Hougang resident calls the police after his asthma gets triggered by burning joss paper

SINGAPORE: A resident from Block 541 Hougang Avenue 8 felt forced to involve the police after a joss paper burning at the carpark left his family with wheezing and coughing.

Speaking to Stomp under the condition of anonymity, the resident said that the joss paper burned around 9:45 a.m. on Saturday (May 31), and the burning resulted in excessive smoke.

He told Stomp, “It’s a fire hazard to vehicles parking nearby. Two owners shifted their cars. If the car doesn’t catch fire, the ashes still get into cars and homes on the second floor.”

Sharing that his family suffers from sinusitis and asthma, the resident added, “The smoke was so overwhelming that it entered the house. We had to close the windows. I had an asthma attack and could not breathe. I had to set up my nebuliser to stabilise myself. Two of my kids have bad sinus problems and coughed.”

The resident shared that he has been living in the neighbourhood for twenty years, and residents typically burn joss papers in a designated bin that is located about 25 metres away in an open field.

Asserting that he has no problem with the burning as long as it’s far away from homes, the resident said he decided to call the police as he deemed the incident “a selfish act. The cleaner has to do extra work to clean the area because of the mess caused.”

He added, “We live in a multicultural country where we should be more considerate to others.”

Hougang Ave 8 is under the purview of Ang Mo Kio Town Council. A spokesman representing the town council told Stomp that they received feedback about the incident and completed cleaning works on the same day.

The spokesman added that joss paper burning is allowed only at designated bins. He said that the town council has decided to display advisory notices on proper joss paper burning etiquette in lift car noticeboards, “to prevent potential fire hazards” and “to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents.”