The Little Shrine That Could (But Didn’t)
Where it All Began
Picture a makeshift shrine tucked away on Science Centre Road, looking secretly like a DIY‑monster‑treat, but secretly looking wrong. In 2021, the trio of JTC, NParks, and SLA discovered that the little altar was sitting on public land – basically a big ‘no‑go’ zone. They issued a polite request (with the edge of legality) on 28 July 2021 to move it out.
Let’s Keep It Short: The Timeline in Snapshots
- 19 August 2021 – Advisors say: please vacate by month’s end.
- 4‑month grace period granted (by 13 Dec 2021) – caretakers begged for more time.
- September 2021 – “Covid‑19 lockdown” became the culprit for not clearing the shrine.
- Late October – Early November 2021 – Agency asked for evidence of hassles; caretakers slipped the paper trail.
- January 2022 – Second extension, all legal bliss until 13 Jan 2022.
- 25 Dec 2021 – Final plea to NParks, denied because it’s a unauthorised encroachment.
- 5 Jan 2022 – Third extension, heading to 13 Feb.
All the Goodwill, Some Missed Notices
The Ministry gave the caretaker blues over and over: “We’ve offered you plenty of time to find another spot and to move out, but the shrine is still hanging on like that one friend who never leaves the party.”
What Happens If the shrine doesn’t Vanish…
If the shrine’s still there by the final deadline of 12 Dec, the agencies will step in with formal enforcement notices under the state’s State Lands Encroachment Act and the JTC Common Property Rules. In simpler words: it’s eviction day.
In a Nutshell
- There’s a shrine, built in no‑no‑admissible land.
- Three big agencies keep giving it time.
- It’s supposed to be gone by the end of this year, but the caretakers are stuck in a loop of legal pleasantries.
- And if you doubt that it’s all prophecy, the agencies say they’ll keep helping with the “removal” (because, after all, empathy matters).
For the record, this simple yet interesting story was originally scooped from The Straits Times (and yes, consent is required for printing elsewhere).
