Who left that many salted fish out to dry?

Some residents in Chua Chu Kang have been reeling from the stench of hundreds of salted fish left out to dry at the bottom of a Housing Board flat.

The activity has been taking place once every two to three weeks since the start of the year at Block 433, Chua Chu Kang Avenue 4, according to a Lianhe Wanbao reader.

The Chinese evening daily said in a report yesterday that the fish were laid on the grass, along the drain or on the floor.

A resident, who gave her name as Madam Ye, told Wanbao: "This salted fish situation appeared some time around the start of the year. I don't know which household needs so much salted fish."

Madam Ye spoke to a woman who was laying the fish out to dry on Monday and who said she was a maid.

She apologised for any inconveniences and said she would inform her employer.

The domestic worker added that some neighbours had also told her about the smell, and were worried that the fish could attract flies or other insects and become a health hazard.

Some residents Wanbao spoke to found the smell unbearable but others felt it was not a "serious situation".

Wanbao tracked down the person behind the salted fish - an owner of a dried goods stall who said he did not have enough space in his shop to carry out drying.

"These are imported frozen salted fish, which require thawing before selling.

"I used to dry them in my house but there wasn't enough ventilation," he added.

He had tried drying the fish on a parapet outside his flat but stopped as he was worried that they would fall on residents' heads.

He said this was the first time he was hearing of such complaints and would think of a better way to dry his fish.

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