ON THE evening of Nov 8 last year, my 21-year-old sister was stabbed in the lift of our block in Tampines as she was going home.
The assailant entered the lift seconds before the door closed, and plunged the knife in her back before demanding money.
He threatened to stab her again until she promised she would not tell the police about the attack.
My sister recovered after an operation. Since her recovery, we have repeatedly appealed to the town council and the police to install closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) at the void deck and lifts.
We also appealed for posters to be put up to raise public awareness of the unsolved stabbing.
We feared that the attack on my sister could happen to other residents.
Unfortunately, the town council told us the police should take up our suggestions while the police said it was the town council's job.
The only response thus far to our appeal was a letter from the police informing us of increased patrols.
We wrote back, stating that the measure may not be sufficient, given the spate of robberies within a 1km radius of our block in the past six months.
We understand that several victims had to be treated in hospital.
In the same letter, which we copied to the town council, we appealed for the installation of CCTVs.
After waiting for three months for a reply, we gave up. We worry when we walk around our neighbourhood, especially after dark.
We should not feel this way and hope the authorities will act effectively to make residents feel safer in their own neighbourhood.
Goh Hui Mei (Ms)
Maybe she is not Zhang Hui Mei so nobody gives a damn...
I understand the govt goes all out to win foreign "talents"/ "famous people" over here, but surely good governance includes keeping the citizens safe to walk their own neighbourhoods in Singapore. What kind of country are we if we can't even do anything to prevent students from getting stabbed in lifts?
Originally posted by Stynium:I understand the govt goes all out to win foreign "talents"/ "famous people" over here, but surely good governance includes keeping the citizens safe to walk their own neighbourhoods in Singapore. What kind of country are we if we can't even do anything to prevent students from getting stabbed in lifts?
I understand your agony, perhaps getting someone to fetch her will be good....
Yes she is now fetched home regularly.. it will be good if people warn their parents and siblings of such incidents as well.. especially in Tampines.
Did you try speaking to your MP about this ?
despite our police's reputation for being cowardly and impotent, all the fault lies with PAP...........
all sorts of crimes especially murder have gone up with the increased number of foreigners allowed into S'pore........................
CCTV may be effective in the evenings but during late nights, they're pretty much useless with everyone alseep.......
increased police patrols ? i highly doubt the cops will do that and even if they did, it changes nothing !
my advice ? take the stairs...............
you can escape easily..............robbers don't ambush their victims at stairways.............other residents can hear you if you scream for help....................
oh yeah, you'll lose some weight too........................
Originally posted by TTFU:Did you try speaking to your MP about this ?
the PAP MP will pretend to be concerned about your case but after you left, he'll give you the middle finger...............
Originally posted by TTFU:Did you try speaking to your MP about this ?
The MP was told at a meet the people's session, but it was all wayang because nothing happened afterwards. We were given a very big middle finger.
Then no choice loh rely on yourself liao.....
To stynium: Its your 21 year old cousin who got stabbed in the lift?
take the stairs the best lah....................see my above stated reasons............
Should have more people burning MPs then they will all wake up. Some of these criminals are drug addicts. Always waiting for handouts and easy money to buy drugs, always not clear in the mind.
when someone jumps onto the mrt tracks we build barriers.
when buses run into bus stops we build barriers.
now they want cctv because someone was stabbed in the lift.
crimes and accidents happen anywhere and everywhere.
so if someone gets hit by a falling pot or bamboo pole from a hdb flat what are gonna do? make everybody wear an armour?
i sympathise with the victim but installing cctv is not a solution. one can only be more alert and careful when taking lifts. its just 'arse luck' to be victimised in what i called 'isolated incidents'.
if we follow the person's rationale, we would have to install cctv everywhere they could be crime which means every inch of the island. Do you have any idea about the costs of doing so and maintaining them?
Apart from that do you really want to be monitored every where 24/7?
Why not install them in public toilets as well, nobody knows what truly goes on behind those walls.
Any idea how many flats there are in Singapore? If there was a contract for the supply, and installation of CCTVs in just the vincinity of Bukit Ho Swee, I'll take it!
cousin got stabbed. I don't see what's wrong with the cousin pleading for a cctv to be installed in all lifts. It only makes good common sense.
Originally posted by Rock^Star:cousin got stabbed. I don't see what's wrong with the cousin pleading for a cctv to be installed in all lifts. It only makes good common sense.
thats common sense to you?
what if someone else get stabbed somewhere or anywhere outside the range of the cctvs?
what are we gonna install next? it never ends.
the common sense thing to do is increase patrol and be more alert when taking lifts.
or maybe she shouldnt take lifts alone. call beforehand and arrange for family members to meet her at the void deck.
good common sense to have cctvs installed in lifts. We already have many of it in the HDBs. Has it been mentioned in my post that it should be anywhere else? Robberies and molest in lifts are very common, hardly the "isolated incident" as you claim.