Celebrate National Day 2021: Share Your Love for SG!
Celebrate National Day 2021: Share Your Love for SG! What is an object that best represents your love for Singapore? Is it the durian, the Merlion or maybe kaya toast? Mark National Day 2021 by sharing with us your photos of objects that are uniquely Singaporean to you. Email us your photos (along with a short description on the significance of the objects) to corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg by 21 August. Submissions will be put up in the later part of August as part of our National Day celebrations. Remember to include your name, address and contact number. Your submission (including your name) may be featured in Chua Chu Kang Town Council assets The photograph you submit should be original and have the permission of the copyright owner to be published in Chua Chu Kang Town Council assets. What We Love about Singapore For five CCK Town Council volunteers, the objects chosen are: community cats, Singapore Airlines, Singa the courtesy lion, a card holder bearing the Singapore flag and a 2009 National Day Parade (NDP) banner. Singapore flag card holder – Janica Ng A card holder bearing the Singapore flag reminds Janica Ng how fortunate and proud she is to be a Singaporean. The ubiquitous community cats that can be found in most estates – Shammir Karasu Shammir Karasu said the stray Singapura cats are his object of affection. He added these community cats are something that all of us grew up with and become part and parcel of the Singapore life. A bag emblazoned with the year of independence and Singa the Courtesy Lion- Jasmine Sim Another cat — Singa the Courtesy Lion — was put forth by Jasmine Sim as a true icon of the nation, and, in her opinion, one of the most successful mascots ever created. Her bag emblazoned with 1965, the year of Singapore’s independence, is something else that makes her proud to identify as Singaporean. Her father (left) appearing in the 2009 NDP poster – Francis Arokia Mary As for Francis Arokia Mary, there is nothing more satisfying than being involved in the annual National Day Parade (NDP), which she took part in in 2009. The icing on the cake was having her father and son appear on the NDP banners that were put up all across the island that year, she added. The iconic Singapore Airlines – Lai Chin Yee For Lai Chin Yee, it has to be our flag carrier, Singapore Airlines. Though travel has not been possible in the past year with the Covid-19 pandemic, she hopes that a flight on her favourite airline can be on the cards again soon. Make this National Day extra special! Share with us a photo of the object that best represents your affection for Singapore. Back
Deep cleaning of Teck Whye Block 3 & surrounding areas
Deep cleaning of Teck Whye Block 3 & surrounding areas Chua Chu Kang Town Council has conducted deep cleaning and disinfection of the common areas, as well as surrounding blocks of Block 3 at Teck Whye Avenue. This includes all high-touch areas like lift buttons, letter boxes, void deck tables and chairs, and the nearby playground and fitness corner. All lift buttons and handlebars in Chua Chu Kang Town are regularly applied with an anti-microbial coating that kills bacteria, virus and fungi. In addition, the Town Council has increased the frequency and intensity of the daily cleaning of Chua Chu Kang Town to ensure our residents’ safety and wellbeing. The Town Council will continue to monitor the situation closely and further intensify the cleaning frequency when the need arises. The health and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority. If there are any questions and feedback on town cleanliness, residents can email info@ccktc.org or call 6569 0388. Back
Protecting you against Covid-19
Protecting you against Covid-19 Chua Chu Kang Town Council has conducted a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the common and commercial areas, as well as surrounding blocks of Block 801 at Keat Hong Close where PCF Sparkletots Brickland is located. This includes all high-touch areas like lift buttons, letter boxes, void deck tables and chairs, playgrounds and fitness areas. All lift buttons in Chua Chu Kang Town are regularly applied with an anti-microbial coating that kills bacteria, virus and fungi. In addition, the Town Council has increased the frequency and intensity of the daily cleaning of Chua Chu Kang Town to ensure our residents’ safety and wellbeing. The Council will continue to monitor the situation closely and further intensify the cleaning frequency when the need arises. The health and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority. If there are any questions and feedback on town cleanliness, residents can email info@ccktc.org.sg or call 65690388. Back
E-waste Bins that Reward You
E-waste Bins that Reward You New e-waste bins have landed in CCK Town! These bins are part of a nation-wide e-waste management system launched to collect and recycle common types of e-waste. E-waste can contain hazardous materials such as heavy metals which can create potential health and environment risks. Get earth-friendly. Start recycling your e-waste using these bins and earn rewards. E-waste Bins Locations: Blk 144 Teck Whye Lane (near wet market and toilet entrance) Keat Hong CC (near loading and unloading bay) Hillview CC (level 1 near staircase) Hong Kah North CC (near basketball court) Sunshine Place (level 1 common area in front of Giant) Back
We Love Bukit Gombak Too
We Love Bukit Gombak Too Salam & Nasir at Blk 524 Bukit Batok St 52 Mohammad Fazlul, known affectionally as Salam, and Nasir Khan have been serving residents in Bukit Gombak since they first came to Singapore to work as estate cleaners 8 years ago. Like most migrant workers, they came here to earn more money to support their families back home in Bangladesh. They said they have both been fortunate to serve residents of Bukit Gombak who have been generous and kind. Residents would often greet them and ask if they have eaten. During festive occasions, they would also receive gifts of food and sometimes clothes. Salam said they did not know about CCK Town’s Appreciate Our Cleaners Week held in April, hence, they were surprised to hear from residents that they were among the top 10 winning cleaners. While they had no expectations of winning any prizes for doing their work, Nasir said such campaigns do help to make cleaners feel appreciated. ‘I Saw How Hard They Worked’ Lawrence Lau, the Goodview Park resident who nominated them, wrote in his nomination entry that he, like many others, didn’t realise how much hard work it takes to keep his estate clean. It was only since he started working from home last year that he got to observe first-hand the long hours that cleaners like Salam and Nasir silently put in to keep the estates clean. Therefore, he said CCK Town Council’s Appreciate Our Cleaners campaign was a “great and timely initiative to officially recognise the unsung heroes in our community”. He added it also gave him an opportunity to “express my gratitude and thank them for making our homes a nicer and cleaner place to live”. Putting his money where his mouth is, Lawrence has asked the Town Council to give his share of the prize ($30 cash vouchers for each nomination) to both cleaners. Lawrence said, not only did Salam and Nasir carry out their regular estate cleaning duties diligently, they also went out of their way to keep residents safe from Covid-19 by painstakingly disinfecting all the high-touch points in the public areas late into the evenings. On top of that, he has witnessed them cleaning up the mess caused by rubbish chute or recycle bin fires. Extending his gratitude to all the cleaners he may not have personally met or know, Lawrence said: “I would like to thank all cleaners in Singapore for ensuring the cleanliness of Singapore and the well-being of all Singaporeans.” Scenic Little Guilin in Bukit Gombak is Nasir’s (left) & Salam’s favourite hang-out spot in the estate after work. Happy Working in Beautiful Gombak Even though there are some challenges in their jobs, like dealing with the occasional high-rise littering problems or discarded cigarette butts that cause rubbish chute fires, Salam and Nasir said they have had a good eight-year run serving Bukit Gombak. Another plus of working in Bukit Gombak is the beautiful scenery the estate boasts. For both Nasir and Salam, Little Guilin is their favourite spot to hang out. The serenity of the park draws them to relax there after work. They added it makes for a pretty background too for their daily chats with their families. Salam, 42, is father to an 11-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. Nasir, 35, has two sons, aged eight and nine. In their free time, they enjoy cooking the Bangladeshi food to remind them of the taste of home and having a picnic (during non-pandemic times) at Little Guilin. They said they are looking forward to sharing the news of their wins with their families after they receive them. Back
Mum, Mum, I Love You! Winners of Mother’s Day Tribute Contest
Mum, Mum, I Love You! Winners of Mother’s Day Tribute Contest Residents, we know how much all of you love your mums. The number of tributes and photos that we received in May for our Mother’s Day contest was proof of that! Most of you spoke about the boundless and selfless love that your mothers showered you with, the lessons she taught you, and the sacrifices she made (and continues to make) for you. Some of you also shared that your mums are your best friend. Here’s what inspired our top 3 winners to pay a special tribute to their mums. Kelly with her mum, Jasmine Kelly Kuah (Chua Chu Kang) Eleven-year-old Kelly decided to take part in the contest not so much for the prize, but because she wanted to take the opportunity to thank her mum, Jasmine Kang. She took a day to plan and another day to write. After submitting her entry, she gave the tribute letter to her mum on Mother’s Day. Mama Jasmine was touched and proud that she wrote it all by herself. Kelly shared that she chose to focus on the morals and values that her mother taught her as she felt that is where her mother differs from other mums who focus a lot on academic results. “She tends to scold me because of my other mistakes, but not because I didn’t score well… I would like to say that I am thankful to my mother for bringing me into this world and for guiding me into the young lady that I am today,” said Kelly. Highlights from Kelly’s tribute to mum, Jasmine Kang Even though you taught me about school and how to be a better person, I think that you focus more on teaching me how to be a better person and teaching me good morals. Every time I do something wrong, you will sit down and patiently tell me what I did wrong and what virtues I did not display. After every lesson about good morals, you tell me that inside all of us, we have a moral compass that points us in either the right way or the wrong way, and that it is easier to go the wrong way than the right way. You also tell me that you are not going to be with me forever to point my moral compass in the right way, that I need to point my moral compass in the right way. To me, these lessons that you teach me about morals are more important than the academic ones. They teach me about the importance of being good. Shreya with her mum and best friend, Rati Shreya Venkatesharan (Bukit Gombak) Unlike most teenagers, Shreya keeps no secrets from her mother, Rati Kishore. In fact, she said her mum is her best friend in the world. There is nothing that she will not confide in her mum. In fact, this 13-year-old said that her friends are aware that if they share something with her, her mum would also get to know about it. Shreya added what’s so amazing about her mother is that she does not judge. She listens to all of Shreya’s teenage problems and angst, and tells her how to deal with them. Shreya kept her submission to this contest a secret and read the tribute to her mum 2 days after Mother’s Day. Her mum was touched and said it does not matter whether they win the photo shoot. So Shreya said this win will be the icing on the cake. Highlights from Shreya’s tribute to mum, Rati Kishore For me, my mother is special for many reasons. First of all, my mother is my friend… I tell her about my weird teenage crises, and she always listens and helps me through tough times. She never fails to make me laugh either. Always helping me and ready to make sacrifices to see a smile on my face. My mother is the bravest and most selfless person I know. She deserves the best Mother’s Day ever. Since the addition of my 2-year-old brother, my mother spoke about how much she wanted to have a family photo shoot. I know that if I win, this will be the best Mother’s Day present she has ever had. Young Joyce with her mother, Ah Geok Joyce Wee (Chua Chu Kang) Joyce was so piqued by the Mother’s Day contest that she rode the lift up and down twice just so she could read more about it. Coming from a typical non-demonstrative Chinese family, she has never openly told her mum how much she loved her. Neither has she ever written a tribute to her mum. She decided, this year is as good a time as any. As Joyce had felt unwell recently, her mother invited her to move back to the family home. Joyce said it was ironical to be moving back to be taken care of by her parents instead of her doing so to care for them in their old age. Her mother has not read Joyce’s tribute as she does not understand English, and Joyce said she is such a cry baby herself that she’s not sure she will be able to read it to her mum without shedding any tears. Since they last took a family portrait at least a decade ago, she said having one taken now would be timely as her family has since expanded to include her siblings’ spouses and their three children. Highlights from Joyce’s tribute to mum, Khang Ah Geok Mum has always been very dedicated to our family and places us above everything else. When we were young, we were not well-to-do and eating out was always a luxury. I always remembered my brother and I enjoying KFC while mum looked at us lovingly. To make that happen occasionally, Mum did all kinds of odd jobs at home while looking after three of us, from sewing clothes labels to gluing paper
It’s Your Turn to Spoil Dad
It’s Your Turn to Spoil Dad Don’t let the pandemic put a damper on your plans to celebrate Father’s Day. Here are some ideas to mark the special occasion safely and meaningfully in CCK Town or wherever you are. 1) Pamper Him with His Favourite Food & Drinks Dining out is not allowed but you can still wine and dine Dad with his favourite nosh in the comfort of home. Step into the kitchen to whip up his favourite kopi, eggs and toast for brunch or make a ‘ta pao’ run for his favourite ‘bak chor mee’ from CCK 302 Foodhouse near CCK MRT Station. 2) Go Museum Hopping or Bask in Nature Take Dad on a date at the rejuvenated Former Ford Factory or check out the virtual tours of famous international museums such as Dali-Theatre Museum in Catalonia, Spain, or the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Take a ramble at the farms at Kranji Countryside to check out ornamental fish, frog, dairy to vegetables farms. Or go “overseas” via virtual visits to the majestic Grand Canyon in Arizona or the world’s biggest natural cave in Vietnam, Hang Son Doong in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. 3) Learn Something Fun Together Sign up for a Zoom workshop to pick up some magic tricks organised by Chua Chu Kang Community Club on 19 June or learn how to play the folk guitar at Keat Hong Community Club. Or grab a craft beer kit to brew your own beer at home with Dad. 4) Chillax at Home Bring out the board games or catch a movie at home together. Nothing says you love him more than spending time with him. Or pamper dad by giving him a massage. Rope the grandkids in to help make it a multi-generational activity. Put on your thinking cap now to make sure plans. No matter what you have planned, just remember, it’s the thought that counts! Pay Tribute to Your Superhero Dad He may not say much, but you know he always has your back. He’s also the rock that you can always lean on. Who needs comic or cartoon superheroes when Dad is already in your life, fighting to provide you with the best he can? So, CCK Town, it’s time to shout your love for your Dads, your superheroes, this June! Send us your photos (with captions) or pay homage to him by sharing why he is a superhero and win an outdoor family photo shoot with Foto-U Studio . Top 3 most touching or creative entries win. Email your dedications to corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg by 27 June 2021. See terms and conditions. Back
Get Rid of Your E-Waste Properly & Be Rewarded
Get Rid of Your E-Waste Properly & Be Rewarded Throw your unwanted laptops, batteries and bulbs into dedicated e-waste bins coming to CCK in July 2021. E-waste, if not disposed properly, can harm the earth. Do your bit for the environment, and earn rewards at the same time! What the E-waste Bins Take Sort your e-waste into these 3 groups : 1 Mobile, network & computer-related items like small printers, computers, laptops, tablet PCs, desktop monitors, routers, modems, TV set-top boxes, internet network switches, internet network hubs, mobile phones 2 Household batteries – Types D, C, AA, AAA, AAAA, N, 9-volt, button cell, no rechargeable batteries 3 Consumer lamps – bulbs only, no fluorescent tubes Get Rewarded When You Recycle After throwing your e-waste into the dedicated bins, simply scan the QR codes on the bins to gain points that can be exchanged for rewards. Rewards include vouchers for shopping, ride-hailing services, food deliveries, bicycle sharing services, beauty products and environmentally-friendly products. Check out the e-waste website and download the Step Up Sustainability app by ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling to get more details on bin locations, rewards and more. Through the website and app, consumers can also request for doorstep e-waste collection service (for a fee). In addition, ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling will also run scheduled collection drives and hold events to educate the public on e-waste. All e-waste collected is tracked and sent for recycling. We will keep you posted on more details of the e-waste bin points and rewards system as well as roll-out dates. Meanwhile, be green and save our earth! Back
Residents’ Enthusiastic Nominations Make Appreciate Our Cleaners Week a Success
Residents’ Enthusiastic Nominations Make Appreciate Our Cleaners Week a Success CCK Town Council’s inaugural Appreciate Our Cleaners Week was an overwhelming success, thanks to our residents’ enthusiastic response. We received over 80 nominations appreciating the cleaners for their effort and hard work. CCK Town Council chairman Low Yen Ling said: “We are greatly heartened by our residents’ support and nominations. They took the time and effort to write words of appreciation for our estate cleaners, our quiet heroes who have been doing the essential task of keeping our estates clean. “This shows that our residents are thankful for the hard work the cleaners have put in. What is even more heart-warming is the fact that a number of residents wish to offer their prizes to the nominated cleaners as well.” In view of the residents’ keen support of their nominated cleaners, Ms Low said the Town Council will expand the number of prizes to be awarded. Beyond the 10 prizes of $50 cash voucher for each winning cleaner, all other 72 nominated cleaners will receive a $20 cash voucher, along with a letter of appreciation. 10 residents with best nominations of the winning cleaners also receive a $30 cash voucher each. 10 Winning Cleaners & Their Exemplary Acts of Service Alias Bin Wahid (Chua Chu Kang) “Mr Alias Bin Wahid is friendly and positive, and very diligent in his work. He also keeps a look out for our kids when they play at the void decks and common areas. We are always happy to see him on our way home.” — nominated by Keung Xi Zhen Alias Bin Wahid (Chua Chu Kang) “2 years ago, my son was at the void deck bouncing a basketball when it accidentally rolled into the drain at the carpark. Mr Anamul was nearby and quickly came over to help my son retrieve the ball. We are grateful to him for going the extra mile to help us. It might be something small, but his kindness in reaching out to help others leaves an indelibly good impression.” — nominated by Luda Polujnikoff Hasan Mahedi (Hong Kah North) “I’d like to thank Mr Mahedi for his diligence in maintaining our block’s cleanliness. I’d mentioned to him only once to clean the railings of my block (whenever he does the block washing) because they are always covered with dust. Since then, he would do that without fail.” — nominated by Ong Chee Eng Mafuz (Keat Hong) “Even though there is a language barrier between us, Mafuz would respond as soon as we reached out to him for help or whenever we highlighted a specific area to clean. He is patient and would respond without fail or any expectation of reward.” — nominated by Lee Yen Soon Mohd Azmi (Hong Kah North) “I have seen Azmi cycle around the estate, picking up rubbish along the way… During my Stay Home Notice, he was kind enough to go the extra mile to pick up the rubbish I left outside my door every day.” — nominated by James Cheng Ong Chin Hing (Keat Hong) “The common space outside my unit looks even cleaner than my home! … On certain days, the (lift lobby area) will be filled with clutter by inconsiderate residents. My heart goes out to Mr Ong as he has to clean up the mess created by ungracious residents. Without Mr Ong, my block will have to live in a dirty and unhygienic environment.” — nominated by Lee Kaixin Salam & Nasir Khan (Bukit Gombak) Salam Nasir “Besides ensuring our estate is well taken care of by working long hours, I have witnessed both gentlemen going the extra mile, especially during (last year’s) Circuit Breaker period, where they painstakingly applied disinfectant on all the high touch points, sometimes late into the evening, from 1 elevator to another. This was on top of their routine such as sweeping the floors, clearing the rubbish, clearing fallen leaves, etc.” — nominated by Lau Pong Kiat Jamadi Bin Meron (Brickland) “I really appreciate Uncle Jamadi’s work as without him, our blocks would be dirty. Every morning as early as 5am, I would see him start his task of cleaning our area (sweeping etc). He is friendly too, we would exchange greetings whenever we bump into each other.” – nominated by Nur Atikah Wong Yow (Bukit Batok) “Even on Sunday, which is a rest day, I see (Mr Wong) walking around the common areas below the block to clear unsightly trash left by residents if he comes across them.” — nominated by Nyoe Teng Choon Look out for stories on some of these winners coming your way! Back
Thank You Uncles & Aunties for Your Hard Work, say PCF Sparkletots Kids to Estate Cleaners
Thank You Uncles & Aunties for Your Hard Work, say PCF Sparkletots Kids to Estate Cleaners Uncle Nonyo learning to play hopscotch with the children cheering on. Uncle Islam playing snakes and ladders with the PCF pre-schoolers. Hopping to the children’s encouragement, estate cleaner Mia Nonyo gingerly balanced himself on one leg and made his way across the hopscotch course before finally reaching the dustbin to throw his trash. Then cheers erupted! Uncle Nonyo, whom the PCF Sparkletots pre-schoolers addressed as uncle to show respect, successfully tackled his first hopscotch game. On 21 April, instead of spending their morning cleaning their respective blocks, estate cleaners Mia Nonyo and Islam Tarikul joined a group of Kindergarten 2 kids from PCF Sparkletots @ Chua Chua Kang Blk 123 for their learning activities. Through the games of hopscotch, snakes & ladders and maze, which were set out at Block 123, Teck Whye Lane, the children learnt about the importance of not littering. They also got to play teachers for the day as they taught Uncle Nonyo how to play hopscotch. Little reporters interviewing Uncle Islam about his job as an estate cleaner in CCK Town. Pretending to be little reporters, the children got a chance to interview Uncle Islam about his job and learnt more about e-waste and proper e-waste disposal from CCK Town’s e-waste PRS (Producer Responsibility Scheme) operator, ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling Pte Ltd (ALBA). To reinforce their learning, ALBA sponsored 40 sets of board games on eco-friendly activities to be given to the children at PCF Sparkletots @ Chua Chua Kang Blk 123. The activities on 21 April were jointly organised by PCF Sparkletots @ Chua Chua Kang Blk 123 and CCK Town Council under the auspices of the town’s Appreciate Our Cleaners Week. Yue Qiao Tong Phoebe presenting a box of 70 handmade mask lanyards for all the town’s cleaners to Uncles Islam (in black mask) and Nonyo to thank them for their work. Behind her (from left) are Chean Wei Xian, Fang Jiamin Jolene and Leo How Bo Ren. Islam and Nonyo showing off the handmade gifts that had been thoughtfully made by the PCF children. Rounding off the fun-filled morning, the children presented Uncle Islam and Uncle Nonyo with a handmade mask lanyard each. A total of 70 lanyards were lovingly handmade by the children of the Teck Whye branch to be given as tokens of appreciation to estate cleaners. Besides giving the children a chance to play their part in recognising and appreciating the hard work of the cleaners in the estate, Centre Principal Rahimah Rahwi said: “This initiative is aligned with PCF’s aim of inculcating in our children important values such as gratefulness, empathy and civic-mindedness. This is also a valuable opportunity for us to raise awareness and teach the children about the importance of recycling, sustainability and proper waste disposal.” Back