Forum: Clearer policies, stronger intervention mechanisms needed to address noise disputes

I was saddened to read about the recent death stemming from a dispute between neighbours over noise (

Yishun knife attack:

Woman dies after noise dispute between neighbours; man arrested for murder

, Sept 24).

There is an urgent need for greater awareness and stronger action to prevent such disputes from escalating.

This year, my family and several neighbours endured a prolonged noise issue in our HDB estate.

For months, a resident created loud banging noises between 11pm and 5am, depriving seven or eight families nearby of sleep.

Despite our repeated efforts – speaking with the neighbour, contacting the authorities and filing police reports – the matter went unresolved. We were told that no crime was involved, and the case was repeatedly passed from one agency to another.

One of the biggest challenges was that, apart from our voice recordings, we could not provide concrete proof to show from which specific apartment the noises originated. This made it even harder for the authorities to take effective action.

It was only after escalating the matter to our MP that a resolution was achieved, but not before many of us suffered through six difficult months, with some even falling ill from sleep deprivation.

Our experience underscores the urgent need for clearer policies and stronger intervention mechanisms to address noise disputes. The authorities should be empowered to step in earlier and be equipped with better tools to verify complaints, so meaningful support can be given to parties involved – protecting residents’ well-being and preventing tensions from spiralling into conflict.

Rajalakshmy Angadipuram Sundaresan