Rachel Ong on Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill

The Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill is a step in the right direction but there is room for improvement, said MP Rachel Ong in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 12). More must be done to ensure compliance with mediation directives to reinforce their seriousness and uphold their integrity, she said. She called for clear, enforceable penalties or legal actions if a party refuses to attend mediation and avoids paying the existing S$1,500 fine. Ms Ong also urged expanding the scope of the Community Relations Unit beyond noise and hoarding issues to other problems such as privacy concerns arising from CCTV installation, throwing harmful substances or smoking in common areas. Finally, she welcomed the move to make landlords more accountable for tenant-related noise nuisance. However, to ensure a deterrent effect, she proposed calibrating the landlords’ compliance bond amount to reflect rental fees or revoking their rental privileges for a set period of time if issues persist.