WHEN a Sungei Kadut factory went up in a massive ball of flames earlier this month, it took with it the livelihood of dozens of small-business owners who shared the building.

The fire reduced their machinery and hard-earned stocks of wood and rubber to a charred mess, leaving some owners on the verge of bankruptcy.

It appears as though nothing inside the 100m-long factory was insured, but not because its tenants were cavalier about getting fire insurance policies. Rather, the building - with its wooden partitions and stocks of tyres and timber - appears to be on an insurance blacklist.

For the full version, read today's copy of The Straits Times