Elderly karung guni clutters corridor in Potong Pasir HDB but neighbour worries about fire hazards —who should give way?

SINGAPORE: When one resident is concerned over clutter in the corridor but another resident simply wants to keep supporting herself by collecting old items, who should have the final say?

There is an ongoing dispute among neighbours at Block 137 Potong Pasir Avenue 3. A resident from the block first told Shin Min Daily News about going to the storey above where he lives in order to investigate loud sounds that interrupt his sleep, which led to an even bigger problem.

Upon going to the upper floor, the man, a 57-year-old surnamed Ye, discovered corridors that were filled with discarded items, that an elderly woman who had been working as a karung guni, or scrap picker, had collected.

Mr Ye promptly reported the clutter to the authorities.

Photos from Shin Min Daily News show numerous piles of items, many of which were covered and stacked, and the floor area surrounding the piles appeared to be clean.

Reporters from the Chinese daily also said that stacks of items had no smell.

They also spoke to the karung guni, who said that her husband also works, and that she wants to keep on working.

The elderly woman, described to be in her 70s or 80s, rises at 4 o’clock every morning and comes home after midnight. She collects—and sells—cardboard for $7 per kilo, old clothes for ten cents per kilo, and even electronics.

Moreover, she says that her piles of discarded items are not detrimental to foot traffic.

A number of her neighbours appear to have gotten used to the clutter, and say they are unbothered, and that the woman is reasonably cooperative when asked to move some of the items.

“I don’t want to live off others. This is me having a backbone. I earn my own money. I eat with my own money,” Mothership quotes her as saying.

However, the problem may not just be with her neighbours, but the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has guidelines as to what is allowed and disallowed in corridors, especially as some items could be fire hazards.

AsiaOne quotes the woman as saying that she will clear up the clutter before Chinese New Year in 2024.

/TISG