PM Wong engages with 300 families at West Coast community event

St Joseph's Institution student Joewin was pleasantly surprised to see Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at a community event in West Coast on Saturday (July 13) morning. 

The 14-year-old, who was there with his parents and 10-year-old brother, told AsiaOne: "It was very nice because I was able to talk to PM Wong. I also took part in some of the activities and it was very fun." 

The family has been living in Boon Lay for 19 years. 

While Joewin did not manage to get a photo with PM Wong, throngs of other residents did, as they lined up for snaps.

Last month, PM Wong said he plans to visit different constituencies over the coming months to meet as many Singaporeans as he can, reported The Straits Times.

It was something he reiterated at Saturday's PA Family Playground event in West Coast, which is organised by PA Family Life Champions and West Coast GRC and Pioneer Grassroots Organisations (GROs). 

Launched last month, the family-centric flagship programme encourages families to play, learn and show appreciation for one another. It was held at four different locations, with the final stop at West Coast Community Centre. 

There were plenty of cheer and chatter at the CC, as some 300 families turned up in the morning. As of 4pm, around 1,000 families had attended the event, said People's Association.

Among them was Tan Wei Hong, who brought his family down to check out the activities, which included a soap-making workshop and a bouncy castle. 

The 39-year-old regional director was accompanied by his wife, their two sons aged three and five, and his mother. The family spent about two hours visiting the various stations and participating in the activities. 

"[My children] are very excited and running all over. My wife is also sweating from all the activities," Tan said. 

He added that the PA Family Playground was a good opportunity for him and his wife to spend some quality time with the boys. "I travel a lot because of work, so my weekends are dedicated to [my sons]." 

It was a sentiment echoed by Joewin's father, Caxton Raja. "It's quite difficult to spend time as a family nowadays, because my wife and I work, and the kids are in school. So we try to spend our weekends together by attending these events, or going cycling." 

Apart from PM Wong, West Coast GRC MPs Desmond Lee, Foo Mee Har, Rachel Ong and Ang Wei Neng as well as Pioneer SMC MP Patrick Tay also graced the event.

Speaking to the crowd, PM Wong said that he was heartened to see the strong connections among the families and residents present. 

"From the great-grandmother all the way to the fourth generation, all living close by and keeping in touch... Your families, your loved ones, your neighbours, all that contributes to a sense of home and belonging," he added.

READ ALSO: More can be done to encourage dads to take a bigger role in their families: PM Wong

claudiatan@asiaone.com