Several shops in Jurong Central have been shut down after anti-vice raids by the police, all of them formerly housing beauty and wellness establishments.
Photos shared on Facebook by Jurong Central SMC MP Xie Yao Quan showed many vacant units in Yuhua Place, which is located along Jurong East Ave 1.
Source: Xie Yao Quan on Facebook
According to the photos, at least two of the now-defunct shops supposedly specialised in health services based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Source: Xie Yao Quan on Facebook
One was a “hair and beauty saloon”, while another offered services such as massage, ear candling and cupping therapy.
Source: Xie Yao Quan on Facebook
One of the units had a notice from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) pasted on its glass window, stating that it was a massage establishment but had to follow certain rules and operating hours.
Source: Xie Yao Quan on Facebook
One of the shops already had a real estate agent’s poster informing the public that it was for sale or rent.
Source: Xie Yao Quan on Facebook
Other units were totally empty, with everything within having been cleared out.
Source: Xie Yao Quan on Facebook
Mr Xie said the shops were shuttered following anti-vice operations by the police over the past two months.
SPF said in a press release on 7 May that the enforcement operations, which were carried out between March and April, focused on beauty and wellness premises along Jurong East Avenue 1 and Jurong East Street 31.
Source: Singapore Police Force
This included beauty parlours and massage establishments, SPF added.
The raids were conducted by officers from the Clementi Police Division, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB).
Vice-related activities were eventually uncovered in two TCM outlets and three massage establishments.
Seven operators are under police investigation for providing massage services without a valid licence.
An eighth operator is being investigated for failing to ensure that their employees do not provide sexual services.
Source: Singapore Police Force
During the raids, 19 women aged from 24 to 55 were also arrested.
14 of them are suspected of being involved in vice-related activities.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The other five were arrested for breaches of work-permit regulations.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Mr Xie thanked the police and HDB for their “tremendous efforts” and “closely coordinated actions” in rooting out vice.
He noted that he had posed parliamentary questions on 7 May to various ministers over the vice activities in HDB heartlands.
Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam replied that SPF had investigated close to 350 vice-related breaches involving unlicensed massage establishments between 2023 and 2025.
In an earlier Facebook post on 9 May, Mr Xie said enforcement actions must be stepped up, adding, “We cannot let up.”
National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat replied that since 2025, 36 owners of privately owned HDB shops had evicted tenants found to have engaged in vice-related activities. HDB is also working out how to strengthen enforcement against shop owners who knowingly bring in tenants who engage in vice-related activities.
Mr Xie welcomed HDB’s review, saying it is “a crucial piece that will help solve the problem”.
Mr Xie also noted that the reputation of the whole TCM sector was being tainted by errant practitioners.
Indeed, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung replied to the MP’s question over the issue on 8 May, saying that since 2018, the TCM Practitioners Board (TCMPB) had concluded four disciplinary cases involving registered TCM practitioners convicted of offences under the Massage Establishments Act.
These practitioners have had their registrations either suspended or cancelled.
But Mr Xie pointed out that MOH must also go after shops that claim to provide TCM services but have no TCM practitioner registered, i.e. they are falsely advertising TCM services.
Mr Xie concluded that there was “much more work to do” to restore Yuhua Place to somewhere that “residents feel safe to move through and look forward to visiting”.
Source: Google Maps
One of his tasks would be to work with shop owners to bring in “quality tenants” and offer them “fair and sustainable rents”, he noted.
He also aimed to rejuvenate the neighbourhood centre to become a destination for families, seniors and residents of all ages, he said, adding:
Unwholesome activities have no place here. We will bring the fight to the bad apples.
Also read: Residents concerned about vice activities at Tanjong Pagar Plaza, MP aims to ‘refresh’ retail mix
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Featured image adapted from Xie Yao Quan on Facebook and Singapore Police Force.