Singapore, Jan 14: Up to 20% of flat occupants in Singapore have never spoken to their
neighbors, staying only a few metres away from them,
according to a poll.
Even more disturbing is the revelation that 53%
would "do nothing" even if they believed something is amiss,
such as not seeing their neighbors for a long period of time.
The poll of 200 households revealed that 81% did not have their neighborss' phone numbers and 60% did not even know them by name.
The poll was triggered after the discovery of badly
decomposed bodies of 82 year-old Wong Tong Seng and his
daughter in their flat last week while his 80-year-old wife,
Ngai Hong Chee, was found in the flat, well and alive.
Neighbors had not seen the family for seven weeks.
Police were finally called because of the smell from the flat.
Most of those queried feared being labeled a "busybody" if
they "probed" into neighbor's affairs.
Residents of one and two-room flats said shady
characters in their neighborhood had made them more wary.
Sociologists said Singapore is not the only country
experiencing the trend of neighbors becoming increasingly
isolated from one another.
"In a dense city, you get people in your face all the
time, so you learn to value the privacy of your home,"
sociologist Paulin Straughan said.
Bureau Report
