Controversial Chinatown singing group in heated confrontation with shop employee: 'Don't touch me!'
The singing has been going on for years.
A group of elderly karaoke singers would bring their own speaker and projector to belt out their favourite song in Chinatown, riling businesses and diners in the area.
The senior citizens typically gather in the evening at exit C of Chinatown MRT station leading to Pagoda Street.
Stomper Anonymous told Stomp in August that the group would perform past 10pm.
"Their singing is consistently poor, and the volume is very disruptive," added the Stomper.
"Additionally, they frequently block the walkway, causing inconvenience to pedestrians."
Shin Min Daily News also reported about the group then.
In December, it was reported that the situation had worsened.
Stomper JD, who works in a shop nearby, said: "It is a pain for our sales and retail colleagues, even within the shops – the noise level and the awful singing.
"It seems I'm not the only one to have experienced unpleasant encounters with the group. It seems there are other employees and business owners who tried to talk nicely to them, but to no avail."
JD shared a video of a confrontation he had with the group in July 2023, where he asked to see their entertainment licence. The video ends with the arrival of the police, who classified the case as a dispute.
The Stomper also shared photos of the entertainment licence, which indicated that the group could perform every Monday from May 19, 2023, to Aug 28, 2023, between 5pm and 10pm. The "title of the arts entertainment" was "Senior Citizen Leisure Hours".
JD wrote to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to complain that the group's performance did not "feel like arts or public entertainment" to him.
He added in his email to IMDA: "I believe your licensee is unable to fulfill your requirements of public safety and order. To me, he has been very much an aggressor himself."
The Stomper included the video of the confrontation as evidence.
IMDA replied: "We have taken note of your feedback pertaining to the performance by the above-mentioned licensee at Pagoda Street.
"We have asked our team to review your concern and will take the necessary action(s) where applicable."
That was in 2023.
Fast-forward to Dec 8, 2025, when JD wrote to Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo.
Referring to a recent news report, he said in his email to the minister: "In 2023, retailers and F&B operators on the ground expressed concerns. Today in 2025, they have expressed the same, and that it has gotten worse."
JD added: "I was surrounded by this crowd in 2023 after making a police complaint and I tried to get on with life...
"IMDA, in my opinion, did not even bother to take a closer look then. Are you going to do the same?"
He received this reply the next day: "We refer to your email to Minister Josephine Teo regarding concerns about karaoke singing activities in the Pagoda Street area.
"We are currently looking into the concerns raised and will provide you with an update in due course.
"We appreciate your patience in the meantime."
