Elysa Chen Shiyun, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, shared a compelling story about a persistent bird feeder who continued feeding pigeons to honour his deceased wife’s wishes.
During a 4am enforcement operation, Ms Chen’s grassroots leader met the man. “The bird feeder told NParks enforcement officer that his deceased wife came to him in a dream and told him to feed the pigeons,” Ms Chen recounted.
“A simple fine is not going to deter the man from feeding the birds. He thinks he is carrying out his wife’s last wishes. How do you go against something like that?”
Ms Chen used this case to highlight the complexities authorities face when addressing bird feeding issues.
She previously cited the same case during a parliamentary debate in May, cautioning that illegal feeding could reflect a deeper social issue: senior loneliness.
During an interview with Petir, Ms Chen identified the bird issue as a big challenge at Bishan East-Sin Ming.
Ms Chen’s team receives complaints about crow and pigeon droppings on freshly laundered clothes, noise disturbance from the birds, and crows swooping to attack elderly residents and children.
“It’s a persistent problem that affects my entire constituency. It might be because we have many coffee shops or bird feeders, or Singapore’s bird population is exploding since we stopped culling,” Ms Chen said.
“The birds seriously disrupt my residents’ lives. They wake up at 3am and start cawing, preventing residents from resting. This sounds like a minor municipal issue, but it genuinely affects people’s quality of life.”
Ms Chen’s team has been working with relevant government agencies like the National Parks Board, the National Environment Agency and the town council to resolve this issue.
Since April, her team has put up 19 banners across Bishan East-Sin Ming to remind people not to feed birds. Working with Urban Birds Initiative Singapore, they engaged residents through poems written in four languages. The message is clear: true kindness means not feeding birds, as they can forage for food on their own.
Ms Chen and her team have also reminded food stall owners about responsible food waste disposal. At hotspots, open bins have been replaced with covered bins so that crows cannot access food. They continue to prune trees.
Acknowledging that the bird issue is difficult to resolve, Ms Chen said that she and her team listen to and empathise with residents while educating them on the action taken.
While these actions have been taken, many of the issues around bird feeding often rests beyond their direct control, which makes it even more frustrating and difficult.
“I educate residents on what has already been done and what we continue to do,” she said.
Her grassroots leaders have worked with enforcement officers to engage with bird feeders during operations.
“It is just being very persistent and patient about it. NParks conducts such operations. They engage with the bird feeders. We help people understand how far we have gone to engage the bird feeders. We are working to resolve the issue.”
‘Don’t rush to judge. You can’t please everyone, but you still need to make a fair decision’
When handling constituency matters like neigbour disputes, Ms Chen has learnt to listen patiently and remain impartial.
“Don’t rush to judge, because you never know when you will hear the other side of the story. Keep an open mind, investigate thoroughly, and hear all parties out before making a decision,” Ms Chen said.
“That’s one of the hardest part of the work because you cannot please everyone, and yet you still need to make a fair decision.”
She faced this challenge when resolving noise disturbances from residents playing pickleball. Some residents have even called for banning pickleball entirely.
“My principle is: this is a shared space, a public space. Even if I ban playing of pickleball, who is going to enforce it? It is only going to make you angry that nothing is being done. Instead, I’m limiting the hours [of playing pickleball] and appealing to pickleball players to be considerate and abide by these restrictions.”
Residents can now use the pickleball courts during these hours: 10am to 12pm, 2pm to 4pm, and 6pm to 8pm on weekdays, and 3pm to 8pm on weekends and public holidays.
Ms Chen said: “I always ask myself, what’s the country we want to build? Then we move in that direction—that principle should anchor us.
“If this is a home, and I have the vision for Bishan East-Sin Ming of beautiful people in beautiful homes, pursuing beautiful dreams, then we should include pickleball players in our community.”
Over the past year, people have often asked Ms Chen about her experience as an MP. She describes the role as both more rewarding and more challenging than she had expected.
“People ask me if MP work is fulfilling, and I tell them it is. They also ask if it is difficult, and yes, it is. But it is only so fulfilling because it is so difficult,” she said.
“The energy and effort you invest makes the work rewarding. When you serve with your heart and see residents’ lives improve and change, you feel genuinely happy for them. That’s the most beautiful aspect of being an MP.”
