Three neighbouring massage parlours along North Bridge Road near Kampong Glam have drawn attention after women were seen standing outside at night and approaching male passers-by.
Shin Min Daily News visited the area in late August after receiving a tip-off about the shops.
Its reporters observed around seven to eight women across the three premises. Some were standing outside in revealing outfits, while others were inside the shops.
The women were seen waving at men walking past, particularly those who were alone.
However, the observations do not establish that the businesses were providing illegal services, and no police finding against the three outlets was reported.
Reporter Asked About ‘Special Services’
According to Shin Min, one woman waved at a reporter and asked whether he wanted a massage.
The reporter then asked whether the shop offered “special services”.
Instead of describing what was available, the woman told him to enter the premises first and attempted to lead him inside.
When he asked about the price, she again said they should go inside first without giving a figure.
At least one of the massage parlours had curtains covering its entrance and exterior, preventing people outside from seeing clearly into the premises.
Shin Min’s visit followed a reader’s tip-off claiming that women had regularly been standing outside massage parlours in the area and approaching men at night.
The reader suspected that some outlets might be offering services beyond ordinary massages, although this was not independently established in the published reports.
Nearby Businesses Did Not Want To Comment
Shin Min also approached several massage businesses in the vicinity that it described as legitimate operators.
They declined to comment on the three shops, with one operator saying only that the growing number of massage businesses meant more competition.
A worker from another nearby business made several further allegations.
The worker claimed there were other massage parlours in the area suspected of similar activities and alleged that some would resume operating after enforcement raids.
The worker also claimed that many of the women working at such outlets were from Vietnam and suggested that the area’s tourist traffic made it an attractive location for the businesses.
These claims came from the unidentified worker and have not been independently verified.
What The Rules Say
Massage establishments in Singapore are regulated by the police.
Under rules published by the Singapore Police Force, a licensed massage establishment must ensure that its employees do not provide or offer sexual services to customers.
SPF also states that approval is required before an individual can work at a licensed massage establishment, and licensees must not employ someone whom they know or have reason to believe is likely to provide or facilitate sexual services.
Separately, operating a business providing massage services without a valid licence can result in a fine of up to S$10,000, up to two years’ jail, or both for a first offence.
There is no indication in the reports that the three North Bridge Road businesses were found to be unlicensed.
Stomp, which also reported the Shin Min findings on 30 August, said it had contacted the police for comment. Its published report did not contain a police response.
A search of SPF’s publicly available news releases early on 31 August did not surface a subsequent announcement concerning these three massage parlours.
