Due to the recent murder case in the tuina shop in Ang Mo Kio, our government stepped up the requirements and regulations for such joint.
According to the newspaper, Zaobao published on 25 June 2006, the authority implemented three restrictions. No girls standing outside of the joint. No ‘less’ wear and the joint could not be curtained up. The authority was also stepping up to clamp down unlicensed joints.
People like us knew that these tuina shops were actually fcuk shops. Implementing all these rules and regulations to shut down such joints sounded logical and achievable. Thinking deeper, we had not solved the root of the problem, that was, why such joints propagated so fast over the years and went into the heartland of our HDBs.
Was it because we, men were getting more horny than before? Or our wives could not satisfied us, so we had to find our fulfilment else where? There must be some good reasons for such activities to grow and outbreak to HDB areas. If there was no demands for such supplies, the business would die and cease steadily long time ago.
As my Canadian friend, Bob Urichuck always said, ‘the world revolves around sales’ and I add on, ‘sales is based on supplies and demand.’ Even the authority banned the tuina shops like banning chewing gum, these girls would find other means to survive in this sex trade. If there were demands, no matter how we regulated the trade, these girls would carry on until the demands were no more. If tuina shop could be opened, they could open a cosmetic shop, hair salon, spa and so on.
For such outbreak of prostitution in Singapore, I could only say, we were approaching a family crisis here that would lead to other social problems, that would affect our economy in the near future.
I think to solve the problem is to solve the answer to this question, ‘What is the catalyst of this business?’