A HDB cafe along Yishun, Hood Vibes, was previously mentioned by Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Goh in a Facebook post for what he described as “clearly a liquor joint”, after he heard “rumblings” that a pub had started at Block 468A @ Meadow Spring.

The cafe in question, spoke to Shin Min Daily News and said that they are indeed a cafe with a license to sell alcohol, but they are not operating as a pub.

The owner of Hood Vibes said that their establishment only operates from 11am in the morning to 10pm at night, and clarified that they do not have live performances.

She said that they only play soft background music and are only a cafe selling pasta, chicken chop and etc.

She also added that Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Goh’s post about her cafe on Facebook had negatively affected her business, and described his claims as being misleading – the relevant authorities had performed a previous spot check and found nothing wrong.

On the complaints by residents of noise late at night, she said that her workers go home after 10pm when they close, so the noise couldn’t have been generated by their cafe.

The cafe also subsequently announced that they are currently closed at the moment, until further notice.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @hoodvibes.sg

Derrick Goh’s Facebook post

[“Pub” @ Meadow Spring]

Recently, I heard rumblings that a pub had started at Blk 468A @ Meadow Spring. I did not believe that such a licence would be granted and hence decided to personally check this out.

Last Saturday, I visited the unit accompanied by the Resident’s Network Chair Farhan along with HDB officers from the Commercial department and Yishun Branch.

We entered the unit and was surprised to indeed see a pub set-up. Beer and hard liquor were available for sale, and there were patrons most of whom I did not recognise as Nee Soon Link residents.

I did not get to see the owner known as a Ms Poh, but instead met Praveen and Vinod who said that they were operators of the place.

HDB had clarified that a cafe licence was granted and were also surprised to see what was clearly a liquor joint. HDB assured me that they are investigating into the potential breach of licensing conditions.

I hope residents of Meadow Spring are assured that HDB are looking into this matter and will do its part to prevent dis-amenities, and mitigate disturbance to the peace and safety of our neighbourhood.

Thanks to Forest Meadow RN members and HDB’s Bee Lan and DD Gwen for joining me.

In a rather unsettling, a 49-year-old man was discovered lifeless on a grassy patch within the premises of Republic Polytechnic on August 19th, at 7 Woodlands Avenue 9, according to reports from STOMP.

The body was discovered to be badly decomposing, and the Singapore Police Force was alerted to the incident, with the death being classified as a case of unnatural death.

A Grim Discovery

The incident came to light when landscape workers, engaged in the task of trimming the grass, stumbled upon a badly decomposed body around 2:30 pm.

The police were then alerted to the grim and grisly find.

Preliminary Police Response

At 2:45 pm, the authorities were alerted to the case of unnatural death. According to preliminary investigations, the police believed that foul play was not involved.

A section of the grassy patch was cordoned off as investigators went about their work. With police officers on the scene scouring for evidence. Throughout the afternoon, onlookers and passerby watched as the investigation unfolded.

A netizen who worked as a contractor at the school, shared insight into the unfolding events. According to him, the deceased was discovered in a state of advanced decomposition.

He also revealed that CCTV footage captured the man’s movements on August 2nd, showcasing him ascending a slope, adding an intriguing layer to the narrative.

The decomposed body was then taken away by a police hearse at about 6.30 pm in the evening.

At the time of writing, police investigations into the case of unnatural death are currently underway.

Similar cases

Earlier this month, the decomposing body of a 34-year-old male delivery driver was found inside a car at Upper Changi Road, at a carpark near the Apollo Gardens condominium.

A brown liquid was seen oozing out from the driver’s seat of the vehicle, filling the air with a nauseating odour that lingered around the vicinity. 

13 men and a woman have been arrested by the Singapore Police Force for rioting armed with deadly weapons following a deadly fight that broke out at Orchard Road, leaving one man dead.

The arrested suspects were between the ages of 23 to 29.

The police were alerted to a fight with weapons early yesterday morning (20 August) at about 6 am outside the Concorde Hotel and Shopping Mall at 100 Orchard Road.

The deceased was a 29-year-old man who was conveyed to the hospital unconscious, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Another 23-year-old was sent to the hospital conscious.

Police arrests

A 28-year-old and a 32-year-old man were arrested at the scene for their alleged involvement in the deadly fight with weapons.

Later that day at about 8.30 am, the police arrested 3 men and a woman aged between 22 and 26, along Fernvale Road, at a multi-storey carpark.

5 other men between the ages of 25 to 32 were arrested at Woodlands checkpoint at about 10.30 am, while another 27-year-old was arrested when he visited a hospital to seek medical treatment at about 4.45 pm.

Another 24-year-old was also arrested at a hospital at about 8.50 pm on the same day.

The next day (21 August), a 30-year-old man turned himself into the police at about 7.30 am this morning.

The Singapore Police Force said that all of the arrested suspects were believed to have known each other during the fight, which broke out because of a dispute between the group.

A breadknife and two penknives were seized by the police, which was believed to have been used in the deadly fight.

Three men between 25 and 32 have already been charged in court earlier today with rioting armed with deadly weapons, and if found guilty, they will face jail terms of up to 10 years and caning.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered his National Day Rally last night, and in his speech, he spoke about the recent spate of “controversial issues” involving political figures, and how they have not delayed the timetable for the renewal of leadership.

He assured Singaporeans that his succession plans are back on track, and reiterated his confidence in Deputy Prime MInister Lawrence Wong and his 4G team, as well as urging people to give them the fullest support now and after they take over.

Snippet of PM Lee’s speech

Forward Singapore

Our nation must navigate carefully in this increasingly troubled landscape. There is no ready playbook, there is no model answer. I am glad that DPM Lawrence Wong and the 4G team have taken it upon themselves to chart out where Singapore will go from here. They launched Forward Singapore in June last year, to refresh our social compact. They have held dialogues with thousands of Singaporeans who shared their ideas to tackle various issues.

For example: how to equip our people with the skills to succeed; how to improve care for the vulnerable; and how to strengthen our solidarity as one people. The Forward Singapore report will be published later this year. It will be a compass to help Singapore navigate through the stormy seas.

Financial support for the retrenched

Despite the dark clouds, the world still offers many opportunities for those who dare to seize them. In my Malay speech just now, I spoke about promising new sectors such as the digital economy. I also shared that the Government will give more support to workers – to help you adapt and upskill, to stay ahead of the game.

Our Forward SG plans include financial support for workers who lose your jobs, while you upgrade your skills. It will be a temporary safety net to help you meet immediate needs, to free you to upskill and train, as you prepare yourself for a good long-term job. So long as you are willing to make the effort, the Government will go the extra mile to help you.

Succession

As we prepare for the future, one crucial task is leadership renewal. As you all know, my original plan was to hand over and step down as Prime Minister by 2022, before my 70th birthday. But the pandemic disrupted this plan. I promised Singaporeans that I would see the nation through the crisis, together with both the current and the 4G leadership. Now COVID is behind us, and my succession plans are back on track.

Recently, several controversial issues have drawn Singaporeans’ attention. I have spoken about them in Parliament, and in my National Day Message. We dealt with each of them thoroughly and transparently. Let me assure you: these incidents will not delay my timetable for renewal. We are on track.

More and more, my task is to support the 4G team and their agenda. I want to get them off to the best start possible. They are increasingly setting the pace. My themes in this Rally are all Forward SG themes. The 4G will soon wrap up the Forward SG exercise, but their journey is just beginning. Our nation’s future depends on them, working as one with you to take Singapore forward.

Trust in Lawrence Wong

I have every confidence in Lawrence Wong and his team. We share the same core convictions – that we are stewards of Singapore, entrusted with the immense responsibility to lead and care for our nation; that our time as stewards is transient, but we are building a Singapore for the ages; and that our best service to this nation is to hand over a better, stronger Singapore to those who follow us. My team and I are deeply grateful to you for standing with us through thick and thin. Please give Lawrence and his team your fullest support too, now and after they take over.

Closing

The Singapore story has been an unlikely one from the start. Our nation is still young, and we will always be tiny. We will forever be an unlikely nation, created out of the sheer collective will of our people. Nobody expected us to survive, much less to flourish. But each time, we beat the odds; each time, we showed the world what Singapore can be.