Marine Parade GRC MP Tan Chuan-Jin recently encountered a few cases in Housing Board flats, where there did not seem to be a scientific reason behind the odd sounds.
On December 12, a resident complained over the sound of chairs being dragged from a flat above, Tan Chuan-Jin thought it was a neighbourly dispute.
However, he found out that there was no one living in the flat in question, as the former occupant had died and the apartment was empty.
Tan, 48, told The Straits Times on Wednesday that as an MP, he receives feedback from time to time that seems to "defy conventional explanation".
"There are the usual explanations such as expansion and contraction of pipes and sounds transmitted from other units," he said. "Even cats mewing can sound like babies crying."
Tan said that in most cases, the noises are caused by residents or are misperceived.
"Sometimes, neighbours can be less than considerate, while in some cases, there may be some mental health issues involved either on the part of the person causing the noise or the one perceiving it," he said.
However, he said he personally encountered a few cases where the sounds were odd and there did not seem to be a scientific reason behind it.
"For example, there is a block where there is a loud banging sound in the wee hours of the morning, but no one seems to be able to narrow it down to a specific source," he said.
"Despite repeated efforts, this continues to remain a mystery to us all."
