"Excellent - Be proactive"
"... i didn't hear other MPs doing walk around their consitutency to inspect and find possible interim solutions or contingency plans."
" .... will only treat the symptom of flood n not the flood itself."
"... At least WP has suggestions for the flood prone area in Aljunied.."
" ... Prevention is always better than finding a cure."
To: Moulmein MP Lui Tuck Yew
cc: MEWR Minister Vivian Bala/ex MEWR Minister Yaacob/PM Lee
cc: Aljinied GRC MPs and Opposition parties
 |
| Dunearn Road Submerged |
Hi Mr Lui,
MP Mr Chen Show Mao has taken the leadership role to proactively seek and prevent future floods from occurring in his constituency. Unfortunately, he is not my MP.
But you are. This is the sort of proactive and problem-solving qualities I look for in my MP.
Like one commenter says, putting up railings is a temporary and symptomatic fix (reactive in nature). What the residents of Moulmein (and by extension, the people of Singapore - please take note, Vivian Bala and PM Lee) want are systemic and permanent fixes to the flooding problems in Singapore that seem to occur in increasing frequency every month, if not weeks (not once-in-50-years unfortunately), notwithstanding the excuses that "no amount of engineering" can fix it or beyond government's control due to Act Of God or fixes are exorbitantly expensive (how much? Not as expensive as the $400m YOG I hope? And I wonder why the PAP government is not prepared to spend on enhancing the citizens' lives and assets while not batting an eyelid on the wasteful YOG millions!) etc...
Mr Lui, how do you plan to prevent the area under your care from severe floods in the future? Look at the attached picture of the submerged Dunearn Road, which is under your care.
Rgds
=====================================================
http://www.facebook.com/notes/ chen-show-mao/floods/ 159389317459670
Floods
by Chen Show Mao on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 1:40am
The Tanglin flood over the weekend prompted us to visit areas in Aljunied that may be more likely flooded than others, to see if we could take any measures or make useful proposals to relevant government authorities to help prevent flooding in the future. One such area is where the nearby old bus interchange/car park adjoins the Heartland Mall next to the Kovan MRT station. I was there today with town council representatives and we found that the drains are very shallow in parts and susceptible to clogging and flooding in heavy rain. We discussed how we may raise the concealed drain pavement next to the driveway (and build a new ramp for barrier-free access) to alleviate possible flooding. It sounded like a good pre-emptive solution to me and we plan to follow up with the experts and authorities to see if it will be workable.
Subject: Safety Takes A Back Seat - Re: Drain death: Minister & MP being reactive rather than proactive? - Re: Perpetual traffic jams on Singapore roads - Fw: FB201104/0159: Perpetual jams at Cecil Street/Church Street/Collyer Quay/Robinson Road junction because of cars going to Marina Boulevard (MBS, etc)
To: lui_tuck_yew@mot.gov.sg
Cc: "Hsien Loong" <lee_hsien_loong@pmo.gov.sg>, kinlian@gmail.com, enquiries@thereformparty.net, speakup@yoursdp.org, speakup@singaporedemocrat.org, "spp feedback" <feedback@spp.org.sg>, admin@nsp.sg, gohms99@yahoo.com.sg, wp@wp.sg, wp@wp.org.sg, v_bala@mewr.gov.sg, yaacob_ibrahim@mica.gov.sg, yuenc@sph.com.sg
Date: Friday, June 3, 2011, 12:02 AM
Like he said, does Singapore have the "right people in office" (Moulmein MP, MEWR, PUB, etc)?
Safety Takes A Back Seat
by Tattler
Equipped with that power drill, he could have saved a young life It would appear that something tragic has to take place, before the authorities in Singapore will act on safety measures. Try explaining that to the parents of Indonesian student William Lim, who fell into a open drain because a protective barrier was not installed.
Assistant director of PUB's waterways department Choy Wai Kwong acknowledged he was aware the Mandalay Road stretch was the lowest point in the area. Despite the many instances of flash flooding across the island during the past year, the national water agency had scheduled plans to cover the exposed drains only by the first quarter of next year. It was not exactly the type of complicated public works undertaking that necessitated a call for tender and evaluation of bids. As a matter of fact, by noon of yesterday, one day after the loss of a young life, new railings were promptly installed along 15 m of the drain where flood waters had obscured the death trap at 2.40 pm on Wednesday. All that was needed to save the life of a 15 year old was an timely instruction from an officer in charge.
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, MP for the Moulmein-Kallang GRC area, actually claims he had informed the PUB about the flood prone Mandalay Road last year, after receiving feedback from residents in the vicinity. PUB officials may have ignored him because they were reporting to Yaacob Ibrahim then. But, as Lui reports, PUB has for now taken immediate measures by installing railings to improve safety.
The new minister in charge of the PUB catchment and waterways department is none other than Vivian Balakrishnan, the gutter guy who moved heaven and earth for his YOG project schedule. Lui is Transport Minister. The Land Transport Authority is in charge of putting up the MRT platform screen doors, the absence of which resulted in a 14-year-old Thai girl losing both her legs in a train accident at Ang Mo Kio MRT station in April. LTA's excuse for their leisurely schedule for putting up the safety barriers was that they only have a 3 hour window each day for installation work.
While the various ministries, and their expensive ministers in charge, figure out their personal priorities, watch your step as you navigate the streets of Singapore. Until we have the right people in office, safety is your own responsibility.
Subject: Drain death: Minister & MP being reactive rather than proactive? - Re: Perpetual traffic jams on Singapore roads - Fw: FB201104/0159: Perpetual jams at Cecil Street/Church Street/Collyer Quay/Robinson Road junction because of cars going to Marina Boulevard (MBS, etc)
To: lui_tuck_yew@mot.gov.sg
Cc: "Hsien Loong" <lee_hsien_loong@pmo.gov.sg>, kinlian@gmail.com, enquiries@thereformparty.net, speakup@yoursdp.org, speakup@singaporedemocrat.org, "spp feedback" <feedback@spp.org.sg>, admin@nsp.sg, gohms99@yahoo.com.sg, wp@wp.sg, wp@wp.org.sg, v_bala@mewr.gov.sg, yaacob_ibrahim@mica.gov.sg, yuenc@sph.com.sg
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2011, 8:01 PM
3 June 2011
whosayone
Joined: 08 Mar 2010
Posts: 698
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 9:25 am Post subject:
This is sad yet sickening!
To learn that someone has to die before they will do anything immediate. For safety reasons, such projects should be implemented asap and cut the tender process time as short as possible.Back to top
Little Red Dot
Joined: 29 Dec 2006
Posts: 5114
Location: Hot Spot
As usual after tragedy happen then come out with motherhood statements just like the water tank and all others before. Feedback usually fall on deaf ears, I gave up on them now I bochap liao... why waste my time when its their job to be proactive in the first placeand not sitting in aircon office doing paper work
To: Lui Tuck Yew - MP, Moulmeincc: Yaacob Ibrahim - ex MEWR Ministercc: Vivian Balakrishnan - MEWR Minister
MP Lui,
Yes, I agree with the forummer above (referring to article attached below, "Drain railings go up, a day too late" - Straits Times, 3 June 2011) that it's YOUR (and the ex-MEWR Minister Yaacob's) job to have been "proactive in the first place"!
Well, you have been the area's incumbent MP for at least the last 5 years and it's disappointing that you've failed in your job (and Yaacob too as the previous MEWR minister!). At least, I haven't heard you say it's a "once-in-50-years" occurrence!
I can't understand why it's taken so long to install the railings - not that they'll need rocket scientists to come up with complicated drawings and calculations, or that they'll cost hundreds of millions to install or cost overruns that require new approvals (for example, the estimated $400 million in the recent staging of the YOG against the budgeted $100m).
I hope you and the government (including the current MEWR minister) will not need another tragedy to come up with necessary expeditious corrective action where needed (being reactive rather than proactive)!
I can bet you it'll not need another "once-in-50-years" type of occurrence!
Rgds
===============================================Drain railings go up, a day too late
Works to relieve flooding in area where boy fell 'planned earlier'
By Tham Yuen-C
A worker putting up railings yesterday at the drain near where Indonesian student William Lim, 15, fell, got swept away and drowned on Wednesday. Flood waters during a heavy downpour that day had obscured the drain and he had unwittingly stepped into it. -- ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN
UPGRADING works were already being planned at Mandalay Road in Balestier to alleviate the flooding problem there, and the PUB had drawn up a tender for the project which comes out today.
Unfortunately, this was too late for Indonesian student William Lim, 15, who unwittingly walked into a rain-swollen drain in the area on Wednesday, got swept away and drowned.
Yesterday, the national water agency said that plans had started earlier this year to widen the drains in the area, cover them and also raise the roads.
The project was scheduled to start in September after the tender was called, and would have been completed by the first quarter of next year.
Mr Choy Wai Kwong, the assistant director of PUB's catchment and waterways department, said the Mandalay Road stretch is the lowest point in the area. As a result, water rushes into the drains from the higher parts.
'When there is intense rain, the water will overflow,' he said at a briefing at the site.
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, an MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC who oversees the Balestier area, yesterday said he had approached PUB about the flooding problem in Mandalay Road last year after receiving feedback from residents.
He conveyed his condolences to William's family and said he knew it must be a painful time for them.'Our hearts go out to the family,' he said.
Mr Lui, who toured the area, said that PUB has for now taken immediate measures by installing railings to improve safety, even as works to improve the drainage system are ongoing.
By noon yesterday, new railings had been installed along a 15m stretch of the drain at the junction of Mandalay Road and Minbu Road.
At about 2.40pm on Wednesday during very heavy rain, William and two of his friends were walking along Mandalay Road towards a private apartment block there.
The road was filled with water up to their shins. William, who was walking in front, did not realise a 0.5m drain was there and walked into it. The next instant, he was swept into a connecting drain that ran underground.
He emerged in an open part of the drain about 50m away. His friend, Rieyan Tan, 15, tried to grab hold of him but could not as the currents were too strong. He then floated away and was found at about 10.45pm at a canal near Whampoa Drive.
Residents said the Mandalay Road area is known to flood every time it rains heavily.
Mr Richard Tann, 62, who is a semi-retired consultant and has lived in Mandalay Mansion at the intersection between Mandalay and Minbu roads for 30 years, said water gushes down from the higher parts very quickly.
Insurance and sales executive Ian Keelaghan, 37, who moved into the area three months ago, said he has experienced two floods so far.
'The situation is really terrible,' he said. 'The flooding is torrential and totally covers the road. The last time it flooded, the water level was so high the taxi I was in refused to drive through."
The National Environment Agency said that Wednesday's thunderstorm had developed quickly and resulted in intense rainfall over a short duration.
Rain fell between 1.15pm and 4pm, with the heaviest downpours in the central parts of Singapore.
Mr Lui said that even as long-term plans were being put in place, residents could play a more active role when floods occur.
He noted how at Cambridge estate - another flood-prone area in his constituency - residents warn one another of floods.
Even as PUB rectifies the flooding issue, residents can also work together with grassroots bodies to identify potentially risky areas such as those with no railings or are dimly lit and get these areas improved, he said.
yuenc@sph.com.sg
Additional reporting by Danson Cheong
http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=437602&sid=a388f3a7e9e207472cc72f3c0d0623ad=========================
Subject: Perpetual traffic jams on Singapore roads - Fw: FB201104/0159: Perpetual jams at Cecil Street/Church Street/Collyer Quay/Robinson Road junction because of cars going to Marina Boulevard (MBS, etc)
To: lui_tuck_yew@mot.gov.sg
Cc: "Hsien Loong" <lee_hsien_loong@pmo.gov.sg>, mps.chen@wp.sg, kinlian@gmail.com, "Thia-Kiang Low" <ltk@wp.org.sg>, sylvia@wp.sg, pritam.singh@wp.sg, faisal@wp.sg, enquiries@thereformparty.net, speakup@yoursdp.org, speakup@singaporedemocrat.org, "spp feedback" <feedback@spp.org.sg>, admin@nsp.sg, gohms99@yahoo.com.sg, wp@wp.sg, wp@wp.org.sg
Date: Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 7:34 PM
2 June 2011
To: Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yewcc: PM Leecc: Opposition parties
Below is a live camera shot taken at 10.14am, 2 June 2011 showing traffic jam along PIE at the Paya Lebar Flyover (towards Jurong).
If you are not already aware, jams along expressways are an everyday affair - whether on PIE or CTE or AYE or ECP or in CBD or roads leading to CBD or expressways, etc - just take a pick.
As a motorist, why should I have to pay so much (COE, road tax, ERP, etc) to be caught in jams everyday? If I pay tolls on expressways, I expect smooth traffic, and if I end up caught in jams, the government is not doing its job: it knows how to collect fees and taxes and tolls but doesn't do enough or spend enough to make the ride hassle-free!
As a new transport minister, please come up with viable solutions to solve this perpetual problem - you are paid millions to solve our daily transport woes!
View from Paya Lebar Flyover (Towards Jurong)
Time: 02/06/2011 10:14 hrsImage from Intelligent Transport Systems Center, LTA
