HDB investigating renovation contractor who stuffed newspapers in balcony walls of HDB flat

SINGAPORE - The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is investigating a renovation contractor who placed newspapers in the walls of a HDB flat.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (Aug 19), HDB said it was alerted to a video online showing old newspapers in the sidewalls of the balcony.

HDB said it has since identified the unit, which was completed in 1984, and has contacted the flat owner.

The video shows newspapers, browned with age, stuffed into the walls.

A Facebook post of the video has received about 133,000 views and 3,000 shares since it was uploaded on Sunday.

HDB said the flat owner had engaged a renovation contractor to install windows in the balcony in 1999.

During the installation, the contractor stuffed newspapers into the walls, HDB added.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeHDB/photos/a.986613818032171/2333194146707458/?type=3[/embed]

The flat owner only discovered the stuffing when he recently decided to replace the windows.

After checks, HDB has confirmed that the flat is structurally sound. The walls have also been fixed, it added.

HDB said that it is looking into the incident and it will take action against the renovation contractor if he is found to be errant.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.