Issue No 67 - May 2015 - Tanjong Pagar Town Council

The Tanjong Pagar Town Council
Wind w
May 2015
MCI(P) 066/09/2013
Number 67
We say our goodbyes to Mr Lee
Pages 4 and 5
TOWN NEWS
Thanking cleaners in Delta
I
n celebration of Cleaners’ Appreciation Day, we
held a block party at the RC Centre at Block 3
Delta Avenue on 3 May.
To start, our cleaners were given the day off!
Instead, we took over their usual patrols, together
with our grassroots leaders and Dr Lily Neo. We
quickly discovered that keeping our blocks clean is
a lot trickier than it looks – some tools were better
in some places, and there would be litter in places
we wouldn’t normally think to look.
After a good morning’s work, we sat down to
enjoy a show by Abigail Chay and her supporting,
all-star, all-auntie cast. Dr Neo spent some time
getting to know each cleaner before presenting
them with their vouchers. One of them has to wake
up at 4am every day to get to work at
Delta Avenue!
We got to know our cleaners
better, and gained an appreciation for the work
they do. And to show
our appreciation,
we treated them
to a great
lunch.
Try doing their work,
then you’ll really
appreciate our cleaners.
Bukit Merah is
better prepared
T
hrough exhibitions, demonstrations and lots
of hands-on practice, dozens of us learned
how to be prepared for emergencies at the
Preparedness show held below Block 144 Jalan
Bukit Merah on 19 March.
The CPR lessons were surprisingly popular with
the local aunties – they wanted to have the method
down just right. With the kids, it was the firefighting practice they were drawn to. Some needed
a little help, being smaller than the extinguishers.
Together with Ms Indranee Rajah, we also enjoyed
an enactment of the SCDF and grassroots leaders
helping to evacuate homes around a burning flat!
2
The Tanjong Pagar Town Council
town news
At the launch of the
Service Ambassador
Programme a new app
was demonstrated
that will help the
Ambassadors follow
through with residents when feedback is
received. The app allows
them to key in and keep
track of feedback while
they are out on their
daily site inspections.
All the managers and property officers employed by our
Town Council have completed a “go-the-extra-mile” training
programme at the SQ Centre, founded by SIA to train the staff
that have won the airline international acclaim for service.
T
This is Terence Tay, just three months on the job with the Town Council, making friends with two senior
residents. No issues came up in this chat, but the ladies will feel much easier calling him over if they do
have a problem sometime in the future.
he training was part of the
Service Ambassador programme adopted by our Town
Council to promote a more pro-active
approach to service and to build
better connections with us, the residents the Council serves.
The old way was for residents to
call or write in to feedback issues for
the Town Council to attend to. The
new way is for Council staff to approach us, in the estates, and ask us
what we’d like the Council to do!
During the Budget debate in
Parliament, Dr Lily Neo, who chairs
the Council, said she thought our
government ministries could im-
The Town Council wants
to hear from you ... and their new
Service Ambassadors, trained at the
famous SQ Centre, know how to
prove the way they communicate
and deliver service now that the
public is better-educated and has
higher expectations.
She mentioned the SQ training for
Tanjong Pagar’s staff; “their job being
to seek out complaints and feedback
and act on them proactively.
“Skills required by staff include
being able to listen empathetically, to
stand on the side of residents, to find
solutions, to solve the problems and
to close the loops with satisfactory
results.
“In these times of more angst than
gratitude, there is a need to change
our handling of residents in terms of
expanding communication and improving our engagement strategies,”
she said.
So next time Town Council staff
approach you, have a little chat.
They’re there to help you get things
the way you want them.
walk the talk!
Dr Lily Neo with the Queenstown team of property executives who completed the ‘go-the-extra-mile’ training at SQ Centre. The CEO of the Centre,
Mr Nolan Tan, stands beside Dr Neo. On the far right is Mr Tony Khoo, the new CEO of EM Services, the company that funded the training.
Window
May 2015
3
We say our go
oodbyes to Mr Lee
town news
Double Happiness in
Telok Blangah
T
o celebrate two great upgrades coming to
our part of town, we held a nice party at
the hardcourt near Block 11 Telok Blangah
Crescent on 11 April.
First, we were being consulted on what we’d like
to see in the upcoming Neighbourhood Renewal
Programme. More shelter, better lighting, new
facilities for sports ... the ideas flew fast and furious, and we were promised each suggestion would
be considered.
Bringing improvements into our homes was the
next upgrade, the Home Improvement Programme.
Through this programme, the HDB fixes problems
common to older blocks like spalling concrete. We
also had the option of sprucing up the house with
items like new doors and chute hoppers, and the
option of making it safer for our elderly with facilities like grab bars in the toilets.
All that, and we got to sit down to a great show
with Mr Sam Tan. What a day it was.
Breakfast Bonding
in Buona Vista
R
esidents’ Committee members regularly
go house to house in Buona Vista, inviting
residents to come down and have breakfast
with their MP, Mr Chan Chun Sing.
Our picture was taken on a recent Saturday
morning, when dozens of families from Blocks
108 and 109 Commonwealth Crescent, with their
young children and their elderly, came to enjoy a
freshly prepared, specially selected spread.
And a chat with their MP!
It was a pleasant start to the weekend and great
way to get to know your neighbours.
Queenstown Library’s 45th
S
ingapore’s first public branch library was
opened in 1970 by Mr Lee Kuan Yew – who
said it marked a milestone in Singapore’s journey towards becoming an educated nation.
After the birthday party for the library, recently
awarded conservation status, Dr Chia Shi-lu said,
“I remember fondly the happy times I spent there
while growing up, and how as a young boy I
always thought it looked like a giant spaceship that
had landed in Queenstown!”
A Time Capsule for our
SG100 celebrations!
B
efore planting the memorial tree in Duxton
Plain Park on 25 April, Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Long witnessed the packing of a timecapsule that will be buried in the grounds of the
Tanjong Pagar CC, to be opened in 2065, when our
Republic is one hundred years old.
Among the photos, books, and recordings
was the speech he made that day. In it he said
he wouldn’t be here in 2065, but he was sure the
Tembusu tree would be,”to provide shade for
you and for your grandchildren’s grandchildren
when you celebrate SG100... If we build our nation
... as one united people, then Singapore will go
from success to success. And fifty years from
now Tanjong Pagar will be a special place for
Singaporeans to enjoy ... and to be proud of.”
6
The Tanjong Pagar Town Council
food
Nasi Padang, stall #01-66 in Alexandra Village
food centre (Blk 120) is run by Thongsri (Tracy)
Sangsunan. She came here from Thailand in 1980
and cooked food at NUH for many years before
opening this stall. Her Muslim cooks had shown
her how to cook great nasi padang and now she
runs the stall with her daughter Pollyanna and
other family members. Open 8am to 2pm - or
when everything is sold. Closed Sundays and
Holidays. An average meal costs $4 to $6. The
spread in the photo, with 3 white rice and some of
the best beef rendang we’ve tasted, was $16.50.
178 Lor Mee, #02-23 in the Tiong Bahru
Delicious Fried Carrot Cake is stall #01-33 in
the Redhill hawker centre (Blk 85). Mr and Mrs
Sng Lai Hua took it over from his father, who
started the business in 1958, cooking the cake
in a wok on a tricycle! Mr Sng started helping
his father when he was 12. “Originally, the cake
was black. Added white later, for the younger
crowd. Added beansprouts ten years ago. And
now it’s a ‘healthier choice’.” But, in spite of the
unsaturated vegetable oil he uses, with generous servings of spring onions and beansprouts
+ his perfect technique with the wok – this is
Delicious Fried Carrot Cake! $2.50-$3.00. Open
9am-2pm, closed Mondays.
Market (Blk 30) serves the dish with deep-fried
shark nuggets for $3.50 a bowl. Mr and Mrs
Sim Leong Ping have run the stall for ten years.
He learned his skills from a relative with fifty
years of experience in cooking this Hokkien
favourite. Open 7 to 7 daily except Tuesdays
when they close at 2.
Xi Le Ting, which means
“Happiness Parlour”, is stall
#70 on the second floor of
Commonwealth Crescent
Market. It’s where you go to
get happiness in a bowl – four
of the sweet deserts you’ve
loved as long as you can
remember. “Only four, because four is enough
to keep me busy,” says Mdm Liang Pong Ying,
73. She’s been making deserts for 40 years,
downstairs before moving up here 10 years ago.
Open noon to 8pm everyday. closed every other
Monday. 90 cents per bowl.
Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck is stall #02‑156
in the Chinatown Market. Melvin Chew’s
father opened the stall 32 years ago, and now
he runs it with his mother. The stall’s signature
dish is a soy egg with a soft yolk – wonderful. And it’s included in a dish Melvin added
recently, “for younger customers,” Duck Rice
Bento. If you like kway chap, you must go
and try it. You really must. Every
item is superb – and there are
about ten! $8. Open 10.30
to 6.30, closed
Fridays.
Seafood, is the first stall you see as you enter
the food centre on the second floor of Dawson
Place (Blk 57). Famous for their fish head curry
(excellent) we also tried their pork ribs (photo superb). But don’t forget your wallet – the two
dishes came to $39! Open 11am to 10pm daily.
7
Your Say
If you think the Town Council has done a good job somewhere
– or you have a complaint, please Email [email protected].
sg, or call the Town Council at 1800-272 6415. Here we print a
few recent compliments, together with a little background on
the Town Council officers who won your praise
William Andy, a resident staying at
Blk 28 Hoy Fatt Rd wrote to thank
property officer Mr Zi Long “for his
prompt reply and efficiency in clearing up the corridor outside my flat,
making it obstruction free.
“Without his help my children
could be in danger while playing in
the corridor.
“Thank you.”
on a schedule, like corridor lights.
He likes being a property officer because he likes fixing problems. Enjoys it
even more if he can prevent them!
He’s been at it for 18 years now. “And
it’s different problems every day. I don’t
think I could sit in an office all day.” His
only complaint is residents asking him to
fix a problem when they know it’s really a
job for another agency.
George Tan wrote to Richard Yue
Rosemary wrote a letter of thanks,
and his colleagues to say that the
refuse hopper on his floor was
“working fine now.
“We are thankful for your fast
response to this inconvenience and
greatly appreciate the wonderful
work of TPTC.
Keep it up!”
Richard was
pleased to get the
letter of thanks,
but seemed surprised about it.
“Mr Tan phoned
the office about
the hopper, I got the message, sent the
contractor over to fix it, then I called him
to tell him his problem was solved.”
He thought maybe he could work out
some way the hoppers could be checked
which we quote in full:
“Dear All,
“I would like express my gratitude
to the lady who answered my phone
and the three cleaners.
“I accidentally threw my ring
into the rubbish chute from level 24.
Desperate to find it, I called the Town
Council Hotline and a lady answered.
I explained to her the situation and
she told me that she would call me
back. True enough, she called back
after three minutes and told me that
the cleaner was collecting the rubbish.
“Shortly, the Town Council cleaner
came to my unit to look for me, and
asked me I wanted to look through
the rubbish to find my ring. Honestly,
I didn’t pin high hopes as it is just a
small ring. Nonetheless, the cleaner,
together with the two cleaners/driv-
H
ere are six zoomed-in
sections of pictures
that appear in this
newsletter. Write the headline
of the story to which each
picture belongs below it ... and
win a very handy trolley bag!
ers from the rubbish collection car
helped me to find my missing ring.
“They went the extra mile to open
up all white NTUC plastic bags as I
had told them that my ring is likely
inside an NTUC bag. And the miracle
happens ... I found my ring!! I started
to tear in joy and they shared my joy
that I found my lost ring.
“As I was in extreme emotions, I
did not manage to get their names.
Nonetheless, I hope recognition can
be given to these people. They go
the extra mile to help residents like
me and they did not complain of the
extra work load that I caused them.
“Thank you very much!
“You really made my day!”
Michelle Lim wrote to property
officer Yeo Qing Cheng to thank him
for the Town Council’s prompt action
when she put in an urgent request for
help with a mosquito invasion.
“I thank you and your team for
your quick response. I was truly impressed with the speed and efficiency
in delivering the required follow up
of my complaint.
“I wish all of you a very healthy
and successful 2015!”
Eng Kwang wrote to property officer Teng Wai Long to thank him for
fixing a problem that had cropped up
when his central rubbish chute (CRC)
was fumigated.
“Thanks for the two calls and
prompt action taken,” he wrote.
“I am extremely delighted to see
nothing on the CRC area upon my
return. Also there isn’t any of the
unfriendly stuff found in my house.
“I will monitor the next few days
as advised by you. Kudos to you and
the cleaners for doing a fantastic job.”
Congratulations
Teng Wai Long explained what had
happened. The ‘unfriendly stuff’ that
did not get into Mr Eng’s house were
cockroaches. “We fog the CRC every
quarter to control the cockroaches that
live in them.” They live on the food
scraps that fall out
when residents fail
to tie their rubbish
in plastic bags.
Mr Eng’s flat
is quite close to
the chute and
some cockroaches
crawled out when
the fog came up the
chute, crawled over to his front door ...
and some crawled inside his flat.
“To seal every hopper in a 40-story
block takes a lot of tape. Worse, it takes a
lot of man hours. And then the cleaners
have to go back after the fogging and
remove all the tape or residents can’t use
the chute!”
So he worked out a very cost-effective
solution. With just two spray cans of
insecticide, his cleaners could spray the
40 hoppers in less than an hour.
“Do it 20 minutes before the fogging
and the roaches in the chute don’t want
to go near those doors, and even if they
do, they die.
“I told Mr Eng what I was going to do
and asked him to help monitor results.”
Wai Long spent 15 years as a quality
engineer before joining the Council. He
checked all the parts suppliers sent to a
factory making ATM machines. “There,
I was the customer telling the suppliers,
‘This won’t do.’ Now I am the supplier,
listening as residents tell me, ‘This won’t
do.’ And it’s much the same! It’s how
seriously you take your work. Before you
deliver a product, you should solve any
problems it has. I try to make sure there
will be no complaints about my products
– the services I do for the residents.”
to the ten prize-winners in our last contest:
Mr Tan Seng Huat Joshua. . . . . . . . . . SXXX9237G
Mdm Lila d/o N K Pillay. . . . . . . . . . .SXXX7142C
Mdm Sharibah Binte Kader Mydin. SXXX5140J
Mdm Ismail Meerah d/o Pam Jamal.SXXX1678G
Mdm Solami Bte Dim Yati . . . . . . . . . SXXX9607H
Name:
Miss Mary Tan. . . . . . . . . SXXX9472D
Mr Chia Soon Keng . . . . SXXX5557C
Mdm Pang Li Lian. . . . . SXXX8782D
Mdm Kanikha. . . . . . . . . . SXXX8746E
Mr Hla Aung. . . . . . . . . . SXXX0954H
Entry Form
Mr/Ms/Mrs/Mdm/Miss
Address:
Postal Code:
NRIC:Age:
Telephone:
Handphone:
Email:
Contest is open to all residents of Tanjong Pagar GRC. All entries must be mailed before 31 July to:
Quiz, Tanjong Pagar Town Council, Blk 166 Bt Merah Central #03-3527, Singapore 150166
The Window is published by the Tanjong Pagar Town Council and printed by HoBee Print Pte Ltd.