Published by Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council MCI(P)131/11/2016 December 2016 Issue No 3

In Singapore’s golden jubilee year we heard a lot about ‘heritage’, but as residents of a Town only formed one year ago, what ‘heritage’ do we have? Enough to fill several books, actually. But this is a newsletter, so it only has three pages here – 7 to 9.

You have probably seen a Battery Operated Cart like this, pulling a big green rubbish bin. But you may not have seen some of the newer machines the Town Council has specified in its recent conservancy contracts.

MY Kampung

Better, Faster,

Cheaper

More on pages 4-5.

More on pages 13-15.

Eat out. Eat well.The Health Promotion Board has made it easier for you to do that by asking stallholders to display ‘Healthier Choice’ decals. There are reviews of four ‘healthier’ foodstalls and Mdm Halimah has shared her recipe for a healthier sayur lodeh.

RememberLorongFatimah?

Kampong Lorong Fatimah, the last coastal kampong in Singapore, was demolished in 1989 when the land was needed for an extension of the Woodlands Checkpoint. Above the roofs of the houses you can see part of Woodlands New Town, built in 1972.

This surau in the village continued in use until the An Nur mosque was built on Admiralty Road. The villagers used to work as fishermen or ferrymen between Woodlands and Johor Bahru. As the Woodlands industrial estate developed, many moved out to work there.

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Dear ResidentsDo you ever look out of a window in your flat, and wonder what you would have seen out there thirty years ago? Fifty years ago? Before that?

Some of you may have moved in thirty years ago. So you would know where the kampongs used to be. And exactly where your kampong was.

But go back more than 50 years and the history of Singapore gets misty for most of us.

So we thought it would be good, in this issue of MY Kampung, to have a quick look at how this part of Singapore developed over the years. How Choa Chu Kang got its name. How you could go to Kuala Lumpur by train before there was a Causeway. What started the orchid farming. Why Sungei Kadut has furniture factories.

At the end of our little history we mention some of the big plans for development of our Town in the years ahead. And on later pages we show you plans for four improvements coming up soon.

Though the kampongs have gone, the kam-pong spirit can live on. As the villagers did in the early days, we can work together to improve our homes and to care for each other.

I’m not suggesting we go back to gotong royong. Most improvements around our homes are now handled by a Relevant Authority. But someone has to speak up about what’s needed. We all need to make sure the improvements are maintained. Neighbours will always need to look out for each other.

We are no longer villagers living in Singapore: we are citizens of Singapore. Good citizenship is the kampung spirit, alive and well in the twenty-first century!

I wish you happiness in this festive season and all through the New Year.

Alex Yam ZimingChairman

Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council

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亲爱的居民你们可曾从自己的组屋内望向窗外，想象30年前那里的景象如何？50年前如何？更早的时候又是如何？　

你们当中，有些人或许是30年前搬进来的。所以你们应该知道，当时各个甘榜坐落在哪里，自己的甘榜又坐落在哪里。　

但是，如果我们追溯到50年前的历史，恐怕大多数人都会感到模糊不清。　

因此，我们认为在本期的《我的甘榜》（MY Kampung）里，最好还是回顾一下我们这里过去多年来的发展经过，包括蔡厝港名称的由来、新柔长堤未建之前人们如何搭乘火车到吉隆坡、胡姬种植业如何开始、为何双溪加株会有傢俬厂之设等等。

在结束我们的简史之前，我们也提出了我们市镇未来发展的一些重大计划。而在较后的篇章里，我们则公布了不久即将落实的四项改进计划。　

虽然甘榜已经消失，但是甘榜精神犹在。我们也能和昔日的村民一样，共同努力改善我们的家园，大家互相关怀，互相照顾。

我并不是建议我们回到过去的“合作精神”（gotong royong）。我们住家周围的改进项目，现在是由一个专门机构处理，但必需有人提出我们所需要的是什么。我们大家都必须确保这些改进项目获得维修，得到保养。邻居们都必须守望相助。

我们已不再只是寄居新加坡的村民。我们已成为新加坡公民。良好的公民意识就是甘榜精神，在21世纪里生机勃勃，不断发展！　

我在这里恭祝大家佳节快乐，在新的一年里万事如意！　

任梓铭主席

马西岭-油池市镇理事会

Para Penduduk yang dihormatiPernahkan anda melihat ke luar tingkap dan

membayangkan apa yang mungkin anda lihat tiga puluh tahun yang lalu? Lima puluh tahun yang lalu? Bagaimana pula zaman sebelum itu?

Ada di antara anda yang berpindah ke kawasan ini tiga puluh tahun yang lalu. Oleh itu, tentu sekali anda akan tahu di mana letaknya kampung-kampung di kawasan ini. Dan tentu sekali di mana letaknya kampung anda.

Tetapi imbas kembali pada masa 50 tahun yang lalu dan ramai daripada kita yang akan tersentuh dengan sejarah Singapura.

Oleh itu, amat sesuai jika kita dapat mengimbas kembali bagaimana bahagian utara Singapura ini dibangunkan selama ini dalam terbitan MY Kam-pung kali ini. Bagaimana Choa Chu Kang menda-pat namanya. Bagaimana anda boleh pergi ke KL dengan kereta api sebelum terbinanya Causeway. Apa yang menyebabkan bermulanya pertanian orkid. Mengapa ada banyak kilang perabot di Sungei Kadut.

Di akhir sejarah kecil kita, kami berkongsi men-genai beberapa rancangan besar untuk pembangu-nan Bandaran kita pada masa hadapan. Dan pada halaman-halaman seterusnya, kami akan berkongsi dengan anda empat peningkatan yang akan dijalan-kan tidak lama lagi.

Walaupun kampung-kampung sudah lama hilang, kita masih boleh meneruskan semangat kekampungan. Kita boleh bekerjasama untuk men-ingkatkan tempat tinggal kita dan saling mengambil berat, sama seperti penduduk-penduduk kampung sebelumnya.

Saya tidak memaksudkan tentang menghidup-kan semangat gotong-royong. Kebanyakan pen-ingkatan di sekitar kawasan perumahan kita kini dikendalikan oleh pihak berkuasa yang berkenaan.

Namun, kita ingin mendengar suara orang ramai mengenai apa yang diperlukan. Kita semua perlu memastikan peningkatan yang dijalankan sentiasa disenggara. Jiran tetangga perlu sentiasa saling perhati-perhatikan antara satu sama lain.

Kita bukan lagi penduduk kampung di Sin-gapura; kita rakyat Singapura. Kerakyatan yang baik ialah semangat kekampungan, yang masih wujud dalam abad yang ke-dua puluh satu!

Semoga anda berbahagia pada musim perayaan dan sepanjang Tahun Baharu yang bakal menjelang.

Alex Yam ZimingPengerusi

Majlis Bandaran Marsiling-Yew Tee

2 MY Kampung

Planting trees in our TownSince 1971, we have been planting trees all across Singapore every November. In our Town, we

added altogether 36 trees to the common areas this year. May they grow big, strong and healthy – just like some of the kids who were all too eager to help with the plantings.

December 2016 3

There are new terms in the Town Council’s conservancy contracts – written to ensure contractors are more efficient in their work and accountable for it.

The Town Council has to do more than keep your block clean and tidy. They have to make sure the

equipment in the playground is safe, that there are no mosquitoes breeding up on the roof, that there are no rats in the bin centre – and dozens of other maintenance tasks, many of which you never see or hear about.

The Town Council tries to do it all a little better every year, while keeping your Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) as low as they can.

New machines are a big help. With the right machine, one workman can do the work of two men – and often do it better and in less time.

New terms make five machines compulsoryAny conservancy contractor working for the Town Council must now have a ride-on scrubber, a hot water high pres-sure washer, a one-man operated refuse collector, a battery operated cart and a ride-on sweeper.

Better,Faster,Cheaper

The ride-on scrubber is a battery-powered machine that lays down detergent and water, scrubs the tiles, then wipes them almost dry. It is ideal for giving lift lobbies and linkways a regular thorough cleaning.

4 MY Kampung

But you know how it is: without proper maintenance, machines break down. Postpone replacing a battery, and you have to phone for help; or skip what you were going to do.

The Town Council has now made maintenance of their machines compul-sory for our conservancy contractors. They have to make their own contracts with their machine suppliers for regular maintainance and monthly reports.

So the scrubbing, cleaning and sweeping can always be done as sched-uled by the Town Council.

No place to hide for the ratsUnder the new terms, conservancy contractors are also responsible for rat control. And not just inside the bin compounds, hawker centres and eat-ing houses. The contractors are now responsible for monitoring and control-ling rodents in all surrounding areas within 10 metres of those places.

Contractors have to submit monthly reports on rodent control as well as machine maintenance. For jobs like washing, scrubbing and sweeping, they

Rats who choose to live a distance from their food source are now targeted in the Town Council’s contracts.

A ride-on sweeper is a fast and efficient way of sweeping the roadways and parking lots in our estates.

With a smartphone in his hands, a foreman can report the progress of any job, and send status photos, to the Town Council officer in charge of that job.

The hot water high pressure washer looks like the high pressure washer used to wash the common areas monthly – until you look closely. The cart does more than pressurise the water, it heats it. Hot enough to lift the oil stains in the car park!

From one side, a one-man operated refuse

collector looks like a standard battery

operated cart pulling a green wheeled bin. But on the other side

it has a hydraulic arm that can hoist and empty the heaviest

bin at the touch of a button!

have to report through a mobile appli-cation, as soon as the task is completed.

All by smartphoneUnder the new contracts, every fore-man and supervisor must have a smart-phone to log items completed on his schedule, as they are completed. Then the Town Council’s officers can monitor and rate that work, in real time.

With other terms requiring work-ers to have certificates of training and proper employment contracts at approved rates of pay, the Town Coun-cil expects these new conservancy con-tracts to eliminate many of the excuses for poor performance we have heard in the past.

December 2016 5

NRPs in Woodgrove & Yew TeeProposed Hilltop Gathering Place at the summit of Yew Tee Park.

Proposed extended corridor at Blocks 615 and 616.

Renewed barbecue area.

“We made so many suggestions, that we couldn’t keep track!” - Mr Kyan Htoo Aye and Ms Myo Sandar.

“We think this place could use some changes. These designs are not simple.” - Mr and Mrs Anoo Saharajan

Rebuilding of high covered linkway over Block 426A, with wider roof eaves to double as drop-off porch.

Barrier-free access ramp from Block 427 to Woodlands Street 41.

Augustine Joseph was pleased to see the BBQ pits would have a water supply and be covered, as they had suggested.

Mr Jasman Sennen liked the block to block links but hoped a link from the bus stop to the traffic lights could be added.

The NRP will make a big difference for Mr and Mrs Jason Or, particularly the new linkways.

“This upgrade will cost $8 million. We have heard your feedback and added more shelter like everyone wanted. But remember, to go ahead, you need to vote YES.” - Mr Ong Teng Koon

NRPs are big upgrades to a neighbourhood that ben-efit more than one precinct.

Because of the scale of the upgrade, more things can be considered – always bearing in mind the benefitting resi-dents and cost constraints.

Upon announcement, the working committee invites suggestions from residents and presents them in an exhibition of plans. Those affected then have the chance – and are encouraged – to give their feedback. More shelter? Swap the ratio of playgrounds to fitness corners? All suggestions are welcomed.

After considering all the feedback, the committee holds a second exhibi-tion, incorporating all the new ideas they can into the plans.

An NRP is paid for by the govern-ment, but needs a YES vote to proceed.

Neighbourhood Renewal Programmes for Yew Tee (above) and Woodgrove (below) are near the final stages of consensus gathering – and seeing strong support.

6 MY Kampung

A street directory for the northern part of Singapore printed in 1860 shows only Bukit Timah Road and Seletar Road. Mandai Road is not marked although it was cut across the island in 1855. Most traffic at that time was by boat and bullock cart. The railway linking Kranji with the port of Singapore did not open until 1907.

Singapore seems to be marked on a map drawn by the Greco-Roman Ptolemy in the second century.

And there are Chinese records from the third century of Pu Luo Zhong, a transliteration of the Malay pulau ujong or “island at the end”. But probably the best information we have of the really early days here are the result of recent excavations at Fort Canning.

The evidence shows that in the four-teenth century Singapore was an impor-tant port for trade between Malays and Chinese. At that time it seems to have been known as Temasek, or “Sea town/port”. It was alternately claimed by the Majapahit and the Siamese, eventually forcing the last prince of Srivijaya to move his sultanate to Malacca from the settlement of Singapura – so named by one of his line according to the story.

Pepper and GambierFirst it was part of the Malacca sultan-ate, later an important trading centre for the sultanate of Johor. But its impor-tance ended in 1613 when Portuguese destroyed the settlement. All this time, its many rivers made Singapore a great haven for pirates. And a magnet for Chinese settlers who came to farm pep-per and gambier beside the rivers.

The Chinese people, mainly Teo-chew, were organised under the Kang-chu system, later formally recognised by the sultanate of Johor. Kangchu, roughly translated as “lord of the river” was the name given to the headman of a settlement. He was given a grant by the sultan to open plantations in the

watershed of a particular river, col-lect taxes and, in effect, to govern that settlement.

A common name for such a settle-ment was Chukang, or “back port”, as it was usually located in the backwaters of a river. It was used with the name of the head or founder of the settlement, as in Lim Chukang. A settlement at the mouth of a river would often have Kangkar, or “river foot” attached to the headman’s name instead of Chukang. Later, Kang alone was often used.

After the sultan of Johor granted the British control of the island, gambier and pepper farming expanded greatly to supply the British dyeing and tan-ning industry. This encouraged the Chinese to find more land for new plan-tations, leading to the clearing of the interior, especially in the north and the west. About 100 square kilometers of the island were given to gambier planta-tions by 1851.

However the soil was exhausted in

these Singapore plantations after about 10 to 15 years, so the growing of pep-per and gambier moved to Johor. It was replaced by pineapple and rubber as the important plantation crops. Pineapple canning started in Singapore the same year Mr Dunlop patented the pneu-matic tyre – 1888.

Rubber and PineapplePepper and gambier grew well together. So did rubber and pineapple. While the owner waited for his rubber trees to grow tall enough for tapping, he could grow pineapple on the same land.

The early Teochew settlers were joined by Hokkiens who established many of these new pineapple, rubber and coconut plantations as well as veg-etable and poultry farms in what is now our Town.

With most of the export crops now grown in Malaya, much of the traffic through the port of Singapore came from north of the island and a railway from the port to Woodlands became essential.

The Singapore-Kranji Railway, with its links to the Federated Malay States Railway, put the whole peninsula at the disposal of the Singapore businessman.

Our Town before 1900

Standing next to the driver is Lim Nee Soon, a very successful rubber

plantion owner, also known at the time as the “Pineapple King”

of Singapore.

The trading port on our island has been known for millenia but, except

for a little fishing, kanchu settlements and some

piracy, not much happened in the north of the island

before the dawn of the twentieth century

Gambier leaves were boiled in water until brown, then pressed to extract liquid. This was dried into a paste, molded into cubes and dried in the sun.

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Our Town before 1965

Who won the Battle of Kranji Beach?Our side. The Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, created at the end of 1941 under Lt Col John Dalley, had a notable victory here on 10 February 1942. The first waves of Imperial guards landed at low tide on the shoreline between the Kranji River and the Causeway, and got stuck in the mud. Allied troops, including the Singapore volunteers (better known as Dalforce or Dalley’s Desperadoes) set fire to oil slicks they created using oil from the nearby Woodlands depot. Unfortunately their success was short-lived because, to avoid being cut off by Japanese troops landing further west, they were ordered to withdraw and the Japanese were able to consolidate their invasion of Singapore.

No. The newspapers reported only 21 deaths in the year 1855. However, when the great Victorian naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, was collecting specimens at Bukit Timah in 1854, he wrote to a colleague, ”In the midst of this entomological banquet there is, however, one drawback ... it is the possibility of being eaten up by a tiger! ... Hundreds of Chinamen are annually devoured. ... I shall therefore most probably leave here in a month or so.” Hunting and clearing the jungle for plantations gradually eliminated the tigers. The last one was shot at the 16th milestone, Choa Chu Kang, on 26 October, 1930, by Mr Ong Kim Hong.

Tigers used to kill one person per day in Singapore?

The foreshore of Kranji was developed for sawmills between 1965 and 1970. It was probably the first reclamation project by the Singapore Land Office and covered over 200 acres. At that time the processing of raw timber for export was a major – and expanding – Singapore industry. Several sawmills also needed to be moved for the redevelopment of Geylang. JTC’s industrial estates here became the centre for wood, cane and rattan processing and more land was reclaimed for them when Sungei Kranji was dammed.

Why are there so many furniture factories here now?

How old are the Kranji Marshes?About 30. The tidal Sungei Kranji had a mangrove habitat that had been gazetted as a nature reserve by the colonial government. (Marked on this 1966 street directory.) Reclamation works in conjunction with the Kranji/Pandan water scheme in the 1970s eliminated much of the eastern area. To the west, a kilometre-long dam constructed across the mouth of the river formed a freshwater reservoir and slowly transformed the mangrove mudflats to marshland. Kranji Marshes are now part of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, just three kilometres from the original Kranji Nature Reserve.

The success of Singapore-Kranji Railway with its ferry connec-tions to the Federated Malay

States grew beyond all expectations. In fact, the traffic became too great for the ferries to handle economically and plans for the Causeway were drawn up.

First for trains only. Then for trains and cars and trucks. Then for a railway, a roadway and a pipeline.

As the First World War came to an end far away, 2,000 workers started the task of building a lock, a drawbridge and dropping millions of tons of rock in a line one kilometre long.

The work started well, and with rub-ber and tin prices at record highs, the huge cost of the project seemed man-ageable. However, in 1920 a world-wide recession savaged the colonial economy. At the same time, the Royal Navy called for the half-built lock to be altered to accomodate large warships.

The two factors almost convinced the colonial governments to abandon the work, but they pressed on with it. Most of the work was done during the recession and was completed in 1924.

At this time the British government decided to build a massive naval base in Singapore as a shield against any Japa-nese land grab.

The first half of twentieth century saw amazing development in the northern part of Singapore, triggered by the construction of the

Singapore-Kranji Railway, then the Causeway, then

HMS Sembawang.

The Japanese invasion of Manchuria sparked a speedup in construction at Sembawang and the base was completed in 1939 – with supporting artillery bat-teries around the island and airfields the length of the peninsula.

However, with World War II raging in the West, the Allies were caught flat-footed when Japan struck in the East. The artillery batteries were without nec-essary shells. The flyable airplanes were few and dated. There was no fleet in the Naval Base. Two months after Pearl Harbour, the Japanese took Singapore.

Life was hard during the Occupation, but residents in the farming communi-ties here usually had enough to eat.

When peace came, the Singapore War Memorial was built at Kranji, to commemorate, by name, 24,000 British Commonwealth servicemen and women who “gave their lives in Malaya and neighbouring lands.” Another 4,000 are buried in the cemetery there.

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8 MY Kampung

The foreshore of Kranji was developed for sawmills between 1965 and 1970. It was probably the first reclamation project by the Singapore Land Office and covered over 200 acres. At that time the processing of raw timber for export was a major – and expanding – Singapore industry. Several sawmills also needed to be moved for the redevelopment of Geylang. JTC’s industrial estates here became the centre for wood, cane and rattan processing and more land was reclaimed for them when Sungei Kranji was dammed.

Why are there so many furniture factories here now?

By ferry. In 1903 Singapore port already ranked seventh in the world in tonnage handled, and much of that tonnage came down from Malaya. To facilitate this trade, the Singapore-Kranji Railway was completed from the Singapore docks to Woodlands in 1907 and the Federated Malay States Railway was completed to Johor in 1908. Ferries linked the two and passenger and goods traffic boomed. A train ferry was added in 1909, capable of carrying up to six carriages. Another was added in 1910. But it became obvious that a causeway had to be built to carry the ever-increasing traffic volume. Construction of the Causeway started in 1919 and was officially completed in 1924.

How did you get to Johor before the Causeway?

Because a long line of research into the in-vitro culture of plants led to the mericloning of an orchid in France by George Morel in 1960. In the process, a small piece of tissue is taken from a high quality orchid. The tissue is made into tiny pieces and grown in a laboratory. Many exact copies of the orchid can be produced in a relatively short time. This cloning technique was enthusiatically adopted in South East Asia where the climate suits the growth of many varieties of orchid. With tropical fish, orchid growing became a new, thriving agro-industry in the late 60s with Singapore exporting more than ten million stalks each year.

Why were there so many orchid farms here?

How old are the Kranji Marshes?About 30. The tidal Sungei Kranji had a mangrove habitat that had been gazetted as a nature reserve by the colonial government. (Marked on this 1966 street directory.) Reclamation works in conjunction with the Kranji/Pandan water scheme in the 1970s eliminated much of the eastern area. To the west, a kilometre-long dam constructed across the mouth of the river formed a freshwater reservoir and slowly transformed the mangrove mudflats to marshland. Kranji Marshes are now part of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, just three kilometres from the original Kranji Nature Reserve.

The factory of Metal Box Co of Malaysia Ltd stood here from 1949 to 1975. It could produce 120,000,000 pineapple cans per year.

Yew Tee means “oil pond” in Teochew and the village probably took its name from an oil storage depot here during the Japanese occupation.

Lorong Limbang, after which the HDB estate was named, does not appear on the 1966 map, but it is here on the 1969 edition.

Marsiling RoadLim Nee Soon, who made a fortune growing rubber and pineapple in this area, built a bungalow on the hill here and called it Marsiling, or Maxiling. “Maxi” after his home village in China, “Ling” meaning hill. The road was named after the house, and the village of Nee Soon after the man.

Here at Rotherham Gate. It covered 54 square kilometres and took 16 years to build. It had sufficient oil storage tanks to support the whole of the Royal Navy for six months – and what was at the time the largest dry dock in the world.

Yew TeeVillage

Where did the Naval Base begin?

Some plans for the further devel-opment of our Town are firm, some are under development

and still unclear. Others are no more, at this stage, than good ideas. Future possibilities.

A major item, already under con-tract, is the conversion of the old rail-way right-of-way to a Green Corridor.

Blueprints also call for the Kranji- Sungei Kadut industrial hub to be revitalised. Already many of the plots developed 40 to 50 years ago have been returned to the JTC and new developments and wide new roads are being built in the area.

PUB plans to have just three water reclamation plants connected by the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System to

serve the needs of Singapore. One of the three will be in Kranji.

It will be a very modern mixed industrial area and will include residential and recreational facilities.

A station on the North South MRT, NS6, between Yew Tee and Kranji has always been planned. When opened, it will make a home or job here attractive.

Particularly if the Downtown Line is extended from the Gali Batu Depot to an interchange at NS6.

And if that extension had a stop around Stagmont, it would give resi-dents in the southern part of our Town a choice of MRT lines!

What may the future hold?

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December 2016 9

Of the 13 improvement projects underway in

Woodgrove the senior citizens who

have moved into the studio apartments in Treetrail and Treegrove value this

covered linkway the most.

The new awning to be installed at Block 787

Choa Chu Kang North 6 in

Limbang will be a boon to all the residents who queue here

to meet their MP.Especially when it rains!

Right now, the Town Council is working on 13 projects in Woodgrove. This is one of two

covered linkways under construction, along with an extension to a multi-purpose hall and a hardcourt. They are also installing and upgrading several playgrounds and starting on the LSS.

However, this particular covered linkway was requested by many elderly residents who enjoy shopping, eating or meeting friends at “888”.

From Block 887C Woodlands Drive 50 to the 888 Plaza, the linkway will cross two services roads. It will be raised, so the crossing will be level if you have a shopping trolley or wheel-chair to manage.

Costing over $100,000.00, construc-tion should be completed by the third quarter of 2017.

Improvement projects in our Town

more comfortable for those queuing on rainy days. To be completed by April 2017, it will also protect them from any dangerous high-rise littering.

The second stretch of awning will stop the rain blowing into an existing seating area on the ground level. Here a screen will be fixed at the second level, above the awning, to stop the rain blowing in from up there.

This is just one of six projects in hand for Limbang. The other five are two covered linkways, a playground upgrading, a ramp, and a park shelter.

Awning

Covered Linkway

This seating area is also the where grown-ups wait

for kindergarten kids on a rainy day. It can get

quite wet if there’s wind as well as

rain!

The seven blocks in Tree Grove were completed

over three years ago, but the six blocks in Tree Trail only a year ago.

Some months ago, residents asked for enhancements to the common

area here. The Town Council paved and landscaped a circle in front of the Spar-kletots kindergarten, and put in some park benches and lights.

The new awning will make things

10 MY Kampung

Of the ten improvement projects coming up in

Yew Teethe installation of CCTV

cameras in 76 lifts is the game changer. The cameras will help the

Police stop crime while helping the Town Council keep the lifts clean and in

good order.

In Yew Tee, the Town Council has in hand the construction of a covered linkway, a drop-off porch, a senior

citizens’ corner, a banner structure and the installation or upgrading of two playgrounds and three fitness corners ... and the start of the installation of an LSS in all the lifts.

A total of 440 lifts will be linked to the system in Limbang and Yew Tee, 76 of which will be linked in Yew Tee by March 2017, at a cost of $167,000. The Town Council hopes to complete the

LSS – Lift Surveillance Systemwhole surveillance system by 2018.

While the cameras in the lifts will help the Town Council catch anyone who vandalises, litters or urinates in the lifts, their main purpose is security. There will be no “dummy” cameras and every minute of every hour will be recorded and stored.

If the Police are called in to inves-tigate a case of molest, harassment or loan-sharking, they will have camera footage taken in the lifts as well as the footage taken by their own cameras.

The Police cameras were installed as part of the $160-million Community Policing System over the past two years. They are fitted at key entry and exit points, such as stairwells, lift lobbies and multi-storey carparks.

Block 641 was the first block to get the Town Council’s cameras. A resident there, Mr S. K. Yong was full of praise for the upgrade. “The cameras benefit us. They make it safer. They help catch the loan sharks, molesters, and the peo-ple who drop litter in the lifts,” he said.

Improvement projects in our TownMr S. K. Yong

Multi-Purpose Hall

This Multi-Purpose Hall between Blocks 3 and 4 in

Marsiling is one of two to be built within the year. Another

big project is a covered link from Blocks 6 to 19!

Up to now, volunteers providing hot meals for about 50 residents in these rental blocks have to

serve their food at the void deck. Not convenient at all!

Similarly, indoor exercises arranged by the RC have to be held at the void deck. The neighbourhood will really ben-efit with this multi-purpose hall (MPH) between Blocks 3 and 4.

The only other neighbourhood in Marsiling without an MPH will get one too – between Blocks 205 and 206.

And, as promised last year, you will be able to walk, under cover, from Block 6 to the market and hawker cen-tre at Blocks 20 and 21!

The two multi-purpose halls are similar and quite

large – about 250m2. Each will cost

$200,000 and should be up by the third

quarter of 2017.

December 2016 11

4,458 lamp posts in our Town are being checked for safety

A good lamp post will last for 15 to 20 years, but all lamp posts corrode over time. The steel they are made of rusts away, particularly at the root,

where they enter the earth or concrete.One way to ensure all the lamp posts in the Town are

safe is to replace them all, say, every 15 years. But that’s wasteful – many will still be sound.

Digging around the root of each post then looking for rust and holes is the old-fashioned way of checking to see which posts need replacement.

Our contractors use a special electromagnetic tech-nique to measure the thickness of the metal in the lamp post 30cm above ground – where rust develops very slowly. Then 10cm below ground, in the critical area. A computer in the device works out how much steel has rusted away.

Having tested thousands of lamp posts, they can advise the Town Council when posts need replacement – and when to schedule the next safety check.

You may have seen a worker with a white instrument the size of a shoebox, digging around the root of a lamp post in your neighbourhood. He was checking its safety.

1. First the post, the lamp and its number are all photographed and their condition checked visually, for dents and other damage.

2. Soil around the root of the post is cleared to a depth of 10cm.

3. Soil and rust are scraped from the root of the post.

4. Another visual inspection and

more photographs.

5. Readings are taken at four

points around the post, 30cm above

ground level.

6. The four read-ings are averaged by

the device and set the standard for measur-ing how much metal

may have been lost at the root.

8. The whole job takes about five minutes. All the

results are recorded in the device and the tablet. Finally

the turf is replaced, and you’d never

know that this lamp post has been

inspected inside out.

7. Now readings are taken at four

points around the post, 10cm below

ground level.They indicate

the loss of metal when compared

with the readings taken 30cm above

ground level.

12 MY Kampung

The PAP Seniors Group, or PAP.SG, is an interest group that champions elderly causes and works on issues that

affect the lives of our elderly. In October PAP. SG launched eight recipe

cards, Recipes from the Heart, to promote healthy living for seniors and their families.

As the Prime Minister said at the launch of the collection, “You want to eat healthy, but you don’t have to eat boring. Each recipe shows that it can be tasty, simple to prepare, but also good for you and help you stay well.”

The recipes were contributed by four PAP.SG activists, and four Members of Parliament.

low fat sayur lodehPreparation time: 30 mins.

Cooking time: 25 mins. Serves: 4

Spice Paste • 2 tbsp chili paste• 2 tsp dried shrimp paste (belacan)• 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped• 3 garlic cloves, sliced• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into ½ inch lengths• 1 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in hot water for

10 mins to soften• 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced• 2 tsp turmeric powder• 1 tbsp oil

Other Ingredients• 1 tbsp oil• 500ml coconut water (from fresh coconuts or

carton – with no added sugar)• 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds• ½ head cabbage, sliced thickly• 12 long bean, cut into 1½ inch lengths• ½ turnip, cut into thick strips• 2 pieces tau kwa (firm bean curd cakes), quar-

tered and pan-fried in small amount of oil till golden brown

• 250ml low-fat milk or unsweetened soya milk• 1 tbsp low-fat yogurt• 1 tsp salt• ½ tsp ground white pepper

Method1. Pound or blend the spices into a paste and set

aside.2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, and saute the

spice paste on low to medium heat till fragrant.

3. Add coconut water and bring to a boil.4. Add carrots and simmer for 5 mins before

adding the rest of the vegetables and tau kwa. 5. Bring to a boil again, and then add milk or

soya milk and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 mins, or until vegetables are cooked.

7. Serve hot with brown rice.

Chairperson for PAP.SG, Mdm Halimah Yacob, gave her recipe for low fat sayur lodeh.

Mdm Halimah said, “Healthier options such as brown rice ... help families become aware of the choices available for healthier meals. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Healthy eating is a lifestyle choice.”

Some Town Council staff cooked (and some more ate) the recipe in the office, to see what sayur lodeh was like without coconut milk. They loved it – see comments below.

You can download the recipes in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil at www.pap.org.sg/pap-sg/latest/news/recipes-from-the-heart

“It’s good. I don’t miss the coconut milk.”

“Are you sure there’s no

coconut milk in there?”

“Flavour is very rich.

Spiciness is just right.”

“I prefer this one.”

Mdm Halimah’s sayur lodeh“Aroma is good.

Coconut is just right.”

Six of the eight contributors with the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the launch; (left to right) Dr Lily Neo, Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Darryl David, Mr Jaykumar, Mdm Sa’diah Imbek, Ms Eunice Wang.

“Mmmm. Good! Soft. Sweet. Just right.”

December 2016 13

Eat out. Eat well.Eating out? Look out for eateries with the ‘Healthier Choice’ decal for healthier food and drink options. Different types of decals like ‘Lower in calories’, ‘Higher in whole-grains’ and ‘We use healthier oils’ can be easily spotted at store fronts – so you can make even better choices.

The one thing most Singaporeans miss about home after a trip abroad is that plate of fragrant chicken rice or some

crispy prata. We are a nation that loves our food. And as we lead busy lives, most of us frequently eat out.

So, how do we maintain a healthy lifestyle when surrounded by the wide variety of cuisine available all over the island? It’s not that dif-ficult. All you need to do is reduce calories by making better choices at food outlets.

Takeout food and beverages usually contain higher calories, so being mindful about what you consume can go a long way. The occasional indulgence is acceptable, but it is still important to know if you have exceeded your daily calorie intake when eating out.

To encourage more people to jump on the healthy bandwagon, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has introduced key initiatives to help make healthier food options more avail-able and accessible to all.

Healthy Eating, Every Day Did you know that an eat-out meal contains 700 calories on average? The National Nutrition Survey 2010 showed that an increasing number of Singaporeans are consuming more calories than they need on a daily basis, with six in 10 exceeding the recommended energy intake1.

Finding a healthier meal with the right amount of calories in a foodie’s paradise like Singapore can be challenging. However, it’s now much easier to enjoy healthier and tasty meals with the Healthier Dining Programme

- a HPB initiative that encourages F&B busi-nesses to offer healthier items. About 1,600 food stalls currently offer lower-calorie meal options and have incorporated healthier ingre-dients in their core menus.

Several quick-service restaurant chains have also introduced healthier alternatives for set meals at no added cost for people to eat on the go. This way, you get to choose from a variety of readily available food that is both healthier and tasty.

When looking through menus at participat-ing F&B outlets, pick healthier items that can be easily recognised with the ‘Healthier Choice’ decals. These dishes have been created to taste good, pack in a punch of rich nutritional value and yet be lower in calories.

For this issue of My Kampung, the food team visited four food outlets in our Town, all serving healthier meals that were both good tasting and economical.

1On average, an adult male requires about 2,200 calories a day, while an adult female requires 1,800 calories. The values indicated are calculated based on the average weight and physical activity level of the Singaporean male and female. The daily calorie intake may vary depending on factors such as age, weight and activity level. If you are an office worker, you may not require as many calories as a salesperson who’s always on the move.

Eat here

14 MY Kampung

What could be healthier than chicken rice? Shen Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice at the Block 787B Choa Chu

Kang Drive eating house. “A neighbouring stall-holder suggested we buy the healthier cooking oil – and customers seem to like it,” said Mr Poh who has worked here for 13 years. “We had more customers before Yew Tee Point opened across the way.” He usually cooks 15 chickens a day, ten roasted and five white. “The younger people prefer the roasted.” Most of his customers are residents from neighbour-ing blocks who come to eat a meal here. He also offers them roast pork, char siew and vegetables in oyster sauce. The rice and broth he serves with the meats are excellent. “I add a little salt, sugar and fried onion to the rice,” he said. Healthy and good value: all dishes are $2 to $4 dollars. Open 9am to 8pm every day, closed every other Wednesday.

If you are really keen on eating healthy, then you probably eat a salad every day. Visit Take Out and you can have a dif-

ferent salad every day. This stall at B1-40 Yew Tee Point puts a selection of salad ingredients before you, and you choose what goes into your plastic box – the size of which you also choose. The price you decide to pay decides how many items you can choose from each of the sections – main ingredients, proteins and toppings. Then you come to the dressings where the choice is mind-boggling. Everything is very fresh and well-prepared. Service is helpful and, thankfully, patient. You really can’t miss. Prices between $6 and $10. Open 10am to 10pm daily. Note: You can order on-line and have it delivered by FoodPanda.

You live in Marsiling? Your world got a little better recently when the Al Ameen Eating Corner opened at

35 Marsiling Industrial Estate Road 3, over-looking the greenery beside Woodlands Ave-nue 5. It’s a high-ceiling space that’s open on two sides with specialty food stalls on the other two. Bright and airy, it has over 50 tables and dozens of waiters ready to help you order. With the variety on offer, you may need a little help. Everything is halal, but the cooking styles are from all over Asia. We had chicken tikka – deli-cious. What could be healthier? It was skinless and oven cooked! And we tried a plain naan, straight from the tandoor, $1.20. Great. The waiter told us their garlic naan was a favourite

Ayam penyet has become a real favourite in Singapore, and a dish you can enjoy while making healthy choices at the

Malay Cuisine stall in Bai Sheng food court, 888 Plaza. Asia Ghani started the stall when the place was built about 20 years ago. Now her son and daughter run it with Hasmah, who has been working with them for six years. “Many customers asked us, ‘What type of oil do you use?’ They wanted us to use a healthier oil.” So they do. Their ayam penyet tastes as good as it looks, and their chili sauce is also excel-lent. They told us big favourites were their nasi goreng kampong, with its special blachan paste, and their mee hor fun. These are among their nine a-la-carte dishes available after 2pm. Their

sambal goreng is cooked on weekends only and their roti prata stops at 11 am. So you must pick your day and time to try this stall. It’s a bargain! All dishes are priced between $1 and $6. Open 6am to 10pm.

available after 4pm. So we tried it. Equally great. But $2.20! Open – and with roti prata available – 24/7. Average customer’s food and drink, $7-$8. Plenty of parking in the building.

December 2016 15

You can reach your Town Council at:Block 306A Woodlands Street 31, #02-00, Singapore 731306Phone: 6430 7800Fax: 6362 4822Email: feedback@myttc.org.sgFor Payment / CollectionMonday to Friday: 8am to 4.30pm Saturday: 8am to 12.30pm Sunday and Public Holidays: ClosedFor Maintenance & General FeedbackMonday to Friday: 8am to 5pm Saturday: 8am to 1pm Sunday and Public Holidays: Closed

Our photos show a technician checking a lamp post. Can you

spot the five places where the two pho-tos differ? Circle them and you could be one of four lucky winners of a $30 shopping voucher! Send your entry to: Puzzle, CorpComm Dept, Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council, Block 306A Woodlands Street 31, #02-00, Singapore 731306. Contest closes 3 March 2017.

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Whether it was a need for (safe) speeds or a picture with the Pikachu balloon

auntie brigade you wanted, our GRC Family Day, held on 30 October at the Mega Sports Park next to Block 336 Woodlands Avenue 1, had it all.

Our MPs welcomed us to the carni-val, and started it well, with the launch of Marsiling - Yew Tee GRC Cares. Over five months, grassroots volunteers had collected some 38,000 drink can tabs, earning a total of $40,000 in dona-tion for the needy. “Must have been a

Our Family Day

Congratulations to the four winners of the August 2016 PUZZLE: Lee Yi Xuan, Hong Yew Chong, Toh Siow Chin, and Yeoh Swan Gek. They will be noti-fied by phone or post.

good time to sell drinks in this town,” said the emcee, Pornsak.

And after that, it was caution to the winds. There were go-karts and bumper cars – even pony rides. For the less hands-on, stunt motorcyclists and skateboarders showed us how, for just a little while, anyone can fly. It’s the land-ing that gets you.

There was even a bit of drama – a lit-tle girl got stuck at the top of the climb-ing wall. She was never in danger, but you should have heard the crowd cheer and clap when she was helped down!

16 MY Kampung