In a blog post this afternoon, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan highlighted the hard work of the housing board and town council officers who help HDB residents.
“Frontline officers have a challenging job. Many of them work tirelessly at the counters, with admirable dedication and determination to provide good service,” he said.
Officers had even gone out of their way to attend to a leaking pipe in the flat of Ms Ho Lin Lee. Touched by their actions, the Tampines resident wrote to the Straits Times in September.
“I flagged the issue to the HDB on Sunday night, and even though it was not the HDB’s problem, it provided the necessary help so that by noon on Tuesday, my bathroom was ready to be used again,” she shared.
But despite such encouragement for the officers, Mr Khaw said there are some cases where public officers have been subjected to verbal and physical abuse.
He recounted an incident at a HDB Service Centre at Buona Vista where a resident refused to accept the officers’ explanation on a mortgage loan matter, and started shouting and throwing objects at the officer who was unhurt. A police report was subsequently made and the offender charged in court. He pleaded guilty and was fined.
Although such instances are rare, the Minister hopes residents will treat the officers with kindness.
“Public officers do their best to attend to the needs of Singaporeans. They take their job seriously and act professionally. Let us continue to accord them the respect and dignity they deserve, and together, build a kind and gracious society. Mutual respect is the way to go.”
Photo by HDB.
