The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the National Parks Board (NParks) issued a joint statement on Saturday (Jun 10), explaining their decision to take enforcement action against an individual residing in a shelter at East Coast Park. The man in question, Jackson Chan Kian Leng, 46, had persistently refused assistance and prevented others from using the facility.
On May 30, Chan was officially charged with the offences of residing in a public park without a license and smoking under a park shelter. Unable to pay the imposed fine of S$1,400 (US$1,042), he received a four-day jail sentence.
In response to media inquiries, NParks and MSF revealed that they were first made aware of Chan’s situation in June 2020. Despite repeated offers of shelter, he declined and exhibited resistance to any form of aid. The agencies noted that Chan appeared to be in good health.
In April 2021, MSF attempted to engage with Chan once more, but he refused to provide his contact details or give consent to be referred to social service agencies.
Subsequently, during Singapore’s COVID-19 Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period, which occurred between the middle and end of 2021, Chan was observed staying at the East Coast Park shelter despite its closure and cordoned-off status.
As a result, he received six composition notices between December 2021 and April 2022.
According to NParks and MSF, Chan consistently displayed uncooperative behaviour, showed hostility towards officers, and even splashed water on a security officer patrolling the park.
In August 2022, Chan was duly informed that further enforcement action would be taken unless he vacated the shelter.
However, despite NParks’ repeated attempts to communicate with him and connect him with relevant agencies, Chan persisted in occupying the shelter until May of this year. It is worth noting that during this period, he informed NParks officers that he had a home in Singapore, a claim he reiterated in court.
MSF disclosed that it has been working closely with the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network, a collaboration comprising various community groups, to engage with and support individuals experiencing rough sleeping.
For the purposes of their efforts, MSF defines “rough sleepers” as individuals sleeping in public spaces, while they consider “homeless” to be those lacking access to adequate housing.
A nationwide street count conducted by the ministry in November of the previous year revealed a decrease of approximately 40 per cent in Singapore’s rough sleeping population, with the number falling to 530 since the previous study conducted in 2019.
“Ones who are willing to receive assistance have been supported through befriending and outreach, coordinated case support, and provision of shelter,” stated MSF on Saturday.
In the event that members of the public encounter rough sleepers requiring assistance or shelter, they are encouraged to email PEERS at [email protected], call ComCare at 1800-222-0000, or utilize the “Help Neighbour” feature on the OneService app.