Town Council Asks Resident To Remove Inflatable God Of Fortune Hanging Outside Choa Chu Kang HDB Flat

For years now, festive inflatables such as a jolly Santa Claus during Christmas or a cheerful Cai Shen Ye (God of Fortune) have quietly become part of the festive décor around some neighbourhoods in Singapore.

Well, it turns out those cute inflatables might not be allowed after all, particularly in HDB flats.

A resident recently hung a God of Fortune inflatable from the window of their eighth floor HDB flat in Choa Chu Kang. Naturally, it attracted plenty of attention from residents and passers-by, with many snapping photos of the festive decoration and sharing them online.

However, the resident was recently asked by the estate’s town council to remove it.

This came after safety concerns were raised. While some people found it amusing, others worried about the potential risks of having objects hanging outside a window.

According to reporters from Lianhe Zaobao who visited the flat, the homeowner’s mother, Madam Wang, 70, said she had initially reminded her daughter and son-in-law to be careful when putting up the God of Fortune inflatable.

According to her, she was worried that someone from an upper floor might toss a cigarette butt out the window, which could potentially ignite the inflatable and cause a fire.

Madam Wang said officers from the Choa Chu Kang Town Council later conducted an inspection and advised the family to remove the balloon. Since she had just returned home at the time, she complied and kept the decorations.

“We only treated it as a decoration and secured it properly to the window,” she said. “But in the end, we still removed it due to safety concerns.”

The family has since said they will cooperate with the authorities and avoid hanging decorations outside their windows in the future.

Of course, many netizens were frustrated. “Can that town council lighten up?” someone commented.Another quipped, “It’s a balloon! Were you actually worried about getting a concussion?”

Choa Chu Kang Town Council later confirmed that officers had inspected the block and spoken to the resident about the balloon, which had already deflated by the time of their visit.

A spokesperson added that the town council appreciated the residents’ cooperation in removing it.

They also reminded residents not to hang items outside windows or window ledges, as they could fall and pose safety risks.

Guess even Cai Shen Ye has to comply with HDB rules.

Photos: Zaobao