It’s our collective responsibility to keep the public spaces clean!
Everybody can do their part! In support of SG Clean Day on Sunday, 30 October 2022, you may want to gather in groups to show your commitment by cleaning up your community together.
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind all residents to bin the trash and keep the environment litter-free.
Together, let’s create a cleaner and safer Chua Chu Kang Town for all!
Deepavali falls on different days every year and typically between October and November. Its exact date is determined by the Indian lunar calendar. This year, it falls on 24 October.
One of Singapore’s major ethnic holidays, Deepavali is also widely considered to be India’s most important annual holiday.
How much do you know about this festival which is celebrated by over 1 billion people around the world? Test your knowledge with this fun quiz:
To all residents celebrating the occasion, Happy Deepavali!
Clues
Down
1 The Hindus, ____ and Sikhs mark the religious festival of Deepavali.
3 Not all _____ celebrate Deepavali.
Across
2 Another name for Deepavali is _______.
4 Deepavali was declared a public holiday by the colonial government in the month of October and year, Nineteen-Twenty ____.
5 Many believe that the lights during Deepavali guide the goddess ______ into their households.
Did you know all the answers? Read more about the Festival of Lights and find out if you answered correctly.
#1 Did you also know that Deepavali has been celebrated for over 2,500 years?
In Singapore, even though this festival has been marked by Indian immigrants since the early 1800s, it was declared an official holiday only in October 1929 by the colonial government.
#2 Deepavali is not the Indian New Year, which is usually observed in March or April. Instead, Deepavali is a religious festival that marks the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge above ignorance. Therefore, the festivities usually feature oil lamps, colourful light displays and sparklers.
#3 This festival is commemorated not only by the Hindus but also by the Jains and Sikhs too. While the different religions all share the tradition of lamp-lighting for this festival, they each have their own unique beliefs and practices.
For the Hindus, it marks the slaying of the tyrannical demon, Narakasura, by Lord Krishna. It also commemorates the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana after their 14-year exile and defeat of the demon king, Ravana, according to the Ramayana epic.
The Sikhs refer to the festival as ‘Bandi Chhor Divas’, and celebrate the release of their sixth guru, Guru Hargobind’s release from a Mughal prison.
The Jains, on the other hand, mark the liberation of Lord Mahavir from the endless cycle of reincarnation and his attainment of nirvana. They refer to the festival as ‘Mahavira Nirvana Divas’.
#4 During Deepavali, the lighting of oil lamps at dusk symbolises the sun chasing the darkness away. This practice is especially apt for a festival which falls on a new moon every year, which makes for the darkest night.
Many Indians also believe that these lights guide the goddess Lakshmi into their households, bringing with her good fortune.
In India, firework displays and firecrackers are very popular during Deepavali celebrations.
#5 Deepavali or Diwali – confused over the names used for the Festival of Lights and how to greet your Indian friends?
Both names are variations of a Sanskrit term meaning “row of lights”.
The name Deepavali is used by Tamil-speaking southern Indians, whereas Hindi-speaking northern Indians call it Diwali. So, you can wish them Happy Deepavali or Happy Diwali, depending on whom you are speaking to.
How did you score on the fun facts? Here are the answers to the quiz:
To all residents celebrating the occasion, Happy Deepavali!
Snap & Win: CCK Town 2023 Calendar Photo Contest
Submit your entries here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg
The third run of CCK Town’s annual calendar photo contest is now open!
Submit your entries by 16 October 2022 and stand a chance to win attractive prizes and have your photo showcased in CCK Town’s 2023 Calendar.
This year, we are looking for pictures that embody the “3Ps” of CCK Town: Passion, Places and Panorama.
Passion: Show how and what residents love about our Town – be it their favourite spots or activities residents engage in.
Resident Latifah Hasan (centre, in red) enjoys dancing and hanging out at Keat Hong Community Club with her ‘kakis’.
Places: Share the beautiful nooks and crannies in our Town.
Have you visited Bukit Batok Hillside Park and its beautiful Japanese-style Torii gates featured in Grace Zheng’s winning shot last year?
Panorama: Wow viewers with those stunning vistas you captured of our Town.
Show off awesome & picturesque scenes of CCK Town as Lukman Chow did with his entry last year.
The top 3 prizes are:
- 1stprize (worth over $700): HP Deskjet 6020, Fitbit Luxe Fitness Tracker, 1-year Microsoft 365 family license and $300 worth of FairPrice vouchers
- 2ndprize (worth almost $500): HP Deskjet 4120E, Fitbit Inspire 2, 1-year Microsoft 365 family license and $200 worth of FairPrice vouchers
- 3rdprize (worth over $300): HP Deskjet 2722, Fitibit Aria Air Smart Scale, 1-year Microsoft 365 family license and $100 worth of FairPrice vouchers
- 4th to 12th prize winners will each receive $50 FairPrice vouchers
Submit your entry here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg
Closing date: 16 October 2359 hours
Winners will be revealed in December 2022.
Stay tuned for photography tips from the top 3 winners of last year’s photo competition. Learn how you can submit the best shot to up your winning chances!
See Terms & Conditions here.
The race is on for shutterbugs across CCK Town to win a coveted spot in CCK Town’s 2023 Calendar. (Join the photo contest here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg)
We spoke to the top 3 winners of the 2022 Calendar Photo Contest to bring you their winning tips and the inspiration behind their beautiful photos.
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
The key to getting a good shot is patience, said Hong Kah North resident Yong Kuo Hoong, whose photo of the sunrise at Sungei Buloh’s Eagle Point (below) clinched the top prize in the 2022 Calendar photo contest.
Kuo Hong, a geography teacher, also won the top prize in the 2021 Calendar Photo Contest with his photo of sunrise at Kranji Dam (see below).
“I love taking photographs and since the theme of the last contest was nature — my favourite subject — I decided to just give it a try again,” said the two-time winner, who got hooked on photography at university.
Though he was unable to travel overseas in the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he said the time spent exploring the hidden nooks and crannies of our sunny isle has “opened [his] eyes to the beauty that can be found within Singapore’s shores”.
Kuo Hoong said CCK Town Council’s contest was a really good idea because it showed the public that natural beauty does exist in urban Singapore — if one knows just where to look.
For his winning shot, he captured Sungei Buloh’s Eagle Point at sunrise as it allowed him to show off his forte, sunrise photography, and to challenge himself shooting in a new location.
He checked out the photos that had been taken of Sungei Buloh Eagle Point and researched online for the best available vantage points.
Patience, he said, is critical to getting a good shot. He visited Eagle’s Point at least twice to maximise his chances. He explained: “You may not get the shot you want immediately. The weather may be too cloudy but if you wait a while, the light may change, and you will be amply rewarded.”
Be adventurous
For real estate agent Bryan Goh, the pandemic provided him with an opportunity to take photos in unusual settings.
In the past, the CCK estate resident would head to the Central Business District to enjoy the annual New Year’s Day fireworks. When the venue of the fireworks was changed to the heartlands in 2021 due to the pandemic, he was game to try something different.
“The heartlands fireworks may not be as grand, but it is a nice change of scenery; you get a photo that’s not the run of the mill,” he said. His tip: Keep trying different things.
His picture of the fireworks cascading over CCK Town won him the most likes in CCK Town Council’s First View from Your Window Instagram contest earlier this year.
His photo of sunrise at Kranji Reservoir (pictured below) won him the second prize in the 2022 Calendar Photo Contest.
Bryan had also participated in the Town Council’s 2021 Calendar Photo Contest with this scene of youths playing basketball (pictured below).
All You Need is a Little Planning
Retired polytechnic lecturer Clement Lee is a familiar face in Hillview as the volunteer photographer is often on the ground to capture community events — free of charge.
The Bukit Gombak resident first picked up a camera during his junior college days. He said: “Back then, it was an expensive hobby because you had to pay to develop every single shot that you took on film.”
However, he said the advent of digital photography has made the hobby accessible to many more people as one can snap as many photos as one likes and just choose the best to print.
Since his retirement a few years ago, he started spending more time honing his craft and going on overseas shooting trips with his photo buddies. Since the pandemic, he has been exploring the island in search of nice spots and has shot countless sunrises and sunsets.
His favourite haunts to shoot in CCK Town are Little Guilin and Bukit Batok Nature Park, which are near his home. These two locations are featured in his entries for the 2021 and 2022 Calendar Photo Contests.
Little Guilin is featured in Clement’s entry for the 2021 Calendar Photo Contest.
His winning entry for 2022 cast the spotlight on a group of residents stretching in front of Bukit Gombak Sports Complex. He said: “Sunrises and sunsets are very common, so I wanted to inject a human element to show people at their early morning exercise.”
Planning, he added, is needed for good photos. For example, he had to wake up at 6am to be there at 6.30am to catch the people in action with the sunrise.
Inspired by Clement, Bryan and Kuo Hoong? Put these tips into action and up your chances of getting your best shot into the 2023 calendar!
Join the photo contest here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg
Prevention is the best defence when it comes to avoiding accidents or fires.
Let’s review some safety precautions you should observe both at home and in common spaces.
In your home
- Don’t overload electrical points
- Don’t use faulty electrical appliances, wiring or insulators
- Use electrical and plugs that bear the SAFETY mark
- Never charge batteries or devices such as power banks or personal mobility devices overnight or leave them to charge unattended
- Never leave cooking unattended
- Don’t keep more than 1 LPG cylinder as spare
- Keep fire starter materials such as matches away from children
- Keep flammable materials (e.g. clothes, curtains) away from an open flame
- Don’t smoke in bed
In common areas
- Keep corridors, staircases and staircase landings free of clutter
- Don’t place anything near the fire hoses as that may hamper fire rescue efforts
- Always extinguish matches and cigarette butts completely before disposal
What to do in case of fire
- Stay calm and do not panic
- Alert others of the fire by shouting
- Dial 995 for the SCDF
- Turn off the gas mains if you can reach them
- Activate the nearest fire alarm
- Fight the fire only if you are able to do so without endangering yourself or others.
- According to the SCDF, extinguish fires by:
- Using water on burning papers, wood, and fabrics but never on flammable liquids such as oil as this will cause the fire to spread
- Using a suitable fire extinguisher
- Using a hose reel
- If possible, close the door of the affected area to contain the fire
- Evacuate everyone from the room or area without endangering yourself
- Evacuate the building in a safe and orderly manner via the stairs; do not use the lift
- Do not return to the building until the authorities say you can do so
Fire safety equipment to have at home
All new public and private homes built since June 2018 are required to have home fire alarm devices.
Although they are not mandatory for existing homes, SCDF recommends every household to install these smoke or heat detectors as they provide early warning of a fire by sounding an alarm.
Check here for SCDF’s guide on such devices.
A dry powder fire extinguisher is also good to have at home, says the SCDF, even if it is not required by law.
Download a copy of the latest Civil Defence Emergency Handbook to get the most updated tips on how to deal with all kinds of emergencies, from fires to natural disasters.
CCK Town residents love SG in plenty of ways!
Residents from all walks of life wore their hearts on their sleeves as they marked our beloved Little Red Dot’s 57th National Day!
We spoke to the winners of the top three entries about why they love National Day and how they made their entries shine.
The Neo family in their matching outfits and SG57 decoration clinched the top prize of a HP Envy printer.
United for SG – The Neos (from left): Kok Keong, Jia Quan, Jia Ying, Chakriya and Jia Fu are residents of Chua Chu Kang estate.
Chakriya said her family loves decorating their home for various festivities, like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali. The children especially enjoy celebrating the different festivals in multi-racial Singapore.
Even before they saw the Town Council’s contest on the digital lift panels, the family had decided to emblazon their home in red and white decor.
On National Day, they had a mini-celebration at home and enjoyed a specially-made cake in the shape of the Singapore flag. They then headed out to Marina Bay to soak in the festive mood and admire the fireworks.
The second prize of a HP Deskjet printer went to Vivian Ong (pictured below, on right) whose entry with her relative Anna Teoh featured a collection of National Day Parade memorabilia.
Vivian showcased her SG pride with her collection of items from National Day Parade (NDP) fun packs like a Singapore scarf and other collectables.
The Hong Kah North resident is a big fan of NDPs, having attended many parades. Each year, she will try her luck to ballot for tickets to her favourite annual show where she gets to display her love for the Little Red Dot.
Some years, she was so lucky that she won tickets to both the NDP Preview as well as the show on 9 August. She just loves the electrifying atmosphere at the parade.
She said: “National Day has always been important to me because it is a rallying point to remind Singaporeans of our resilient spirit – that we will continue to persist and succeed, no matter the circumstances. Our Singapore Spirit will remain strong as long as we remain united. Majulah!”
The third prize was won by the brother and sister pair, Aadon and Aadelynn Lim, who clinched a HP Deskjet printer.
Keat Hong residents Aadon, 7, and Aadelynn, 6 decked in their patriotic outfits and next to a National Day banner outside their grandmother’s home in Bukit Gombak.
Their mother, Pauline Chua, said they decided to support the social enterprise, Singapore Fashion Runway, which was selling beautiful outfits for this year’s National Day. There was only one piece of each size, which thankfully fit the children, Pauline said.
August is a special month for Aadon and Aadelynn, she added, because they have a celebration lasting almost two weeks starting from their father’s birthday on August 1, and the country’s National Day on August 9.
Happy 57th National Day, Singapore!
With Mid-Autumn Festival round the corner, retailers are coming up with ever more extravagant packaging to entice consumers to purchase their mooncakes.
While these boxes make for pretty gifts, the elaborate packaging generate more waste which is harmful for the environment.
This problem of excessive packaging that cannot be recycled is not confined to Mid-Autumn Festival. On various occasions where gifts are exchanged, whether it is Valentine’s Day or Christmas, packaging waste will be generated.
The more elaborate the packaging, the less likely it can be recycled. The glossy laminate and the decorative ribbons, metal studs or tassels all make recycling impossible. All that has only one place to go: straight into the incinerator.
In fact, packaging waste contributes to a third of the 1.8 million tonnes of domestic waste generated last year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment!
Repurpose or re-use where possible
Although you cannot recycle mooncake boxes or fancy packaging, with some creativity, you can repurpose them for other uses.
They can double up as serving trays or for keeping small items, from jewellery to sewing kits to stationery.
Or, turn them into pretty lanterns! Some can even be reused as bags.
Pretty mooncake boxes getting a second lease of life as containers to store treats and organise small items.
The right way to recycle
You can do your bit for the nation’s greening effort — for the past two years, only about 13% of Singapore’s domestic waste gets recycled.
Learn what can go into the blue recycling bins and what gets recycled.
For example, consumers may conveniently deposit paper, plastics, glass and metals into the blue bin, assuming they will all be recycled. But many are not aware that only certain types of paper, plastics, glass and metals can be recycled. According to data given by the National Environment Agency, up to 40% of contents found in recycling bins cannot be recycled currently due to contamination from other non-recyclable products, including food and liquid waste. By identifying and placing only recyclable items into the recycling bins, consumers can do their bit to make sure everyone’s recycling efforts are not in vain.
Check against these charts from the National Environment Agency before you head for the Bloobin!
Paper
Plastics
Glass
Metal
I ♥ SG! Have fun this National Day! Show your love for our little red dot and win!
Join our National Day 2022 contest and a nifty HP printer could be yours.
You can choose to:
1) Wear the SG Colours
Jio or round up your family, neighbours and friends and dress up in matchy-matchy OOTDs (aka outfit of the day) that best display your passion for everything SG.
Take the best shot together in your best stylo-milo pose and share it with us!
You can make your entry more interesting by adopting a theme or era – from decking out in National Day Parade paraphilia to retro 60s fashion or futuristic red-and-white outfits. Or what about creating your very own designs of our national costume. Be original!
or
2) Fly the SG Colours
Dress up your home or vehicle in shades of reds and whites. Let your ideas and inspiration flow!
For example, with some creativity and car decals, you can give your car a makeover. For the home, besides decking it with SG flags, a balloon arch or wall could very well be an eye-catching centrepiece and talk-of-your-hood.
A total of 3 prizes will be awarded. (Psst! Here’s a tip: We are looking for the best-looking or most interesting and creative expressions, displays or photos.)
The top 3 most interesting or best-looking entries win:
1st Prize: HP Envy Printer worth $108
2nd Prize: HP Deskjet Printer worth $66
3rd Prize: HP Deskjet Printer worth $57
Email your entries to corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg by 14 August 2359 hours. Send us your best photos showing your SG pride!
Time to get those creative juices flowing! Happy 57th National Day, Singapore!
See terms & conditions here.
During the 7th Lunar Month yearly, Chinese devotees in Singapore observe the tradition of paying their respects to their loved ones who have departed.
Chua Chu Kang Town Council would like to encourage all devotees to be considerate and play their part in keeping their environment clean by practising responsible joss paper/incense burning.
Should you have any feedback or enquiries on the provision of incense burners, please do not hesitate to contact Chua Chu Kang Town Council at Hotline: 6569 0388.
Thank you for your cooperation.
HDB rooftops have become cool and green spaces. Besides solar panels, community gardens have also sprouted up there too.
Residents of Sunshine Gardens will, no doubt, be familiar with the flourishing community garden (pictured above) that has taken over the rooftop of the multi-storey carpark at Block 489 Choa Chua Kang Avenue 5 in the last few years.
This plot is lovingly tended by eight residents who generously share the fruits of their labour with everyone in the neighbourhood. They take turns to look after the garden – some attend to the garden daily, while others do so once or twice a week.
One of the lead gardeners, 64-year-old Uncle Tey Ka Leong (pictured above harvesting a watermelon), a resident of Sunshine Gardens, said in Mandarin: “We like to experiment and grow all kinds of edibles. As long as we have the seeds, we will try cultivating them.”
Every few weeks, bushels of fresh produce, ranging from kailan, cabbage and spinach, would be brought to the nearby Residents’ Committee (RC) room to be distributed to residents.
Papayas, okras, Chinese radish and pomegranates are some of the delightful myriads of edible fruits and vegetables cultivated by the hardworking community gardeners.
Gardening as exercise
Uncle Tey started gardening as a way of getting fit. When he first moved into Sunshine Gardens seven years ago, his health wasn’t good.
Gardening would let him do something useful: grow something edible while getting the much-needed exercise recommended by his doctors.
He cleared a patch in front of his block for his first garden. His first crops were chilli, banana and sweet potato leaves.
As he knew nothing about gardening, he turned to YouTube. He said whatever he picked up on gardening came from those free online tutorials.
A Town Council staff who noticed Uncle Tey’s talent/ green thumbs encouraged him to pursue his gardening passion by balloting for a community gardening plot as part of the Community Improvement Projects for his estate.
Guava tree laden with fruit in the garden.
Challenges of growing edibles
Mr and Mrs Ye are among the volunteers seen daily pottering in the garden.
Uncle Tey takes turns tending the garden with four residents who come almost daily, while the remaining volunteers come once a week or every fortnight.
Laksa leaves, chilli and pandan leaves – the must-have Asian cooking ingredients that can be found in the rooftop garden.
These days, the challenging hot weather has made their efforts doubly hard. Last year, they could harvest about four to five baskets full of leafy green produce in three to four weeks. This year, they can barely fill a basket per harvest.
Yet another challenge they face is the presence of unwanted visitors who can’t resist helping themselves to the garden produce, and inadvertently kill the plants in the process. Uncle Tey said he hopes fellow residents can leave the harvesting to him and his fellow gardeners, as all the produce is shared with the community.
Gardening tips for good harvests
Pumpkin, xiao bai cai and white brinjal flourish in the lush garden.
The secret to Sunshine Gardens’ bountiful harvests: Daily and frequent monitoring of the plants’ health. According to Uncle Tey, one of their most important duties as resident gardeners is to check for pests as well as whether the plants have sufficient water.
He said that edible plants need frequent watering, especially given the recent intermittent hot and dry spells.
The resident gardeners water the plants twice a day. Uncle Tey said: “The trick is to ensure that the soil is sufficiently moist, but not wet, and not parched and cracking.”
Uncle Tey has to take extra care to water the plants nowadays, due to the hot weather.
They also make sure the right kinds of fertiliser are used. For example, dried chicken manure is good for leafy greens.
The passionate gardeners also keep a vigilant eye out for pests. For example, if slugs are found, they will clear the affected patch immediately. They then leave it to fallow for the next two weeks to allow the sun’s heat to kill any remaining pests (or their eggs).
Growing an edible garden is hard work, said Uncle Tey; they require much more effort than ornamental plants! But the reward of seeing their farm-to-table produce is well worth it!
*Residents who are keen on gardening can form a gardening interest group with their Residents Network and apply to ballot for a community garden plot through the People’s Association or NParks allotment gardens.
As one of Singapore’s three eco-towns, Chua Chu Kang Town has been spearheading and implementing actionable initiatives in our estates. We recently held the inaugural HaCCKathon with our residents, grassroots leaders and green advocates to co-develop plans to further green our environment.
Our Sustainability Champion, Mr Don Wee shared that as part of the commitment to create sustainable homes in Singapore, all 15 PAP Town Councils will upcycle decommissioned parts from MRT trains to enhance residents’ living environments while reducing waste to landfill.
From 2022 to 2025, the 15 Town Councils will upcycle at least 1500 seats, 600 intercom covers, 300 LED light covers and 1400 handrails from trains. This upcycling initiative will reduce about 14,400kg of waste from being disposed into the landfill, and allow Town Councils to save over $275,000 in amenities costs to deliver better value for residents.
Based on suggestions from residents, the MRT parts will become seats in community areas to rest and connect, plant holders in community green spaces, hand rails for accessibility and safety for less mobile residents, and other amenities. Residents will be able to see these interesting MRT parts in Chua Chu Kang Town soon!
Together, let’s play an active role in creating a better and more sustainable home in Chua Chu Kang Town! Share your eco-sustainable ideas and suggestions at corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg.
It’s our collective responsibility to keep the public spaces clean!
In support of SG Clean Day on Sunday, 31 July 2022, we encourage all residents to help clean up your neighbourhood. You may want to gather your family, friends and neighbours to conduct litter-picking activities in your community together.
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind all residents to bin the trash and keep the environment litter-free.
Together, let’s create a cleaner and safer Chua Chu Kang Town for all!
