Yishun: Singapore’s Weirdest Neighbourhood, Or Misunderstood? | On The Red Dot | Full Episode

Yishun has gone viral on social media for all the wrong reasons. Aside from all the bizarre occurrences that have been associated with that northern town, Yishun has also “played host” to several high-profile crime cases, like the notable Yishun Triple Murders of 2008.
But look beyond its tainted reputation and a different Yishun takes shape; one held together by strong roots and uplifted by a kampung spirit.
00:00 Introduction
1:17 Yishun: weird, dangerous or both?
4:22 Singapore's only ant shop in Yishun
8:12 Pet crow in Yishun?
12:40 Table tennis free play zone
17:33 Urban farm, Ground-Up Initiative
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About On The Red Dot: CNA's weekly programme documents the stories of ordinary Singaporeans and celebrates their resilience, identity and sense of belonging.
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[@ben.s.s]

I grew up in yishun. The crazy and crimes are at yishun ring road where there are several blocks of rental flat. Many drug addicts and old gangsters live there thus causing these issues. They usually don’t cause trouble to residents as long as you avoid them.

[@soshification]

108 right

[@Aceospady]

To my 15 years of stay in Singapore, 13 of those were in Yishun. And like any other place in Singapore, Yishun is safe and peaceful. You dont need to go anywhere else to shop and spend your money, they have Northpoint city. Hungry? Yishun has lots of 24 hr food stalls. You can also try that green rice nasi lemak for breakfast opposite of the hospital. Sure we all heard of those “crazy” news happening in Yishun but it also happens anywhere else. It must have been sensationalised because of that ‘Yishun image’ some would like to perceive with the place. I may have already left Singapore but Yishun will always be a part of me.

[@SivalinPuthery]

You have my vote!

[@khairiaris]

You might thrive in Florida..

[@JerryWhitaker804]

If Yishun was that great, you wouldn’t have left😂

[@xdestinesiax]

I agree, Yishun is more weird than it is dangerous. I have been an eastsider for at least 30 years of my life, until recently i moved to the north, a temporary place in Sembawang. I have not felt the danger. In fact i find that living in Yishun, Woodlands area is very convenient as they have many facilities. They have good food, cinemas, playgrounds, nature parks. *bombastic side eye *criminal offence to those who bash Yishun, giving it a bad reputation.

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

It's just another housing estate and town that are the same as any other in Singapore. Free media and msm have tried too hard for years to make it otherwise.

[@fusiapink5593]

Love this video. Helps to understand what’s on the other side of the island when I’ve been a Eastsider since birth 👍🏻

[@JSashiKumar]

@Elon Ma This needs to be pinned. Soft journalistic piece that doesn't investigate into the "why".

[@golden_boar0651]

Me whose home is at Yishun: *_Why is my hometown almost always on the news???_*

[@zola235]

I am from Myanmar. Used to live in Yishun blk 112 beside yishun Ring road near Athong football field. Very nice place to stay during my stay there from 1990 till 1995 when also the mrt line ends there. Beside the mrt also have northpoint shopping centre and GV when they showed The flintstone and jurassic park at the time of opening. Studied in Naval Base primary. Yishun is a very nice place to stay and enjoyed living there when i was a kid.

[@ben.s.s]

True yishunites know ah tong football field 😂

[@xijinpig7978]

Yishun is cursed because when mrt was built, they disturbed the graves of japanese soldiers

[@rayne5368]

Yishun celebrates diversity better than probably other districts.

[@ongong6875]

I ❤ yishun

[@schadenfreude6274]

Only the most f*cked up, poorest, and mentally damaged people live in Yishun. :)

[@SubZero-qi9hk]

Nothing weird about Yishun. Unless it's Lengkok Bahru,Jalan Bukit Merah,Bukit Ho Swee,Lower Delta,Henderson,Jalan Kukoh,Chin Swee,Spooner Road or Jalan Rumah Tinggi HDB Blocks. Lots of Social Ills there. Except it's not reported much in the Media.

[@mastersingleton]

Yishun is the Akihabara of Singapore that is uniquely Singaporean as well.

[@jackcylow]

There's nothing unique about Yishun. It's just like any other town, nothing more, nothing less.

[@psgistheworstclubineurope]

It's actually the Ohio of Singapore

[@dahjeekwenglee5909]

Let's get this straight - It's Singapore that's weird.

[@norsham8835]

Great video!

[@space4495]

Yishun Northpoint is the best.🥰

[@MrTakoyaki1992]

Not if you're at basement 😂😂 that's a freakin Maze😂😂

[@gwarguraqueentrickstarcoat9110]

There is a NS camp in that area I been there every time i got nights out

[@ggaryng]

Stayed yishun for 34 years, confirmed is the best lah!!! ❤❤❤ if you can handle yishun, you can handle anything else in life. 😂

[@thaddeuslin2971]

Jokim Gomez is the funniest and best person out of everyone who commented on this big series on the red dot

[@ohleemartin7184]

As for the residents of 666 Yishun Avenue 4, they witnessed two million-dollar flats sold at their block. It’s clear how expensive HDB resale flats are nowadays, with prices increasing for the 11th consecutive quarter (according to Q4 2022 HDB Public Housing Data statistics). The Resale Price Index (RPI), which reflects the general price movements in the resale market, for the 4th Quarter of 2022 is 171.9, an increase of 2.3% over that in the 3rd Quarter of 2022. Resale prices may rise even further with the additional grant of up to S$40,000 for first-time flat-buyers, as announced in the Budget 2023, for families buying resale flats of 5-rooms and above.

[@leewn2319]

Hi Joakim, First time hearing you conversing in Mandarin. U r indeed very fluent & bilingual. Well done. Cheeers👍👍👏👏

[@nicholasbolas]

Yishun dwellers will tell you any publicity is good publicity. More talk means their households, hotspots get more popular.

[@carolinechai3176]

I must not be a typical Yishun dweller then because it annoys me when people make fun of Yishun that way.

[@sidewalkslam]

er no. many of us hate the publicity and it can be quite depressing when friends, relatives and acquaintances make rude jokes non-stop.

[@carolinechai3176]

@@sidewalkslam I agree. Initially it was mildly amusing but it's crossed the line to the point that I sometimes will point blank tell friends to stop it or risk an "unfriend" cos it's really annoying now.

[@hyelicious]

I hope sneaky sushi would react to this! hahaha

[@WTiDeadlyfury]

Need to move a "elite" school to yishun to improve their image.

[@JR-uv2jy]

I have lived here for 3 years near Chong Pang market. I also played basketball with the locals and the uncles. They generally are nice guys.

[@azam-eu5wi]

Uniquely Yishun. ✔️

[@speak2me761]

I'm proud to be the resident of NOTORIOUS YISHUN 🥰😝✌🏻

[@-0._Angel.of.Death._]

Bruh idk why y'all act like Yishun is the new Asian Ohio or sum. I live in yishun and it's just the norms for us now. We absolutely don care what others say and think otherwise.💀 Pls keep the Ohio memes in 2022-

[@Dr1on]

Joakim's great and this program was really interesting!

[@foundx8426]

Woah, didn’t know about the Just Antz near me. Need to go check it out.

[@Fledermausmann]

Did we just gloss over the fact that that dude also has two macaws just hanging around next to the crow? I think it's interesting that we have such lax laws on owning birds (and fish) in Singapore whilst we can't own, say, small reptiles or small amphibians.

[@MrNamesNoMore]

Macaws is legal in Singapore. Many bird specialty pet shop sells them.

[@danielgoh9182]

I moved out of Yishun in my late 20s and i can tell you all that hype about Yishun being dangerous or weird is nothing but exaggeration by msm.. almost to the point of being ridiculous. Growing up there in the 80s to 2000s, Yishun is a nice place with large open spaces, greenery and little congestion. Good place for kids! Just the 200plus series of blocks had 11 coffeeshops selling delicious bak chor mee, prata (near town council) and porridge (blk 239). I miss Yishun!

[@hkk347]

1 thing for sure, property prices in Yishun have surpassed many other towns in Singapore.

[@jameslim3850]

Actually one of the main reason why Yishun (Nee Soon) seems like a "curse" place is due to its old history. Present day Yishun was home to the original inhabitants of Singapore called "Orang Seletar" which Seletar Mall/Airport/Reservoir derived its name from. Their ancestors have been around here since 800+ yrs ago, but their whole community was asked to move (relocate) to Johor in 1967 at Kg. Sungai Timun by the authorities then. This is why got so many Lentor bizarre accidents, Yishun cat killings, various murders, coffee shop fights, people drowning at reservoirs , drug raids, flying car on MRT track, taxi driver purposely hitting a motorcylist fatally (giving a smile) case in early 2000s, wild police car chases, crazy people antics etc in Yishun because of dark supernatural energy force roaming around the area. This is similar to former Red Indian villages in USA towns that still haunted or curse today because their ancestors are sad to see their offspring are no longer around. Just my 2 cents.

[@carolinechai3176]

Oh please!! If you look at proper stats, all these so called "bizarre" things happen in near equal numbers all over SG.

[@sidewalkslam]

The use of the term Red Indian..... come on, dude.

[@sidewalkslam]

@@carolinechai3176 yup! but i guess sensationalism works for journalism.

[@jameslim3850]

@@sidewalkslam Red Indian is a common term used for Native Americans in North America which are recognized.

[@carolinechai3176]

@@jameslim3850 No one, unless you want to get beaten up, will use the term "Red Indian" in the US anymore. It's considered offensive these days.

[@silverbomb]

@2:39 even a fern/plant weirdly chose to sprout and grow wildly on the GV signs.

[@ahyi9350]

I have been living in the east all my life and here is my take as a resident who moved here 2 years ago:- it has been peaceful unlike what the news said. New are simply amplified to make yishun looks happening and weird. But instead of mocking yishun, I’m boasting their good food here compared to east side. Not to mention the top few popular stalls, there are good food everywhere including the east, but the average standard is higher in Yishun and it’s cheaper. Just my opinion.

[@xdestinesiax]

Hi! I am just like you! Eastsider all my life, until recent move to Sembawang. Altho i dont stay in Yishun, I go to Yishun quite frequently. Nothing weird nothing dangerous. Food? You dont say! So many choices!

[@somethingisbaking2401]

Wonder how much Mdm Halimah's house will fetch into today's market

[@teerich2011]

7:12 "The males are not very helpful." The way he shook his head at that😂

[@liamtolstoy3279]

i lived in yishun woodlands when i studied there a semester i liked the vibes!

[@ladywhite79]

I grew up in old Nee soon, Yishun, Chong Pang, Khatib. ( Chye Kay / Sembawang / Canberra / Seletar and Jalan Kayu was my playground). There was the old coca cola or fizzy drink factory next to the lonkang where we used to go fishing and swimming. The hot springs was an adventurous place until the Government took over. They renovated the place to make it safer. Amazing, peaceful and quiet. The only thing off of that vast area was a few haunted areas, the high amount of cat serial killers, gangsters who suffered from PTSD, peeping toms, flashers / sexual pedators and your friendly neighbourhood racist. The casual racism that comes with a smile and excuse of mental illness. Other than that people used to have the kampung spirit of looking out for each other. I missed the food from old Chong Pang and old 14 mile sembawang Market. Our lady star of the Sea church was still there. Good times. There was a famous story of unexplained accidents off of Chong Pang bus top, and it all stopped after they moved the traffic light. The story of the school girl who was raped and murdered at Canberra field. Too many to list. The 70s and 80s was a wild time for us kids growing up in that area. The famous Adrian lim stories and the 2 missing boys, made it worst to go out exploring.

[@alexanderi.yudhistira7115]

Crows are smart beings. They recognize faces. Read up on them. AND they hold grudges on mean people.

[@libraries144]

cant wait for west side!

[@ppearle]

Make yishun great again!

[@dbwkdidwbsof]

bruh conflating antkeeping with "weirdness" is not cool

[@aiwenchew6269]

Is this the Florida of Singapore?

[@helpmeplz69]

No this the ohio

[@javieryeo4032]

Only in Baltimore

[@contrarian2496]

Yes it is

[@Darkseid.of.Apokolips]

Its the Philadelphia

[@carolinechai3176]

No! This is just a very normal part of SG

[@MysticScapes]

Singapore and wild in the same phrase . HAHAHAHAHA

[@rajichelliah1743]

I have lived in Yishun for over 20 years. Amenities are close by.

[@JeffersonLi1]

There's so much more to Yishun Ring Road than all these funny happenings. These include all the nicest and unique foods such as seafood koka noodles all within that small devilish circle!

[@diniyqurratuaini8653]

is sembawang closer to yishun or woodlands?

[@ggaryng]

Sembawang right beside yishun. In between is Canberra though to be precise.

[@cherylmailloux9647]

All life has value ❤❤😊

[@peterc6083]

Make Yishun Great Again!

[@LCBOH-vr1ss]

My memories back... yap... 90s... went to yisun for movie... stephen chow flim... nice... but going back are not as fortunate as now with more transport option... think took me 1hr to be back to rochor road. 😂

[@mariantia926]

Yishun is popular with many good names la.😇😇😇..Got lim bee hwa got shammugam our law minister...u tell me who dare to come here make trouble le🫣🫣...Not forgetting our retired president Halimah coming back yishun sell nasi lemak🤭🤭 n yakult..So news atmosphere right 😂😂😂😂

[@lkl7045]

I from oversea, i remember there's a Sembawang, Chong pang?

[@yoominbi]

You know what's the weirdest thing? Joakim speaking Mandarin at 15:00 🤣🤣

[@siew-hn4il]

Where is Yishun in Singapore? N, NE, E, SE, etc. I don’t live in Singapore but would like some enlightenment.

[@sidewalkslam]

North.

[@siew-hn4il]

It’s across from Johore Bahru?

[@ggaryng]

@@siew-hn4il another 15 km away after crossing custom

[@P53eud0nym05]

No worries. Fernvale in sengkang is the new yishun. More & more nut jobs there. Whether its crazy neighbours or otherwise. Anytime you see an incident in sengkang, good chance its Fernvale. Most recent being the nut case taking bamboo pole & fighting workers on gondola erecting anti bird fixtures 🙄

[@limjason6364]

we had Fandi Ahmad living in Yishun back then..😎

[@rajalakshmi1121]

I saw the crow fight fighting with other crow at yishun

[@dopiley]

Yishun, highest number on reported crime in Singapore. Malaysians: "Heh, just like home."

[@Thethewho]

Taxi driver: where to ? Passenger:Yishu.. Taxi driver: GTFO my car

[@janemuses3031]

Considering the random mass shootings we get in the US, I find this definition of "dangerous place" almost endearing.

[@ohleemartin7184]

Love Yishun I don’t hate Yishun my neighbour area

[@Ennnn.jenn.]

No stopp i used to stay in yishun ring rd.... N now i study at yishun 😢

[@mdariff006]

🤔 😂 I tell u yishun have been curse from olden days till now 😅 but now there's a lot happening at yishun, lots of people like to stay at yishun..

[@anasqai]

Why "Taman Jurong" colours looks dull? It got used on "block 666" as an African flag? If walking around keeps familiar face, what makes life normal again? The mind or eyes strength reduced that way? It's like we remember someone like a profile, then "it is different" to be believed, any script of scolding or vulgar to someone, impacted instead like "knowing", or moment of attack, a script exist "and someone believed"? So thinking about Yishun like closest to see if any help or they are strong around there too, there's like a self-promise that occur to not disturb Yishun hospital(Khoo Teck Phuat) I heard. Then another there's "Chong Pang" right, then I think saw another place called the same too, "Chong Pang" then they created me to imagine "anyone will know through Chong pang the shortcut to me" about rescue wishes definitely like that right? If not about me this meant to be like "other target or victim"? Then my situation? Such to imagine. I heard people don't know places as a real thing.

[@stargazeronesixseven]

🙏 We can find Rotten Apples in the best of places & we can find living Angels in the worse of places in this world! 🕯🌏

[@darkestangel9240]

Halimah is coming back home

[@Marissa_Swift]

My Grandma's friend was the lady that was heldat knifepoint

[@bentonggua6623]

This is exactly the case of a few desperate individuals who ran out of topics and try to profit at the expense of it. Good try.

[@owl77]

I grew up in Yishun and enjoyed it. I cycled everywhere at night. Never felt dangerous. But there was one time a fighting under my blk. 😅

[@edwinpoon]

I rather people don't come and crowd Yishun, thank you. Please stay away if you are scared.

[@NewmaticKe]

Scary

[@huiyingtanyayap]

i love crow, i want to adopt a crow. they are super smart. i dont think is weird.

[@radhakrishnan7422]

Recently addicted CNA insider

[@armypitcher1410]

They dont look weird at all. Its normal live.

[@ABC-ed8cg]

Ppl keeping birds in the house are cruel. Birds are meant for the sky, not kept in the cage for your selfish pleasure, training it for self-amusement. Imagine yourself being cooped up in the cage or be forever in the house for that matter. If I were the bird, I’d rather die than be denied freedom.

[@nicholashoi3155]

5:30 what a Yishun person would say

[@blackguys]

imagine hearing crow's cries every day in your house, annoying and suay sia

[@limhyeam]

For the first comment on who rares ants. It seems like there is a lack of knowledge in the studies on ants. I am not an ants lover but i have been learning these species since it has the largest and oldest inhabitants on earth. Their existence was even way before human being took over. They are also the most successful animals without any sophiscated brain like us but they are a great builder, breeder, hunter, and way stronger compare to human being. It is also the first letter we get to learn when we were kid, yet we know so little of it. As for the question who rares ants, there is a famous youtuber, antcanada rares different species of ants and studies their behaviour. You will learn so much from it and you will no longer find raring ants to be weird.

[@limhyeam]

The second thing about crow, actually, crow is a very clever bird compare to many bird species. I think you have heard stories of how a crow gets water out of a bottle. Due to its cleverness, it managed to populate so well that human finds them annoying and starts to kill them. In fact, crows are also quite close to mammals species because they took care of the youngs and even the parents, hence they are so well adapted to any environments. The only set back is they are born black, that some human will associate them with bad luck or they are the messengers of the devil. Just imagine if they were born with golden feathers or even with a golden beak or colorful feathers or with the ability of sing and talk. The crow will not be subjected to all these unfair stereotyping right?

[@notblue_]

So thats why people called Yishun Singapore's Ohio

[@SheetSmarts]

In the land of Yishun, under the bright sun, Two men were found rioting, oh what fun! A place known for its stories, wild and bizarre, Yishun's oddities, they shine like a star. Down the Devil's Ring, or Yishun Ave Two, Unusual tales abound, each day something new. From a man with his genitals, in the MRT's view, To a yogurt lover's fury, when the spoons are few. There’s watermelons hanging, growing out in the blue, And a monitor lizard in the lift, it’s true! Bicycle paths built and torn, a job to redo, Yishun, your charm, it does accrue. Then came the news, of a riot on the scene, Two men in Yishun, creating a mean glean. In this town of oddities, it’s just another day's glean, Yishun, the town where normal's rarely seen. So here's to Yishun, with its tales so fine, Your stories entertain us, like a rare old wine. May your tales keep coming, like sun's endless shine, In the heart of Singapore, Yishun, you're one of a kind.

[@TheDarkHarper]

I think a crow as a pet is cool, like a witch. Or a Witcher.

[@RovinTan]

You look familiar, were you one of deekosh victims?

[@mingjie1765]

his Chinese very fluent

[@novitanovita4202]

I❤Yishun

[@dantlanz9239]

Yee...shun!

[@IAmCY97]

5:08 real life antman

[@jojoamani1000]

Sg is so small. Everyone is the same. Weird.

[@braq9775]

Yishun is just the Bermuda Triangle in Singapore

[@imikfunartsproductions7444]

I remembered when I lived in Yishun Ring area more than 10 yrs ago. I witnessed a murder scene and my front door was vandalised.

[@kingafendikingafendi8897]

🐜 man came from Yishun ANT-MAN 🤣😅😂😜🤪😋😛😝

[@Zenus21]

Not forgetting terrorism that someone wants to bomb the MRT

[@Anonymous_Pers0n]

I didn't know the host can speak Chinese

[@Battura21]

Well, we’re in the devil’s zone 😈

[@annieteo7169]

Pineapple farms.

[@Sirius-me5zy]

Can a fake news channel, nothing weird about yishun ,just another part of singapore

[@lilaaxd]

None of these are weird! LOL ant farms were/are a popular thing here in the USA!

[@mp9305]

Bro how dangerous could a neighbourhood in Singapore possibly be? 🤣Just cross the border to JB it's a whole new world

[@Lu5ck]

Still waiting for the fence.

[@0_0oweee4]

Props to Joakim bro😂 realise he is a bloody monkey going up against a single bird .maybe if the 7 bird never gang up on him he don’t need wear the helmet ahahah 😂😂😂 if 1 think he relax ahh

[@rajalakshmi1121]

Who parents married in old chong pang cc

[@user-bw6cc7js6h]

Isn't yishun the Detroit of Singapore?