Dairy Farm Residences condo owners upset after maintenance fees more than double from what was marketed

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“NO OTHER CHOICE” BUT TO PAY

Most of the residents CNA spoke to had already paid the amount they were asked to in order to get the keys to their flat.

One resident in his 40s said he felt like he had “no other choice” as what he received was a legal letter and that he would be charged for any delay in payment. 

He added that several residents were stressed by the situation as they were renting places at the moment before moving into their flat. 

“We didn’t want this dispute to cause any delay to our key collection. So, a lot of us like myself, we just went ahead and paid first (to) get the process flowing.”

Another resident, who wished to be known only as Ms Soon, also told CNA that most of them at Dairy Farm Residences are focused on collecting their keys first to move into their flats. 

“Everyone’s just very anxious to collect keys and don’t want to delay any further … because we don’t want the developers to use this (maintenance) fee dispute as an excuse to stall the key collection process,” said the 36-year-old who works in media and advertising.

“Then collectively when everyone has moved in already, as a community, we can arrange for a town hall (and) meet the developer.” 

Most of the residents who spoke to CNA were not part of the 20 residents who have been in contact with the developers. These residents pointed out that there has been “zero communication” with the rest of the flat owners apart from the 20 in the group.

“The developer is talking to some residents. But it’s not representative of the entire community,” said the resident in his 30s.

“Up to date, we have not received any official communication from the developer regarding this whole maintenance issue that is currently being blown out of proportion,” he said.

“They should address all the residents … Do an official address either through email, through a Zoom (session), town hall or at least write to the residents to let them know what is their stance on this and whether they are looking into it.”

Noting comments from online platforms such as HardwareZone, Ms Soon said: “People were saying ‘Oh you know, you buy (a) condo you should know that you should fork out a maintenance fee. Don’t complain too much’.

“As a home owner of this project, my concern is not so much about forking out the maintenance fees. I only want to understand why is it at this amount.”

CNA has also contacted United Engineers on the concerns raised by residents. 

FEES GIVEN AS ESTIMATES

The maintenance and sinking fees collected by unit owners or subsidiary proprietors are used for the maintenance of strata title developments such as Dairy Farm Residences, said Dr Edward Ti, an associate professor of law from Singapore Management University (SMU).

Sinking fund refers to money periodically set aside by the owners of an estate to cover unexpected emergencies and long-term structural costs.

In all strata developments, unit owners wholly own their unit and are also co-owners of the land and facilities that the development sits on, in proportion to how many shares their particular unit has in relation to all the shares which constitute the development, noted Dr Ti, who is also a fellow of the Cambridge Centre for Property Law.

“In this case, I am not aware how the developer represented how much the maintenance fees were to be (for instance, if there was an exclusion clause or non-reliance clause).

“In general, the developer simply had the duty to act reasonably when they forecast how much the maintenance fees should have been,” said Dr Ti.

He added that it was possible that the costs of maintaining the building now exceed the estimate that the developer had in mind. 

“However, it would only be responsible to assert that the developer was intentionally representing a lower estimated fee when the units were marketed if this is substantiated with evidence,” he pointed out.

Similarly, Huttons Asia’s senior director for data analytics Lee Sze Teck told CNA that condominium maintenance fees are always given as estimates during the marketing phase.

“(It) is impossible for the developer to get a contract binding quote from the various service providers from security, cleaning, landscaping, maintenance, pest control and so on,” said Mr Lee.

He added that costs have “escalated steeply” after the COVID-19 pandemic, with manpower, material, shipping and interest costs having gone up.

“This has inevitably pushed up the overall costs of managing a condo.”

SMU’s Dr Ti also said that the developer is statutorily obliged to establish maintenance funds according to the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act 2004. 

When a Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) – an entity that manages and maintains common areas in strata-titled properties such as condominiums – is formed, the developer is to hand over the maintenance funds and records to the MCST. 

After the unit owners take over via the MCST, that is the entity that can decide how much funds should be collected, which is done by ordinary resolution, said Dr Ti. 

“Thus, in the event that the (home owners) decide that a lower maintenance amount is sufficient to maintain the development, they may so decide.”  

The associate professor added that unit owners are also protected during the period where the developer had collected fees as the developer must hand over the financial records in that period.

These provisions help to ensure that the money collected by the developer were spent lawfully, said Dr Ti.

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‘Don’t come back,’ judge tells repeat Panadol thief who cleaned out supermarket shelf

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SINGAPORE: A repeat thief who was released on remission for a previous offence of stealing Panadol went back to filching the medication again – this time clearing out one supermarket shelf of all its supply.

However, he refused to reveal what he did with all that Panadol – at least 66 boxes’ worth, and made no restitution.

Sng Cheow Sim, 51, was sentenced on Monday (Nov 20) to two years’ jail and an additional 47 days for offending while on remission.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, with a third charge taken into consideration.

The court heard that Sng was sentenced to 19 months’ jail in 2022 for stealing about S$250 (US$186) worth of Panadol.

In August, while still on remission for the previous offences, Sng began stealing again.

He went to a supermarket Ang Mo Kio Hub and stole 30 boxes of Panadol worth S$330 in total, concealing them in a tote bag.

A security guard saw Sng place the boxes in his bag and gave chase when Sng left without paying, but lost sight of him.

The guard lodged a police report that same day. Sng’s acts were caught by closed-circuit television cameras.

On Aug 21, Sng returned to the same supermarket. He placed 36 boxes of Panadol tablets – including Panadol Extra, Panadol Sinus Max and Panadol Cold Relief – into his tote bag and left without paying.

A store executive later lodged a police report after a security officer told him that the shelf displaying Panadol products had been cleaned out.

Sng was identified by the police and arrested two days later. The stolen items were not recovered as Sng refused to say what he had done with them.

On Monday, the prosecutor sought at least two years’ jail for Sng.

State Prosecuting Officer Lim Yeow Leong said Sng has a string of property-related offences between 1990 and 2022 and is a “recalcitrant and persistent offender”.

His last conviction also involved the theft of Panadol, with a similar fact pattern, but the jail term had not deterred him, said Mr Lim.

This time, the total value of the stolen items including the charge taken into consideration was about S$970, said Mr Lim.

Sng had no lawyer and gave his mitigation from his place of remand.

He said he would like the judge to sentence him “more leniently” because his mother had breast cancer.

“I (have been) in prison for quite a couple of times already,” said Sng. “I do some reflection inside. No point la, no point.”

He said he hopes to become a better person when he comes out.

The judge told him that he sincerely wished him “all the best” with this.

“Don’t come back, OK,” the judge told Sng. He added that if Sng did, he would get worse penalties.

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China, Japan in fast and furious frigate-building race

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Japan and China are upgrading and upsizing their naval fleets with affordable, general-purpose frigates amid territorial disputes, mutual missile threats and historical animosity.

This month, Japan launched its eighth Mogami-class frigate, the JS Yubetsu, marking a significant advance in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) capabilities, The Warzone reported.

The Warzone report says that the Mogami-class frigates, built to serve as the JMSDF’s backbone, feature advanced electronic warfare and sensor suites, and are designed for operation by small crews, underscoring a broad structural shift toward more efficient naval operations.

The Warzone notes that the class is set to replace older Asagiri- and Abukuma-class vessels, with a total of 12 ships planned and the last scheduled for completion in 2027.

Mogami-class frigates have a standard displacement of approximately 3,900 tons and a total displacement of about 5,500 tons, with dimensions roughly similar to the Asagiri-class destroyers. They are powered by a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine and two MAN diesel engines capable of exceeding 30 knots.

The Mogami-class also has a BAE Systems’ Mark 45 naval gun, remote weapon systems, Lockheed Martin’s Mk 41 vertical launching system for surface-to-air missiles and Raytheon’s SeaRAM system.

The Warzone says the frigates also feature advanced electronic warfare suites including the NOLQ-3E system, Mitsubishi Electric’s OPY-2 radar, various sonar systems for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and can support a Mitsubishi SH-60L Sea Hawk helicopter and deploy different unmanned vehicles for minesweeping.

Most significantly, The Warzone notes that these ships are designed for operation by a crew of just 90, enabled by high levels of automation and an advanced Combat Information Center (CIC).

The report says that while the first two Mogami-class vessels were relatively cost-effective, Japan is already planning for 12 “new FFM” frigates, with enhanced air defense capabilities and larger dimensions, to be constructed from 2027 to 2036.

The developments underscore Japan’s commitment to maintaining a strong, technologically advanced naval presence in a challenging geopolitical landscape.

Indeed, the Mogami-class may be Japan’s answer to China’s next-generation Type 054B frigate, conceptualized as a general-purpose naval combatant.

A rendering of China’s Type 054B frigate. Image: Twitter

This August, The Warzone reported on the Type 054B frigate, which is larger and more capable than its predecessor, the Type 054A. The Warzone notes that the frigate is equipped with a 32-cell vertical launch system (VLS) at the bow, which might be a universal VLS used in other Chinese warships or a system similar to the one on the Type 054A.

It also features a 100mm main gun, replacing the 76mm gun of the Type 054A, although the exact model of this new gun is yet to be confirmed.

The report said that the Type 054B is armed with two close-in weapons systems (CIWS) for air defense: a H/PJ-11 11-barrel 30mm Gatling gun and an HQ-10 SAM launcher. Although it says that while anti-surface warfare capabilities are not confirmed, there’s speculation about an additional set of VLS cells or slanted anti-ship missile launchers.

It also says that the ship has Type 726 launchers for various defensive and offensive purposes such as flares, chaff, active decoys and anti-submarine rockets.

The WarZone report says that Type 054B is expected to host the Z-20F maritime helicopter, enhancing its ASW capabilities and that the frigate might operate vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones in the future.

The Warzone states that the Type 54B’s sensor suite includes a primary radar, a double-sided rotating active electronically scanned array (AESA), a bow sonar and provisions for a variable-depth sonar (VDS) and a towed-array sonar (TAS).

It notes that stealth features have been incorporated into the design, resembling the French Aquitaine-class frigate regarding radar cross-section reduction.

These frigates are set to significantly impact Japan and China’s naval doctrines and fleet composition, as both naval powers are enlarging their fleets in response to rising threat perceptions from one another.

The Mogami class is designed to replace the obsolete Abukuma- and Asagiri-class destroyers, whose age, limited numbers, outdated technology, non-stealth design, and lack of helicopter facilities in the case of the Abukuma-class, may no longer be sufficient to meet Japan’s security needs.

The Mogami-class also marks a move toward greater cost-effectiveness.

In a September 2023 US Naval Institute article, Eric Wertheim notes that the first two ships cost significantly less than US$500 million each, with an estimated price tag of $375 million and $410 million per frigate.

That relatively low cost allows the Mogami class to be built in greater numbers than larger, more capable ships such as the Maya class destroyers, which cost $1.5 billion per ship and cannot be made in large numbers.

Moreover, in line with Japan’s more proactive defense policy, the Mogami class may eventually be offered for export.

In April 2021, Asia Times reported that Indonesia planned to purchase eight Mogami-class frigates, with plans for Japan to deliver four ships starting in 2023 or early 2024 and for the remaining four to be built at state-run PT PAL’s Surabaya shipyard.

A Japanese Mogami-class frigate in a file photo. Image: Facebook

While China already has the advantage of lower labor costs and formidable shipbuilding capability, the Type 054B represents a serious upgrade over the Type 054A with better blue water seakeeping, greater endurance and more upgrade potential.

The ship also has better sensors, networking and combat management suites, enabling it to field more capable munitions.

The Type 054B’s AESA means that active production and forthcoming PLA-N blue-water combatants will come with the technology as standard while its embarked Z-20F helicopter will allow the class to match the minimum ASW capabilities of PLA-N blue-water combatants.

Asia Times reported in February 2023 that the Type 054B was developed to improve the Type 054A’s escort capabilities, as the Type 054A’s diesel propulsion could not match the speed of China’s carrier battlegroups.

The Type 054B aims to address that shortcoming with its enhanced propulsion system. Apart from that, the ship’s primary roles are anticipated to be ASW, with secondary roles in anti-air warfare (AAW) and anti-surface warfare (ASUW).

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Cross-border unmanned aircraft flights will require permits from Nov 21

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SINGAPORE: Cross-border unmanned aircraft flights will require permits from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) from Tuesday (Nov 21).

A new framework regarding such flights will come into effect from Tuesday and will supplement the existing framework for unmanned aircraft operations in Singapore, which was introduced in 2015.

Any operator found flying an unmanned aircraft into or out of Singapore without a permit can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$50,000 (US$37,300), or both.

Authorities will also have the power to take down any unauthorised cross-border unmanned aircraft, said the CAAS and the police on Monday.

“In recent years, technological advancements have improved the capabilities, flight distance and endurance of unmanned aircraft, such that they are able to fly further and carry larger payloads,” said CAAS and the police.

Such flights may pose a danger to public safety and security, they added.

“Globally, we have seen cases of unmanned aircraft disrupting airport operations, as well as being used for criminal activities, such as for smuggling, and to conduct terror attacks.”

The authorities cited an incident in June 2020 when an unmanned aircraft was used for cross-border drug smuggling.

An unmanned aircraft with a bag attached to it was spotted hovering in the air at Kranji Reservoir Park on Jun 17, 2020. The police arrested two men suspected to be operators of the aircraft.

The bag contained substances suspected to be controlled drugs, said the police at the time.

During a search of a car parked nearby, police found more controlled drugs – about 35g of Ice, 8g of heroin and 195 Ecstasy tablets.

Flight data retrieved from a suspect’s phone showed that the unmanned aircraft had flown from Kranji to Johor Bahru and back again to Kranji on the same day, said the police.

Two other people – a 24-year-old woman and 40-year-old man – were also arrested in connection with the incident.

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Funeral directors association disagrees with competition watchdog study, says findings of unfair practices are ‘flawed’

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The study also noted that consumers may encounter unfair practices, including the use of false or misleading claims such as a ‘one-stop service’, said the CCCS. This was misleading as it conveyed the impression that consumers would only have to liaise with one entity, when in fact, communication with multiple vendors was needed. 

The CCCS also named two other unfair practices: The omission of material information, such as how the final price of funeral products may differ from the package price, and providers that ask for payment for products not requested by the customer. 

In tandem with the report’s release, President of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) Melvin Yong said that CASE had received 13 complaints against funeral service providers since 2021. 

“Most complaints related to pricing of funeral products and services where affected consumers complained that their final bills were much higher than what they were informed initially due to charges not disclosed at the onset,” Mr Yong said in a Facebook post on Friday.

FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION’S RESPONSE

In his reply on behalf of the AFD executive committee, Mr Hoo said that contrary to the CCCS report, AFD members receive many public enquiries seeking information on funerals and have seen more people pre-planning funerals. 

“Consumers make buying decisions on many factors after doing their own research; pricing is only one of the factors. Funeral service purchase decisions are no different,” he said. 

Mr Hoo also took issue with the number of complaints. He pointed out that 13 complaints over three years represented an “inconsequential” 0.01 per cent of Singapore’s annual death rate, especially when compared to complaints for other types of service providers.

“Perhaps others should take a leaf from the funeral profession as to how to achieve a near zero complaint level,” Mr Hoo said. 

Mr Hoo added that the report failed to differentiate between middlemen and proper funeral service providers.

“These ‘middlemen’ only have a business card to their name, with no office premises, no full-time staff, no caskets and no hearses. The public needs to be mindful of these low-cost price traps available on the internet, as they may end up getting what they pay for – a low service or no service standard funeral.”

He said that members of AFD and true funeral service providers have their own premises, full salaried staff, embalming facilities, caskets and hearses, adding that consumers should visit the funeral service provider’s premises before engaging them.  

On the issue of price, Mr Hoo said it was difficult to offer fixed price funerals, as “no two funerals are similar”. 

“Some families want less. Others want more. Funeral wakes can be over three, five or seven days. More often than not, the family makes additional requests during the funeral for items and services.”

Conversely, customers may ask to remove services or products, and AFD members would “do their best” to tailor the funeral to the family’s needs, said Mr Hoo. 

“A funeral service is a basket of goods and services, and not a single commoditized product. Funeral service providers have a responsibility to customize each service to best represent and celebrate the memory of the deceased.”

CNA has asked CCCS for its response to AFD’s rebuttal.

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Lower-income families to get more help, including cash and debt clearance

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As these families have less disposable income and savings, they are more susceptible to falling into debt or arrears when faced with unexpected events like retrenchment or health issues.

Even a relatively small debt can have a severe impact on lower-income families financially, psychologically and emotionally, the ministry said.

To help these families, MSF will work with donors to fully fund a progress package that matches families’ repayments to their creditors, up to S$5,000 in debt.

This package, which can only be used once, applies to “verifiable debt”. This is debt owed to licensed companies and organisations that can be verified and for which repayments can be tracked, MSF said. Examples include utility bill arrears, hospital bills or credit card debt.

Informal debts, such as those owed to family and friends, and to unlicensed moneylenders, are not covered.

ComLink+ families will also get help to save up for a home. A progress package jointly funded by a donor and the government will match S$2 for every S$1 families contribute voluntarily to their CPF.

“This will help families save up more quickly for their flat purchase and give them a better chance of fulfilling this aspiration,” said MSF.

For this and the employment package, payouts will be limited to S$30,000 in total across the two support schemes.

With these new moves, families can receive parenting support and send their children to quality preschools in their early years, said Mr Masagos. 

Individuals who are motivated to secure a job are also supported by an ecosystem to acquire the skills they need, be matched to a suitable job and benefit from wage support, he added. 

“These moves demonstrate our community’s commitment to invest in long-term outcomes. Rather than quick fixes, we want to enable families to build resilience and secure sustained stability and self-reliance, and ultimately social mobility,” said the Social and Family Development Minister. 

“It may take a generation or more, but we know that by reinforcing families’ ability to provide their children with a good start in life today, we give them a better chance for a brighter tomorrow.” 

FAMILY COACHES, COMMUNITY PARTNERS

While there are ComLink officers who work closely with the families now, their roles will expand as family coaches.

The coaches will work with each family to develop action plans tailored to each family’s needs. They will also coach and motivate the families to achieve their goals, and act as a single point of contact to help them better navigate social support services, said MSF.

“When families feel understood and supported, they are more likely to actively participate in the decision-making process and take steps towards their goals,” said Mr Masagos. 

With support from family coaches, families have told MSF that they feel more optimistic about their future, he added. 

The ministry emphasised that the programme will be implemented with community partners. About 170 organisations and individuals are partnering Social Service Offices to support ComLink+ families.

DBS, for instance, is a package sponsor who will contribute to the CDA and CPF top-ups for the progress packages on children’s education and savings.

Another ComLink partner, Singapore Pools, will help fund part of the progress package on debt clearance. This is projected to support up to 240 families, said Mr Masagos. 

Other ComLink+ partners include companies, charity and voluntary organisations, business associations and schools.

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Super Junior’s Kyuhyun injured by knife-wielding intruder

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Kyuhyun, a member of K-pop boy group Super Junior performs at Seoul Park Music FestivalGetty Images
By Kelly Ng
BBC News

K-pop star Kyuhyun sustained a cut on his finger on Sunday while fending off a female intruder in a dressing room.

The woman, who was carrying a knife, broke into the room in a Seoul theatre at about 18:00 local time (09:00 GMT), local media reported.

Kyuhyun, a member of the boy band Super Junior, was visiting his fellow actors at the time and was hurt while attempting to restrain her, they said.

The woman, who is in her 30s, has been arrested.

The police are investigating where she got the weapon and whether she has a history of mental illness.

She reportedly has no connection to Kyuhyun or any of the other actors who were present, local media said.

“Kyuhyun suffered a small cut on his finger, which was treated right away on site,” the 35-year-old’s celebrity agency Antenna Music told South Korea’s national newspaper JoongAng Daily.

Kyuhyun is currently starring as the lead actor in a Korean-language version of the Ben-Hur musical, which tells the story of a fictional Jewish hero who was falsely accused of an assassination attempt by the Romans.

The actor-singer joined Super Junior, one of the country’s most popular boy bands, in 2006.

Since then, he has also established himself as a musical actor.

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Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescuers mull new ways to save trapped India workers

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Machinery at the site where workers are trapped in a tunnel in Uttarkashi, 18 NovemberReuters
By Andrew Clarance in Uttarkashi and Nikhila Henry in Delhi
BBC News

Rescuers in India are looking at fresh options to save 41 workers trapped in a tunnel for the past eight days.

New plans had to be conceived after work to push in metal pipes through the debris wall was halted and rescue teams were withdrawn after a cracking sound was heard from the tunnel on Friday.

Officials now say they are drilling two parallel tunnels which could provide an “escape route” to the trapped workers.

Part of the under-construction tunnel had caved in after a landslide.

The incident took place on the morning of 12 November in the northern state of Uttarakhand. Contact with the trapped men was established soon after that and they are being provided oxygen, food and water since then.

Explaining the latest rescue effort, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha told news agency ANI that they were “working on two side tunnels by the side of the main tunnel for escape”.

So far, rescuers have been drilling inwards from the mouth of the tunnel. Efforts are now also on to drill from another side of the tunnel to reach the workers.

A drilling machine arrives at the site where workers are trapped in a a tunnel in Uttarkashi, 18 November

Reuters

Federal Highways and Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari visited the site on Sunday and said rescue operations could go on for “two to three days”.

Explaining that working on the Himalayan terrain was complicated, he said that two auger drilling machines were currently being put to work.

The first machine was drilling and working well as the strata was soft soil but encountered problems when it came in contact with rocks, he said, adding that experts had solved this glitch.

On Saturday, there was an angry confrontation between families of the trapped workers and those overseeing the rescue operations. The families had also staged a protest earlier last week asking officials to expedite the drilling.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, has assured the families that “federal and state rescuers are working seamlessly” to save the workers. “Morale of the stranded workers should be kept up,” he said.

The Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district is part of the federal government’s ambitious highway project to improve links between famous pilgrimage spots in Uttarakhand.

The mountainous state, where several Himalayan peaks and glaciers are located, is home to some of the holiest sites for Hindus.

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Hundreds of evacuated Thais arrive home from Laukkaing

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PUBLISHED : 20 Nov 2023 at 13:46

Hundreds of evacuated Thais arrive home from Laukkaing
Thai evacuees wait for transport taking them from Laukkaing in Myanmar’s Shan State to the Chinese border on Sunday. (Photo supplied)

The 266 Thai nationals who were evacuated by Myanmar authorities from the border town of Laukkaing in Shan State to Kunming in China on Sunday returned to Thailand on two commercial flights early on Monday.

Thai Air Asia Flight FD9702 landed at Don Mueang airport from Kunming about 3am, followed by Thai Lion Air Flight SL7007 about 4am.

The two flights carried 273 passengers – the 266 Thais, six Filipinos and one Singaporean. They were met at the airport by immigration police, consular affairs and other officials.

Escorted by a convoy of police patrol vehicles, the 266 Thais were taken by buses from the airport to the learning centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Training and Development Institute in Nong Chok district.

There, they faced screening by officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Public Health and police from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division and Metropolitan Police Bureau, to separate those who were victims of human trafficking and who were criminal suspects.

The screening was being conducted under the so-called National Referral Mechanism process.

The six foreign nationals on the flights were placed in the care of their embassies.

Relatives of the returned Thais can confirm their names with Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division police by calling number 1191, or the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security at number 1300.

Foreign affairs spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said the government was duty-bound to provide assistance to all Thai nationals in trouble abroad, whether they were victims of scammers or had travelled illegally out of the country.

Ms Kanchana said the 266 were being screened to find out who were victims of human trafficking and who had been involved in criminal activities. The screening process would take some time, she said.

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