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8 Facts About The ‘Step’ Fish Tank That’s Located Outside an HDB Flat

Zhi Hao

2018-08-16 , 12:50 pm

Running out of space to keep your ginormous fish tank? Well, how about following this family’s creative idea…

And incorporating it right in front of your HDB doorstep?

Whoa… that’s sick.

But wait, is it even legal? And is it even doable for the average household?

Without further ado, let’s ‘unpond’ more.

1. This pond damn ‘step’ sia

Saunter past the ground floor of Block 415 in Tampines Street 41, and you’ll see a giant fish tank located on the doorstep of an HDB flat. Upon closer review, nine koi fish swim sluggishly around a clear pond, escorted by two dark and placid sucker fish that seem content with the bottom and edges.

But do not be alarmed, these fishes aren’t actually netherworld entities sent to retrieve the souls of all those who eat fish. Rather, they’re a bunch of haughty, well-kept fishes owned by the owners of the HDB flat (no shit Watson).

Incidentally, the residents, a Chinese family, didn’t seem as open to observance as their naked critters. When approached by The Sunday Times, they declined to comment.

2. Da neighbours

Of course, you can keep mum about things.

But you can always count on your neighbours to spill the baked beans.

Thankfully, however, the neighbours had nothing but favourable reviews. Or in this case passable baked beans. Like Heinz.

“I have lived here for around six years, and the pond has been there for at least three,” said Ms Nurfathiah Mohamad Fadillah.

The 31-year-old said she appreciates such a unique feature.

Well, I would to. 水是财，鱼是猫, you know.

3. Underwater World: HDB Edition

In fact, for two young boys, the fish tank has pretty much become their daily ticket to Underwater World: HDB Edition.

“My nine-year-old and seven-year-old sons like to watch the fish swimming around,” Engineer Neo Hock Lye, 43, expressed.

Well me too, Mr Neo. Though it’s kind of different for me, if you catch my drift.

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4. The MP’s seal of approval

And it seems that the MP for Tampines GRC agrees with the idea.

Having visited the flat on 11 August, he proclaims the fish tank to have become part of the neighbourhood.

“I was surprised to learn that it had been there for a few years already, and in that sense we can say that it has ‘stood the test of time’ – we have received no complaints from the neighbours.”

While the tank looked properly constructed and did not cause any public inconvenience, he had to concede that there might be legal issues at hand.

“But after all, the outside of the flat is still a public space… I’ve asked the town council how we can legalise this tank,” said Mr Baey.

5. Working together, step by step

And it seems that to make legalisation a possibility, the family will be co-operating to ensure that issues like maintenance and wall painting would not be negatively affected by the tank.

“It would be a pity if they couldn’t keep it because this is creative,” Mr Baey said.

6. But wait…

That begets the question. How do they get in if the entrance is technically a goddamn fish tank?

Well as it turns out, the residents actually access their home through the adjacent unit, which is also owned by them.

So I regret to inform you that unless you own an adjacent flat, your own personal outdoor ‘step’ fish tank might not be a possibility.

Ouch I think my heart just broke… hang on, just gotta superglue the pieces back together. Cos that shit works for everything.

Well maybe except for extreme cases of diarrhoea. Hurr hurr.

7. Concerns

But of course, like everything else, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows(and fishes).

Just today (16 August), a Straits Times reader wrote into the media publication, with a letter that poses, for lack of a better phrase, several burning questions about the issue at hand.

In the letter, the reader asked several questions.

Is this legal? If illegal, what actions will the HDB take against such unauthorised modifications?
Does an MP have the right to request who makes it legal for the tank to occupy that space?
Who has the final say? The HDB, Town Council or my Mum? (I’m kidding about the first two points)
Last but not least, he thinks that this incident might set a precedent.

Additionally, he encouraged the HDB to take prompt action against this infringement, which isn’t exactly the number 1 way to support his previous sentence, “it’s a clever idea”.

Pretty sure he’s just being a concerned Singaporean.

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8. Support

Arguably the first of its kind in Singapore, the idea is no doubt creative and original, and in that aspect deserves to be lauded.

However, at the same time, the forum reader does have a point. Singaporeans are basically atas copycats, and it’s only a matter of time before someone else usurps the idea. But there’s just one thing; you never know whether the copycat would be as considerate as this family over here.

So with that said, I do support the family in its idea, and judging by how it proves to be nought but a visual spectacle, I’m certainly not gonna call for witch hunts about it. Yet at the same time, copycats are undoubtedly worrying. And so…

I shall just leave that to the government, because I really have no business butting in on it.

Unless there’s a damn fish tank crowding my front door, of course. Then I’m sorry Houston…

But honestly speaking, there are people having gardens outside their unit. What’s wrong with a pond? #justsaying

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