
How difficult is it to look around a 10ft square?
The flat got tonnes of rubbish and the man is buried in the rubbish?
You don't believe their story?
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How big is the rental flat ?
How can you not check and change the lock ?
What if the old man die ?
The old man should sue the cheng hu men for this honest mistake.
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Sue? Sue in kangaroo court citizens sure lose out.
I believe the locked in was done intentionally to scare the man.
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There is no place for poor in Singapore. Damn the HDB. Its all about money again. Is there any empathy from the PAP gov ? The MCYS should have taken action long long ago. But they dun. Is this what we call gracious society?
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Originally posted by charlize:
You don't believe their story?
They see the door open, call out, no response, and then lock the door. Is that enough?
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Originally posted by winsomeea:
Please , nobody chooses to be poor. Moreover, it is bad luck to remain poor.
Giving freebies to the poor is contageous.
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It's an honest mistake.
Let's move on.
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Originally posted by mancha:
If pay for him, must pay for the neighbour also lah. Neighbour also poor you know. If pay for the neighbour, must pay for whole block. If pay for the whole block, must pay for the next block also. Like that, must pay for the whole constituency. Sure spread one to whole GRC.
Believe me like that, more people purposely want to remain poor.
You mean to tell us that if you are given the choice of being rich or poor.
You'd purposely be poor?
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Am I saying that, or are you saying that I am saying that. You want me to answer what you made up?
If you and your colleague are equal, and your colleague get a perk from the company, would you just keep quiet? Don't you also feel that you should get just the same?
Won't more default on the rent and claim to be poor, when the government pay the rent for this locked man?
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3 yrs arrears rental.... OMG... what is HDB doing ?
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Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
3 yrs arrears rental.... OMG... what is HDB doing ?
quite tough working in HDB nowadays...
Go chase money, ppl say HDB heartless...
Dun chase money, ppl ask wat HDB is doing...
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Originally posted by mancha:
Am I saying that, or are you saying that I am saying that. You want me to answer what you made up?
If you and your colleague are equal, and your colleague get a perk from the company, would you just keep quiet? Don't you also feel that you should get just the same?
Won't more default on the rent and claim to be poor, when the government pay the rent for this locked man?
I thought you just said that on 24 Nov 2011 @ 4:10pm?
"Believe me like that, more people purposely want to remain poor."
You can't even be sure of what you said afew post ago?
So you are denying statements you made from all your previous post, like anybody would deny farting in the lift?
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Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
quite tough working in HDB nowadays...
Go chase money, ppl say HDB heartless...
Dun chase money, ppl ask wat HDB is doing...
they should at least write O$P(HDB)$ before locking the door.....
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Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
they should at least write O$P$ before locking the door.....
Must remember to write it in an eye pleasing and stylish way so ppl wont complainWell, door right open... they shld go find a neighbour or police to accompany them enter the flat to look for people if they are afraid of getting into trouble...
wat if the old man had already died? they just lock up the door?
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The Old man must have kept silent every time the DEBT COLLECTOR aka (this story) HDB staffs coming knocking the door....
He wants to create the LONGEST ARREARs in HDB's history.
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Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
The Old man must have kept silent every time the DEBT COLLECTOR aka (this story) HDB staffs coming knocking the door....
He wants to create the LONGEST ARREARs in HDB's history.
oh ya...Make sense to pretend that no one is at home when debt collectors come
