I am somewhat familiar with Orchard Towers, which has a seedy reputation, as I used to regularly patronize Irish pub Muddy Murphy’s in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The pub was located at what was then called Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade (now renamed Claymore Connect), which is a stone’s throw away from Orchard Towers.

Memories of seeing Orchard Towers from close range and at times wondering what was going on in some of the outlets there flooded back when I read the recent news that all public entertainment licences for businesses there would not be renewed as part of the government’s continued efforts to manage the law and order situation at the building. The police will not grant new public entertainment licences for Orchard Towers’ businesses, and licences for existing outlets will not be renewed beyond May 31, 2023.

I empathize with the dismay reported in the media of affected nightclub and bar operators. These operators suffered when operations were halted for about two years as Singapore battled to curb the spread of Covid, before nightlife businesses were allowed to fully reopen in April. Nightlife operators are seeing business bounce back. However, the runway for nightclubs and bars at Orchard Towers is being truncated.