Clementi residents ‘rudely awakened’ by inconsiderate people who exercise with ‘blasting music and loud shouting’, no resolution after 1.5 years

SINGAPORE — Residents have shared their frustrations about being “rudely awakened” by a large group of “inconsiderate people” who exercise early on Saturday mornings for the past year and a half. Despite raising the issue to the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the police, they are still waiting for a resolution.

One of the residents posted their concerns on the Facebook page Complaint Singapore on Saturday (Dec 31), noting they missed the opportunity to sleep in as the exercising group would start at 8 am every Saturday and play loud pop and hip hop music while shouting and clapping loudly for an hour.

The exact location is the open-air pavilion sandwiched between Block 428 and 429 along Clementi Avenue 3. The resident said the weekly dance session started in the middle of 2021, rudely waking everyone in the blocks nearby, especially those living on the lower levels.

“You will often find sleepy heads peering out of their windows at every level, wondering if there’s a need to play music at such a volume at this time of the day.”

The resident said he had raised the issue to the police, who arrived toward the end of an exercise session. The volume of the music was lowered but still very much audible, he noted.

“I have also previously written in to HPB asking if this group exercise programme falls under their purview, but I did not receive any response,” said the concerned individual.

“I am truly flabbergasted at such inconsiderate behaviour and am perplexed as to why something as ridiculous as this has gone on for so long.”

The resident also explained in detail why they find the exercising group’s actions to be inconsiderate.

He highlighted that many have jobs, from bus captains to healthcare workers, that require them to work late into the night. “These are people who reach home way past midnight and only crawl into bed in the wee hours of the morning.”

Some parents and children also hope to wake up a little later on the weekends as there isn’t a need to rush to work or school.

“With that, blasting loud dance music along with shouting and clapping at 8 am sharp on a Saturday morning is both selfish and inconsiderate, and is a COMPLETE NO-NO.”

The resident understands the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but it should be done respectfully, without disturbing the neighbourhood’s peace.

He suggested shifting the location of the weekly dance session to the outdoor space near the Clementi stadium, noting it is just a “stone’s throw away” but far enough from residential units.

Another suggestion was moving the session to a later time when most people are up and about.

Netizens agreed that such groups should move their activities to a park or stadium. Others shared that they, too, have similar issues at different locations.

The Independent Singapore has reached out to the Jurong-Clementi Town Council for a statement and will update the article accordingly. /TISG

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