jrtc_mar_2015

Newsletter
March 2015
Celebrating
Singapore’s birthday
together
Photo by Tan Yi Xuan
 Reaching out
to the needy
 What’s happening to
your neighbourhood
Visit us at
http://www.
jurongcentral.sg
Like us at
http://www.
facebook.com/
OurJurongCentral
2
Adviser’s Message
Dear Residents,
Aside from events to celebrate
our 50th birthday, we continue to
care for different residents.
CARE FOR NEEDY
Food: We have distributed up
to 1,000 food hampers to needy
families just before Chinese New
Year. We call this “Project Love” our outreach to those struggling to
meet their household needs.
Health: This is a free clinic for
chronic diseases. Holders of
Pioneer Generation (PG) Card and
Community Health Assist Scheme
(CHAS) cards can come for a free
consultation and medicines. We call
this “Project Big Heart” and we
launched this on 4 January. Look out for the next free
clinic on 12 April, at 8.30am at
the Loving Heart Multi-Service
Centre, at Block 316, Jurong East.
Education: We gave out 839
Edusave awards to 737 Primary,
Secondary and JC students over
four sessions on 10 and 11 January
and 2015 at the Singapore Science
Centre. About 2,500 students
and their family members were
present.
OUR COUNTRY’S 50th
BIRTHDAY
Photo exhibition: We kicked off
our SG50 celebration with the
“Down Memory Lane” exhibition,
which was launched by DPM and
Minister for Finance Mr Tharman
Shanmugaratnam.
Monthly event: There will be an
event each month, culminating
in the closing of Jurong West
Avenue 1 on 8 August for a street
party in front of the Jurong Green
Community Club. You are invited! We want to involve you: Our
main purpose for SG50 is to involve
as many residents as possible. If
you can take part in any way, drop
us a message on FaceBook at www.
facebook.com/OurJurongCentral. Or visit www.OurJurongCentral.sg
for more information.
Happy 2015!
Ang Wei Neng
Adviser to Jurong GRC GROs
& MP for Jurong GRC
(Jurong Central)
3
Para penduduk sekelian,
Selain daripada menganjurkan
aktiviti-aktiviti untuk meraikan
ulang tahun ke-50 tahun negara,
kami juga meneruskan usaha
keprihatinan kami terhadap
penduduk-penduduk yang
memerlukan.
KEPRIHATINAN
TERHADAP MEREKA YANG
MEMERLUKAN
Makanan: Kami telah pun
mengagihkan sebanyak 1,000
hamper berisi barang makanan
sebelum tibanya Tahun Baru Cina
kepada keluarga yang memerlukan
yang kami namakan “Projek Love”
– bantuan yang kami hulurkan
kepada keluarga yang sedang
menghadapi kesempitan dalam
menangani keperluan bahan
seharian.
Kesihatan: Klinik ini untuk
pesakit yang berpenyakit kronik.
Pemegang Kad Pakej Generasi
Perintis dan kad Bantuan
Kesihatan Masyarakat (CHAS)
boleh datang untuk mendapatkan
khidmat menemui doktor dengan
percuma serta mengambil ubatubat yang tertentu. Projek ini
kami namakan “Project Big Heart”
(Projek Berhati Mulia) yang telah
dilancarkan pada 4hb Januari lalu.
Sila manfaatkan klinik percuma
yang akan diadakan pada 12hb
April di Pusat Loving Heart MultiService di Blok 316 Jurong East,
jam 8.30 pagi.
Pelajaran: Kami telah
mengeluarkan 839 anugerah
Edusave kepada 737 pelajar-pelajar
sekolah rendah, sekolah menengah
dan maktab rendah selama 4
sessi pada 10 dan 11hb 2015 yang
bertempat di Pusat Sain. Seramai
2,500 pelajar dan ahli keluarga
mereka turut hadir.
SAMBUTAN ULANG TAHUN
NEGARA KE-50
Pertunjukkan Gambar: Kami
telah memulakan sambutan
SG50 dengan menganjurkan
Pertunjukkan “Down the Memory
Lane” yang telah dilancarkan oleh
Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan
Menteri Kewangan Mr Tharman
Shanmugaratnam.
Kegiatan Bulanan: Setiap
bulan akan dianjurkan aktiviti,
yang akan berakhir dengan
penutupan Jurong West Avenue
1 pada 8hb Ogos untuk Perayaan
Jalanan berhadapan Kelab
Masyarakat Jurong Green. Anda
di persilakan hadir!
Kami ingin menglibatkan
anda: Matlamat utama kami
dalam SG50 ialah untuk
melibatkan seberapa ramai
penduduk yang boleh. Sekiranya
anda ingin mengambil bahagian,
harap hantar mesej ke laman
Facebook di www.facebook.
com/OurJurongCentral atau
boleh lungsuri laman web kami
di www.JurongCentral.sg untuk
keterangan lebih lanjut.
Berbahagialah menyambut
tahun 2015 !
4
Feature
Jurong Central
National Day
Observance Ceremony
and Carnival 2014
2
014’s National Day Observance
Ceremony for Jurong Central
was held on 2 Aug.
An impressive parade was
put up by students from Jurong
Central’s Jurongville, Hong Kah,
Hua Yi and Fuhua Secondary
Schools.
Led by Jurongville Secondary’s
Tan Jie Yang, from the school’s
National Cadet Corps unit, the
observance parade comprised a
Guard of Honour contingent made
up of 48 cadets from Jurongville’s
various uniformed groups.
The rest of the supporting
contingents were made up of
cadets from Hong Kah, Hua Yi and
Fuhua Secondary Schools.
Some 100 Jurong Central Fun
Walkers - the oldest of whom
was 75 years old – also formed up
as a supporting contingent.
Around the temporary parade
grounds at Block 498 Jurong
West Street 41, five distinctive
banners flapped in the freeze.
Measuring about 2 m each, they
had been specially commissioned
for the event.
Jurong Central’s Community
Arts and Culture Club (CACC)
and Residents’ Committees
(RCs) worked with cartoonist
Johnny Lau, who is known for
his popular Mr Kiasu comic
series, to capture the well
wishes of residents in pop art
style. Over 80 residents penned
their wishes onto the canvas
banners and each banner also
carried the identity of each
zone, with the symbolic Jurong
Canal linking up the entire
Jurong Central division.
After the parade, there were
also carnival games, booths and
food stalls and even a variety
show put up by Jurong Central’s
residents.
To cap it off, there was a
lively fireworks display which
elicited cries of excitement from
the crowd.
5
Feature
A heart for
the community
L
ast year’s Lim Boon Heng
Scholarship recipient says that
community service has very much
been part of her life. First year
accountancy student at Nanyang
Technological University, Miss
Victoria Tan, 19, says: “The essence
of this scholarship is in line with my
personal beliefs.”
For her stellar results,
leadership qualities, co-curricular
achievements and track record of
community service, Miss Tan was
awarded the scholarship last July.
Miss Tan’s parents had
encouraged their daughter to
spend her holidays in more
meaningful ways. So the young
girl started volunteering with
Jurong Central’s grassroots after
her “O” levels. While there have
been a number of challenges over
the years, she’s managed to juggle
schoolwork, two co-curricular
activities in addition to various
community services projects,
thanks to her family’s support.
She says: “It is an opportunity
to interact with people from
different walks of life, and also a
chance for me to pick up new skills.
It also gives rise to a process of
self-reflection, great emotional
fulfillment and maturity.”
Through Project Hand-InHand, Miss Tan encouraged rental
block residents to keep their
blocks neat and participate in
community activities. She has also
volunteered at events like family
days and Edusave Bursary Award
presentations.
The scholarship will defray
some of her tuition costs.
The award has given her extra
motivation says Miss Tan. She is
now leading a couple of committees
Receivers of the Lim Boon Heng Scholarship and Book Prizes at the event. From left are:
Jurong Spring Adviser Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Smitha Jeet Kaur D/O Sukhdev Singh,
Victoria Tan Yue Tin, former Jurong Grassroots Adviser Lim Boon Heng, Ong Kuan Loong,
Muhammad Danial Hakim Bin Rosli, Wong Chun Siong, Leon, and Jurong Central Adviser
Ang Wei Neng.
planning for upcoming grassroots
events.
“I do take much pride in
being one of the recipients of this
scholarship and am very grateful
for it.”
The Lim Boon Heng Scholarship
was established in 2012 to support
Jurong districts’ residents who are
in pursuit of tertiary education at
local universities. Named in honour
of former Grassroots Adviser Mr
Lim Boon Heng’s contributions,
the scholarship also aims to
cultivate the spirit of service to
the community future generations
of Singaporeans. Last year,
one scholar and four book prize
winners from Jurong Central were
identified.
Applications for Academic Year
2015-2016 will be open around
March 2015. Look out for more
information at the Jurong Central
Community Club, website and
Facebook page as well as banners
around the estate.
2014 Lim Boon Heng Scholar:
Victoria Tan Yue Tin
1st year, Accountancy,
National Technological University
2014 Book Prize Awardees:
Muhammad Danial Hakim
Bin Rosli
3rd year, Law,
National University of Singapore
Ong Kuan Loong
3rd year, Economics,
Singapore Management University
Smitha Jeet Kaur
D/O Sukhdev Singh
1st year, Nursing,
Singapore Institute of Technology
Wong Chun Siong, Leon
3rd year, Real Estate,
National University of Singapore
6
Estate Happenings
Proposed cycling
network for Jurong
Central residents
Proposed Cycling Network
Proposed Cycling Network
A
s part of the Remaking Our
Heartland (ROH) initiative,
Jurong Central has worked with
various agencies to provide an
intra-town cycling path network1
in Jurong Central/Jurong Lake
District. This path will allow one
to cycle from the area’s precincts
to MRT stations and markets. The
network will have off-road cycling
paths for cyclists who prefer to
cycle away from the main road. The
dedicated cycling paths will help to
segregate and minimise any potenFigure 1 – Proposed Cycling Network
Legend
Jurong Lake ROH Cycling Path (by end 2015)
Jurong Lake ROH Cycling Path (by end 2016)
LTA Taman Jurong Cycling Path (completed)
LTA Cycling Path (future)
Park Connector Network
Boundary of Jurong Central constituency
1
Cycling path network is subjected to changes due to final planning approval.
tial conflicts between pedestrians
and cyclists. By end 2016, Jurong
Central residents will be able to
start using the basic bicycle network.
7
School
A project of love
I
n January 2014, students
from Fuhua Secondary
School reached out to needy
residents in the neighbourhood
by preparing food hampers for
Chinese New Year.
Project Love, as it was
dubbed, was a platform
for students from different
backgrounds to come together
to spread festive cheer, and
aptly, fulfilling the school’s
vision: Premier School, Serving
Community.
Fuhuanites wrapped some
220 hampers comprising basic
food items such as rice, sugar,
cooking oil among others. The
students also penned cards
wishing recipients a prosperous
Chinese New Year.
The majority of the hampers
went to needy residents
living in Jurong Central
Zone A, while 60 hampers
went to the Movement for
the Intellectually Disabled of
Singapore (MINDS)’ Home.
The last 40 hampers went to
Jamiyah Singapore, Muslim
Missionary Society Singapore.
This project is in
partnership with Jurong
Central Zone A RC, to allow
Fuhuanites to be aware of
the community needs, and be
empathetic to those who are less
fortunate, and to promote the spirit
of volunteerism among our young.
The hampers were distributed
to the Zone A Jurong residents on
25 Jan 2014. The event was graced
by Mr Ang Wei Neng, the MP for
Jurong GRC.
It is hoped that this project
will engage our Fuhuanites’
Head(s), Heart(s) & Hand(s) to
instil in them the values of care
and love for the community, and
importance of social empathy.
We will be doing the same this
year on 7 Feb 2015.
8
Food
A menu packed
with fresh seafood
A
bout six years ago, the head
cook for the zi char stall, Mr
Lim Ching Kwang, was offered
the chance to take over when his
boss decided to call it a day. He said
“yes”.
The cook, who loves
experimenting with new recipes,
has regularly introduced new
dishes, earning him a new crop of
regular customers.
One of the most popular dishes
is his Signature Assam Fish Head
(seasonal price, ranging around
$20+) which is topped with a sauce
concocted from eight different
spices.
Mr Lim proudly shares that his
sauce has a Thai sweet-sour flavour
and isn’t too spicy on the palate.
“Even children love to run the sauce
over their rice. It really whets your
appetite,” he says.
You may also like to try the
Butter Prawn with Pumpkin ($15,
$20 or $30), which uses fresh redlegged prawns.
Mr Lim claims that he sells 5kg
of the pumpkin sauce alone every
day (it also goes with pork ribs,
Mr Lim’s Signature Assam Fish Head uses a sweet-sour sauce that also makes it popular
with the children.
sotong and crabs).
For greens, the boss
recommends Dried Shrimp with
French Beans ($8, $10 or $12). He
uses only premium dried shrimp
as only the top grade imparts the
necessary figure.
Ask the boss for off-menu dishes.
They introduce dishes regularly, but
there are simply too many to include
in the already crowded menu.
Eric Sim, 59
RC chairman
Jurong Central, Zone A RC
A
resident of Jurong Central
for 30 years, Mr Sim
has been volunteering in the
grassroots organisation since
2000.
Since then, he has been
a familiar face involved in
various events, from barbeque
sessions in the earlier years, to
the more recent floor parties
in the neighbourhood.
You Le Tian Seafood
Restaurant
Block 498 Jurong West Street 41
#01-462 Singapore 640498
Operating hours:
12pm to 11pm daily
Closed for three days during
Chinese New Year
Tel: 6564 6589
The RC is now focusing on
activities that engage residents on
a deeper level. Such events include
the grassroots adviser’s monthly
visits to more than 2,000 households
in his zone. “One block will take
about two sessions, as we have to
stop at 10pm, at the very latest,”
says the chairman.
Most days, Mr Sim has his
dinner at nearby coffee shops
before he starts work; or sometimes
he ends off his walkabout with a
gathering and meal with fellow
volunteers in the precinct.
9
Garden
Joining hands for our gardens
I
t’s 8am in the morning.
Despite the light haze, a
group of 17 community gardeners
– a mix of children and the elderly
– are engaged in lively banter at a
garden on the top of a multi-storey
carpark at Block 372A, Jurong
East Street 32. There is a mission
at hand: They have to harvest four
planter beds of kangkong.
Halfway into the job, the motley
group breaks out into song and
dance, belting out the Malay folk
song Lenggang Kangkong.
Strangers may be forgiven for
mistaking the group of volunteers
as family, for they are as close as
one could get.
“We don’t just do gardening, we
also share our harvests with other
residents, and organise potluck
sessions almost every other day,”
says 57-year-old garden leader
and full time housewife Madam
Kamisah Atan.
“Before joining, I felt I had not
fully integrated into Singapore
society. Now I feel like I’m part
of a large family,” says Mr Zhang
Lei from Shanghai, who became a
permanent resident in 2013.
The 36-year-old mould engineer,
who spends two hours every
weekend watering and growing
flowers, finds gardening a great
form of stress relief.
Launched in 2012, Sky Garden@
Jurong Central is as an expansion
of the community garden at Block
372, which was, in turn, started in
2004.
Occupying the sixth storey
of the carpark, it is the first
elderly-friendly rooftop garden
in Singapore designed to be
wheelchair accessible, with
spacious walkways and raised
planter beds so that old folks
need not strain their backs while
gardening. The garden, which
features close to 60 varieties of
Volunteer gardeners from Jurong Central Zone D won the top accolade in the National
Parks Board’s Community in Bloom Awards.
fruits, vegetables and ornamental
flowers, is maintained by 60 active
members, aged seven to 86.
“I know every plant grown
here, they are like my children,”
says 74-year-old Madam Chen
Jiao. A vegetable farmer for close
to 30 years at Jalan Bahar, the
mother of six and grandmother of
35 grandkids has been imparting
basic gardening techniques to
newcomers since she started
Jurong Central Zone B won the Gold
award for their gardens at:
Block 417, Jurong West Street 42
Block 427, Jurong West Avenue 1
volunteering nine years ago.
Their hard work has paid off.
The community garden at Block
372 has clinched the biennial
National Parks Board’s Community
in Bloom Platinum Award three
consecutive times, from 2010 to
2014.
As a result of that achievement,
it was one of 15 gardens in
Singapore to be awarded the
Diamond Award in August 2014.
Jurong Central Zone E won the Silver
award for their gardens at:
Block 308 and 316, Jurong East Street 32
10
Past Events
Events in our neighbourhood
Jurong Central grassroots organisations hold a variety of events
throughout the year. Here are some highlights:
The void deck at Block 425, Jurong West Avenue 1 was transformed
into an art garden by Jurong Central Community Arts & Culture
Club, local artist Ms Aileen Toh and residents. More than 200
residents joined the gARTen by the Green event on 8 Jun 2014.
About 500 residents tried out new and unique sports such as
Speedminton, Handball, fitness workout – Boogie Gold and
wheelchair basketball. They were introduced during the One
Community Walk - Family Sports Fiesta held on 24 Aug 2014.
It was organised by Jurong Central Community Sports Club and
Jurong Green CC Youth Executive Committee.
✁
QUIZ
Please answer the following
questions by ticking the
correct box.
1) What is the date of the next
free clinic under Project Big Heart?
First 20 correct
entries will
win a $10
McDonald’s
voucher
(a) 5 April 2015
(b) 5 May 2015
(c) 5 June 2015
Children of Jurong West Street 42 were dressed in various
costumes to perform their talent acts during the Jurong Central
Zone C RC Children’s day Party on 12 Oct 2014.
2) What is the date of the JC SG50 street party?
(a) 8 August 2015
(b) 8 September 2015
(c) 8 October 2015
Name:
NRIC:
Address:
Contact Number:
E-mail:
An amazing crowd of about 1,000 residents joined the Jurong
Central Zone E RC Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations on 6 Sept 2014.
Please submit your completed quiz at Jurong Green
Community Club’s counter at 6, Jurong West Avenue 1
(opposite Block 492). Operating hours are Mondays to
Sundays, 9am to 10pm, (except Public Holidays).
Closing date: 31 March 2015
11
Memory Lane
Strangers to
neighbourhood buddies
B
ack in 1985, they were all
strangers and new neighbours
settling into the brand new Hong
Kah housing estate.
But over the years, they have
become close friends, watching
each other’s children growing up,
attending festive celebrations and
even going on trips together.
The five friends attribute their
strong bonds to the time they
have spent together as members
of the neighbourhood Residents’
Committee or RC: Organising
community events, sharing meals
after Meet-the-People Session and
helping out other fellow residents
as grassroots volunteers.
Former RC member, Ms
Pearline Wong, 60, a retired
musical voice trainer, recalls:
“When we first moved in, there
were still many flats under
construction. There was only one
bus; service number 98. There was
no polyclinic nor post office.”
Mr James Tan, 57, says there
wasn’t even a proper market: “My
wife would go to Jurong East to
buy supplies.”
Both Mr Tan who is an
engineer with a multinational
firm and Mr Goh Sioh Chin, 63, a
senior executive at the Ministry
of Defence say they became
grassroots members after receiving
fliers in their mailboxes, while Mr
Henry Ho, 55, who runs his own
business, reveals he had “filled in
lots of feedback on how to improve
the estate and was called up for a
meeting and became a volunteer.”
Ms Wong started her journey
when a friend asked her to help
out; while Mr Yap Thian Ling, 63,
also a businessman, was already a
grassroots member at Boon Lay
Former Hong Kah East Zone 7 RC members (from left) Goh Sioh Chin, James Tan, Yap
Thian Ling and Pearline Wong enjoy a cup of tea at the Jurong Green Community Club’s tea
house. Absent from the photo is Henry Ho.
when he moved into Hong Kah in
1985.
Since then, the estate has grown
and split into two: Hong Kah East
and Hong Kah West. Other bits
have also been hived off into new
precincts like Bukit Batok and Gek
Poh Ville. ”
Mr Yap notes that all the 100
odd blocks now have covered
walkways and links. “The first
community centre was really a void
deck area unlike today, where we
have all the modern facilities at
Jurong Green Community Club.”
Says Mr Goh: “We have now
become a matured estate with two
elderly care centres; many younger
ones grew up and have moved to
other estates. Meanwhile, we also
have new citizens and PRs taking
their place.”
Commemorative plaques that show the development and growth of the estate – opening
of a Hong Kah Central Resident Committee Centre in 1988, and upgrading of a Senior
Citizens’ Corner in 2003.