Glass shards along HDB corridor: Redhill resident accuses neighbour of deterring her kids from playing there

A neighbourly dispute turned nasty when one Redhill resident was allegedly triggered by frequent sounds of children's laughter outside her flat.

One homemaker, who only wanted to be known as Noraisah, said she first noticed that her next-door neighbour had poured soapy water laced with rock salt along the corridor of Block 59 Lengkok Bahru last month.

It is where the Noraisah's children would often play with other kids in the block during the weekends.

"We didn't confront her, but the soapy water is said to be for 'praying purposes'," said the 39-year-old in an interview with AsiaOne, adding that her neighbour had previously "screamed" about a piece of face mask left outside the corridor.

That same neighbour had previously raised a din when Noraisah sang karaoke in her flat, but the latter pointed out that "up to four residents in the same block were also doing the same". 

For the mother of four children aged from 8 to 15 living in the one-room flat at Lengkok Bahru for two years, this dispute has gone too far.

Son came back with cut on foot

On Sept 16 afternoon, Noraisah said that she called the police after her nine-year-old son came back home with a cut on his foot.

This was after her son’s playmate caught her neighbour littering glass shards along the corridor. 

"She came out of her house to sweep them away before the police arrived," Noraisah claimed.

The Redhill resident added that the police officers told her to seek a counsellor instead after she could not provide them with "concrete proof" that her neighbour was "endangering the kids".

"My neighbour got away by denying it," said Noraisah. “I just felt being lied to makes me feel insecure. It also makes me feel that the safety of all the children living there is unimportant.” 

She also claimed her neighbour later said "loud and clear" that "she could do whatever she wants since it's her house".

"It's traumatic based on this kind of tragedy. My kids would be in danger at all times knowing this would happen again," said Noraisah, who has since installed CCTV cameras outside her flat.

After Noraisah took to TikTok to share about this incident, the video has garnered over 25,000 views. 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@schastarzshasha/video/7279308040954842369?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7252157227077830162[/embed]

"Putting glass shards is so heartless," a netizen said, while another advised Noraisah to approach the town council for help.

But several netizens felt that Noraisah should have brought her children to the nearby park for playtime instead. 

"Maybe it’s really too loud? Understand they’re kids but if they want to get all loud, they can do it at the park or playground instead," one of them said. 

"There has been no issue with other neighbours. Just this one," replied Noraisah. 

'I told my kids that our neighbour is angry with us' 

When AsiaOne visited the Lengkok Bahru flat on Thursday (Sept 21) to speak with Noraisah's neighbour, no one answered the door. 

There were still pieces of glass shards along the corridor on the 12th floor, observed AsiaOne. 

Noraisah said it would be difficult to resolve the issue with her "problematic" neighbour. 

But she hopes that her eight-year-old daughter, who has autism, will be able to continue playing along the corridor. 

"It's hard for her to play at the playground, where she has problems communicating with other kids," said Noraisah, adding that her child feels more comfortable playing along the corridor with her neighbours. 

"My children were laughing and playing along the corridor like any other normal kids would do. Something that I liked to do when I was younger.

"They had asked me why our neighbour would place glass shards outside her flat. I just told them that she is angry with us". 

ALSO READ: Trolleys, faeces and glass: Punggol residents horrified by high-rise littering

chingshijie@asiaone.com