A group of elderly singers that brings their own speaker and projector to belt out their favourite hits in Chinatown is riling businesses and diners in the area.
The group, comprising middle-aged and elderly men and women, typically gathers every evening at the entrance of Chinatown MRT station leading to Pagoda Street.
In August, Shin Min Daily News reported that shop owners had complained about the group’s loud singing, saying it affected their businesses.
Some three months later, Shin Min reporters visited the area again after receiving a tip-off that the situation had worsened.
‘They’re here every single day’
“They used to come three days a week. Now they’re here every single day,” a restaurant employee told Shin Min.
The employee, who declined to be named, added that the noise is amplified by the structure of the walkway at the station entrance, which is flanked by shophouses on both sides and has a shelter overhead.
“We’ve complained many times and even called the police. But each time officers arrive, they quieten down, and resume once the police leave.
“The noise travels right into the restaurant. Many customers have told us they can’t even hear their own conversations.”
