This is the reason why the LTA is always getting chewed out by the public!

Working here is really a thankless job…

Renowned for its world-class transport and housing infrastructure, Singapore’s ability to maintain smooth traffic despite our high population density is largely thanks to the work of the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Sadly, despite the LTA’s constant efforts to solve our traffic woes by building expressways, tunnels, rail networks, and the public transport system, it’s always getting criticized.

While Singapore’s housing policies have gone through its fair share of woes, the HDB has always been able to gain the public’s understanding. Same circumstances, different fate – on second thought, perhaps this has to do with the feng shui at the LTA Headquarters.

Singapore’s Housing Development Board is located at Toa Payoh Central and its building exterior resembles a pair of lotus blooms, which happens to complement Toa Payoh’s feng shui layout. Hence, the HDB is blessed and able to avoid gossip. Conversely, even though LTA Headquarters is located at the old Kandang Kerbau Hospital (which enjoys a favourable feng shui environment) and has also undergone renovations, it’s beset by problems.

The old KK Hospital is located at the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Owen Road in Serangoon, which we all know is a feng shui gem. According to landform feng shui theory, this is a “land of pigs” – the only one in Singapore – typically tranquil, cool and shaded, making it an ideal place to live. Furthermore, the “divine pigs” here are intelligent and open-minded, making this area good for childbearing. No wonder the old KK Hospital won acclaim as a women’s and children’s hospital! In 1997, the hospital moved to its current premises.

The LTA Headquarters then moved over in 2004. Its current location sits in the Northeast and faces Southwest, with its main entrance facing the Northeast where two rivers meet. This is a “Jade Belt” formation, made even more favourable in the current luck cycle (years 2004-2023) where the Northeast and Southwest are prosperous directions. What’s bewildering is that to date, LTA has experienced nary a stroke of good luck!

In olden times, people attached great importance to childbirth and confinement. The body was considered unclean during the confinement period, with numerous taboos such as not leaving the house. Only close friends and relatives would visit as contact with a new mom would contaminate one with “adverse qi”, which can bring bad luck or even calamity. Only one month later would a new mother be allowed to bathe in lemongrass to cleanse the body. Although many modern moms no longer follow confinement rules, some have suffered the consequences.

Just as former grave sites have to be left empty for 10 years or more before redevelopment, the complete refreshing of “qi” takes a decade or more. Since the LTA moved to the premises of the old KK Hospital before 10 years had passed, it has been somewhat affected.

So, how can one negate this “adversity”?

First, the use of auspicious red hues can add an air of festivity and opulence, while water features in the Southwest direction add strength and remove unwanted gossip. LTA would have to act fast, though, as the completion of the Bukit Timah Line (The 2nd Stage of the Downtown Line) could result in weakened luck in the Southwest and make things more complicated.

If the LTA is going to move its headquarters again, it could consider the Central Police Division’s former location for a better feng shui setup! Of course, we propose these with the best of intentions. No matter what, let’s appreciate the LTA’s efforts to create a brighter future for Singapore.