SM Lee unveils future improvements in Ang Mo Kio, calls for residents' continued support

SINGAPORE - From upgraded markets and food centres to Silver Zones and Friendly Streets that make the town safer for the elderly, Ang Mo Kio has seen many improvements in the past five years.

There will be more improvements to look forward to in the next five years, with residents' continued support and the leadership of the town councillors, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on March 15.

Speaking at the launch of the Ang Mo Kio town council masterplan, he added that the plan will continue to focus on caring for both the young and seniors, fostering inclusivity and enhancing sustainability across the town's seven divisions - Ang Mo Kio-Hougang, Cheng San-Seletar, Fernvale, Jalan Kayu, Teck Ghee, Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang.

This includes better shared spaces like upgraded community clubs in Cheng San-Seletar and Yio Chu Kang, both of which are under renovation, and new playgrounds and community spaces that will benefit residents of Lentor Estate and Cactus Sunrise.

Apart from more sheltered linkways to make daily commutes more comfortable, there will be additional senior-friendly facilities and initiatives.

He cited the Silver Upgrading Programme which will soon start in four precincts in Chong Boon and enhance the estate with active ageing facilities like therapeutic gardens, fitness trails and barrier-free access.

Parks will be revitalised and cycling paths expanded, such as a new "Garden Loop" walking and cycling trail that will link the town's two gardens with Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

The completion of the North-South Corridor and Cross Island Line in a few years' time will shorten commutes further, while new trains and an expanded LRT depot will reduce waiting times for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT, he noted.

"So Ang Mo Kio should be a good place, a happy place, a healthy place to live. We have laid out good plans on how we can continue to achieve this," said SM Lee, who is also MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, at the launch event at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage.

He added: "Help us to take care of Ang Mo Kio, help us to improve this place and work hand in hand with us to make Ang Mo Kio a town that we are all proud to call home."

At the event, he also launched supplementary bus service 138M, which makes it easier for residents, especially the elderly and less mobile, to reach Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic from the bus interchange.

SM Lee also recapped the improvements to Ang Mo Kio in the past five years, such as Fernvale Community Centre and the Fernvale Hawker Centre and Market, which he opened in 2022.

Markets and food centres had been upgraded in Cheng San, Chong Boon, Teck Ghee, Kebun Bahru and Mayflower, while families have more community spaces to enjoy, such as a new water playground in Buangkok Square Park.

Projects, like the distinctively-painted housing blocks in Yio Chu Kang, have made it easier for people with mild dementia to find their way around, as have the Friendly Streets with barrier-free crossings, such as at Ang Mo Kio Street 31.

The town has become greener with new parks and park connectors, while community programmes, like those run by active ageing centres and senior care centres, have kept older residents active, added SM Lee.

He recounted how when he first became an MP for Teck Ghee, Ang Mo Kio was a young town with not many amenities.

"But year by year, we have built up Ang Mo Kio into the bustling town that it is today," he said.

Also present at the masterplan launch were other MPs for Ang Mo Kio GRC - Darryl David, Gan Thiam Poh and Nadia Ahmad Samdin.

Henry Kwek and Yip Hon Weng, MPs for Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang respectively, were also there.

Ng Ling Ling, who looks after the Jalan Kayu ward in Ang Mo Kio GRC, was not at the event.

Wendy Wong, a Jalan Kayu resident of three years, said she was not aware that her area has been carved out to be a new single member constituency, as recommended in the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report released on March 11.

The 44-year-old semiconductor industry professional added that she has always considered herself part of the Ang Mo Kio family.

"I like that there are efforts to improve transport connectivity and to make our neighbourhood greener," she said. "And Ang Mo Kio already has a wide variety of food and is accessible to many places."

Another resident, Yogeswari Nagaraja, 45, is happy that the Mayflower MRT station is just in front of her home, and that the town has playgrounds for the children and elderly friendly streets for the aged.

"Ang Mo Kio is a greying area. There is hardware for the elderly in terms of the amenities. I hope to see more heartware - activities to encourage the seniors to get together," she said.

Speaking to the media, David, who is also chairman of Ang Mo Kio town council, said he does not know who the fifth member of the five-member Ang Mo Kio GRC will be, given that the Jalan Kayu ward will be moving out of the GRC.

Several opposition parties have expressed interest in contesting the new SMC, including the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), People's Power Party (PPP) and Red Dot United (RDU).

David added that the new SMC comprises largely some private estates in the current Jalan Kayu division, as well as a majority of households from the Fernvale division.

"I would like to think that we, as Ang Mo Kio team, have done well to take care of these areas, and now that they're going to be a new SMC, hopefully the voters there will appreciate the care that we put in for them while they were part of our Ang Mo Kio family," he said. "Then, we hope for the best."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.