I was upset at Khaw Boon Wan sending Dr Yaacob Ibrahim a memo to express his concern about the rat problem at Geylang Serai market and food centre recently. Although initial tests suggest that the food poisoning may have been caused by the mixing of rojak ingredients and seafood from the neighbouring mee siam stall, those tests were inconclusive. Of greater public concern it seems, were the capture of over 61 rats in NEA’s “Rat Trap” exercise at the market that could have contributed to the food poisoning case.

What I find absurd is the suggestion that the Geylang Serai Temporary Market and Food Centre is dirty and unkempt, resulting in a massive infestation of rats. I don’t believe the problem is localised in Geylang, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the area being supposedly unclean and I don’t believe the new and modern Geylang Serai market will have no problems of rat infestation.

Take for example, some time last year, the Tampines Mall branch of McDonalds had a sudden downpour of rats falling from  holes in the ceiling. According to eye-witness accounts, hundreds of small rats fell from several holes in the fake ceiling, causing patrons to flee from the area shrieking in shock. As everyone knows, Tampiness Mall is a modern shopping centre, yet there is nothing that seem to prevent an infestation of rats, in of all places, their ceiling! I have also witnessed myself a rat infestation in Banquet Clifford Centre near Raffles Place MRT. A huge rat scuttled across the food court, about 5 minutes before the lunch crowd arrived, causing the tenants to scream with frightened excitement.

How then can rats manage to settle and pro-create despite all the best efforts of the aunties and uncles who work hard cleaning these urban eating paradises?

What these geniuses don’t realise is that they are the makers of their own problems! It is probably not a very known fact that HDB bans residents from keeping cats as pets at home while hypocritically allowing dogs to be kept. AVA also joins this anti-feline crusade by culling about 13,000 street cats a year. What a large number! 13,000 dead cats a year?! No wonder the rats are scuttling around free and wild!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that removing the predator from the top of the food chain allows for the prey to survive. Yet, this fact seems to be glossed over by the scientists at MOH and NEA! What makes it even more unbelievable is to suggest that the rapid modernisation of Geylang Serai will result in less rats, but surely there are many accounts of an increase in rat infestation in urban areas!

What should be done is to cease the culling and even the sterilisation of cats to control the increasing rat population. Yet, no one up there can seem to figure out the most simplest solution to this rat problem.

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