Straits Times Dec 14, 2004

My neighbour, the stranger
Most polled hardly chat with their neighbours or visit them
By Yap Su-yin

SINGAPOREANS are generally not a friendly lot, but you can count on them to lend a helping hand.

According to a survey carried out by The Straits Times last month, 70 per cent of Singaporeans know fewer than 10 people in their neighbourhood.

For half of the people here, having a chat with the neighbours once a week is the limit of community contact.

When an emergency strikes, however, or even if a favour is needed, the Survey On Community Living And Neighbourliness found 87 per cent of people are confident they can count on their neighbours.

The Straits Times surveyed 428 people, aged 15 and above, in both public and private housing.

Almost 70 per cent hardly or never step into their neighbours' homes. If they do, it is most likely during festive occasions.

However, the distance Singaporeans appear to keep from their neighbours does not mean they do not lend a hand when asked.

More than half have asked or done favours for their neighbours.

Also, 83 per cent said they have a sense of community, even though most do not take part in community events.

Mr Vincent Chua, teaching assistant at the National University of Singapore sociology department, said the steady decline of neighbourliness in Singapore over the years should not be interpreted as 'unwillingness to mix with others'.

Neighbourliness 'among kin appears sustained, with more families relying on family rather than neighbours for their well-being', said Mr Chua, who has researched the subject of personal community networks in Singapore.

As kin are never more than few kilometres away, neighbours become resources of last resort, he said.

Another factor making neighbourliness redundant is easy access to goods and amenities needed for daily life in most housing estates.

That may be one reason the most helpful neighbours seem to be private housing residents, compared to HDB heartlanders.

About seven in 10 of those in private homes have helped others in the neighbourhood, compared with half of those in public housing.

Businessman Kenneth Lee, 40, who lives in a private condominium in the east, said: 'I often give my neighbours a lift out to the main road where they can catch a bus or taxi. If we lived in a public estate, where bus stops are everywhere, there's no need.'

Common corridors, void decks and lift landings in HDB estates, while presenting opportunities for residents to bump into each other, do not guarantee closer ties.

Mr Abdul Latip, 50, a lifeguard who lives in a four-room flat, said: 'Everyone is rushing about just to survive.

'We need to live like machines now. No time to know our neighbours. Once at home, you're so tired you just want to rest.'

But he acknowledges that having helpful neighbours is critical.
'If there's a fire, it's your neighbours who will knock on your door and call the authorities.'

The survey also indicated that income group, education level, race, age and housing type have some bearing on the level of friendliness among neighbours:

Older, poorer and lower-educated residents are much friendlier to their neighbours than young, educated, high income earners.

Mr Chua offered an explanation: 'Older people, as well as those with lower income, are less mobile physically and socially, so their ties are more specific to their immediate surroundings.'

On the other hand, the middle class move around in more social circles and have built friendships elsewhere, he said.

Malays also stand out in the survey.

Unlike Chinese and Indians, 82 per cent of Malays said they have chatted with their neighbour, compared with 71 per cent of Chinese.

A similar proportion have invited neighbours to their homes during festive occasions, compared with 42 per cent of Chinese.

Singapore Kindness Movement chairman Noel Hon, whose team started the inaugural Good Neighbour's Day on Nov 13, said bonds between neighbours naturally weaken when people move house.

'These people lose some of their threads from their old neighbourhoods,' he said.
He expects the situation will improve as 'neighbourhoods have now been established for some time.'

His view appears to be borne out by the survey findings, in which 87 per cent of respondents said they would like to stay put for many years to come.

Retiree Freddie Yap, 61, dismissed all the theories that account for the decline in neighbourliness.

It is up to the individual, said Mr Yap, who still sends Hari Raya cards to his Muslim former neighbour long after both families moved out of the same Housing Board estate.

'At the end of the day, you must be ready to accommodate and accept each other to build any sort of relationship. Say hello, care a little, have some consideration.

'Some people are so cheap they won't even buy a greeting card for their neighbour during festive occasions. But a simple gesture like that does wonders because it shows you care.' \-- ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY THERESA TAN


i admit again, i dun talk 2 my neighbors!!! but i do smile at them at e very least....at least 2 e malay family next door who has lived there 4 a few yrs.....e other neighbor is a bit more tao & i hardly c them....e other 1 is new, moved in 4 <>