Chee Hong Tat: HDB will continue to take firm action against errant massage establishment operators
SINGAPORE: Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said in a social media post on Thursday (Nov 5) that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will continue to take a firm stance against illegal activities in residential neighbourhoods.
Senior Minister Shanmugam, the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, had said in Parliament earlier this year that the Police and HDB conduct regular checks against massage establishments located within HDB estates. The Police investigated almost 350 vice-related breaches involving unlicensed massage establishments between 2023 and 2025, he added.
In April, the Singapore Police Force announced that changes to regulating massage establishments would be implemented in the latter part of this year.
The operators of open-concept massage establishments had previously been exempted from licensing and were merely required to comply with the exemption conditions, including registering with the Police and ensuring that there were no areas on the premises allowing massage services to be administered in private.
However, the Police have since received negative public feedback from the rising number of such establishments and the increase in vice-related activities. Therefore, from Dec 1, they will be required to have licences and undergo an assessment before a licence is granted.
An applicant must also submit the relevant land planning approval from the Housing & Development Board or the Urban Redevelopment Authority for the premises to be used as an OME, the Police added.
Mr Chee noted in his post that massage operators need to obtain this approval even before applying for a licence from the Police.
“HDB will continue to take firm action against errant operators. Since January this year, HDB has taken action on 26 cases involving vice activities across both sold and rental shops,” he wrote.
The minister explained that this includes working with sold shop owners for the eviction of errant operators and ending the tenancy of a rental shop.
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Mr Chee warned, however, that it is the responsibility of HDB shop owners to keep a watchful eye to ensure that vice activities are not carried out on their premises, or they will face serious consequences.
“Our heartlands are home to families and communities, and we will ensure they remain a safe environment for all. We will continue to work closely with SPF to weed out such undesirable activities from our neighbourhoods,” the minister added. /TISG