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!
Wondering how you can reduce your energy consumption (and the shock to your wallet) without too drastic a change to your current lifestyle? Here are some hacks!
Unplug It
Don’t let idle appliances suck power (and money) while doing nothing.
Leaving the TV, microwave or laptop charger on standby mode means allowing them to siphon power even when they are not actively in use.
Leaving a 200W desktop computer switched on overnight (8 hours) daily will cost at least $152 more a year.
Standby power can account for up to 10% of your home energy use. So turn off or unplug appliances when not in use.
Time it
Let the timers that come with your home appliances do your work for you.
For example, you can save about $26* a year by simply programming your air-conditioner to turn off half an hour earlier than usual. The room will remain cool and you save some money to boot.
To reap greater savings, time the aircon to run for an hour and subsequently switch to a fan to cool the room and reduce your power bill by $331* a year.
Turn on appliances like water heaters only when you need to use them. Did you know that leaving a storage water heater switched on for the whole day could cost an additional $107 *? Instead, you should turn it on for only 10 to 30 minutes before use.
Cover It
Ensure you cover all liquids and food before storing them in the fridge.
Uncovered items = more moisture released = compressor working doubly hard to keep the fridge cool = higher power bill
Take note also that the warmer your room is, the harder your aircon has to work to cool it down. To minimise the sun’s heat, keep the curtains or blinds closed. Or use solar-blocking window film to reduce the sun rays.
Try these hacks now. Adopting these habits takes minimal effort and fattens your savings!
*based on June 2022 electricity tariff of 26 cents per kWh of electricity
CCK Town’s latest mega sports facility opened with a bang on 19 June with a town-wide sports day attended by thousands of residents.
The event was the first large-scale community event to be held after a two-year hiatus of such mass gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Residents enjoying Zumba under the covered event hall, one of the many features and amenities at The Arena @ Keat Hong.
Residents could be seen excitedly thronging the 639sq m arena, which boasts of 3 play structures in a mega playground, and a host of other sports courts to boot.
With feedback from residents and the support of the CCK Town Council, MP for Keat Hong Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim said the facility, built on the site of the former Lam Soon Community Centre, was designed to be inclusive and offers barrier-free access.
The opening of The Arena @ Keat Hong drew many residents, young and old, who checked out the new playgrounds, played games with former national footballers and even had a game of wheelchair basketball.
Other CCK GRC MPs in attendance at the sports carnival were Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, South West District Mayor Low Yen Ling and Mr Don Wee.
CCK GRC MPs Low Yen Ling, Don Wee, Zhulkarnain & Gan Kim Yong took part in a game of inflatable human soccer with residents at the opening of The Arena @ Keat Hong on 19 June.
Promote Healthy Living Among Residents
The arena is part of the $15 million Keat Hong Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) for Blocks 401 to 428 in Choa Chu Kang Avenues 3 and 4.
Other improvement works in the pipeline include enhancing connectivity and inclusive access, and the upgrading of amenities within the Keat Hong neighbourhood.
This new inter-generational sports and recreation hub provides an array of indoor and outdoor fitness and recreational options to support and encourage active and healthy lifestyles. It also provides greater opportunities for residents to play, interact and bond within the community.
Facilities include:
- Mega playground with a wheelchair-friendly section
- Futsal pitch with interactive ball wall
- Multi-purpose court
- Courts for badminton, petanque, volleyball & basketball
- Sheltered event hall
- 400m jogging & walking track
- Adult & senior fitness corner
- Interactive play pillars with memory and spelling games
- Mini park
Something New for Everybody
The Arena @ Keat Hong caters to residents of all ages and fitness levels.
On the opening day, families with children could be seen checking out the mega playground, which, at 426sq m, is equivalent to the size of 4 four-room flats.
Several tower structures (see above) literally take play to a new height, offering climbing nets and slides to be enjoyed by 5 to 12-year-olds.
The younger set of children, ages 2 to 4, are not forgotten as there is a dedicated pirate ship-design play area, which even come with parent-child swings.
South West District Mayor & CCK Town Council Chairman Low Yen Ling checked out the futsal pitch with its interactive ball wall.
The futsal pitch has an artificial pitch and interactive ball wall, specially imported from the Netherlands, which register ball contact through vibration sensors on 16 illuminated LED panels.
South West District Mayor & CCK Town Council Chairman Low Yen Ling checked out the futsal pitch with its interactive ball wall.
Another Dutch import, the MEMO playground set (pictured above), allows families to play interactive inter-generation games through LED touchscreens which light up on posts as players run from one post to another.
Check out The Arena @ Keat Hong and experience all these new play and fitness features for you and your family!
Earmarked by the Government as one of three eco-towns, CCK Town is gearing up for a greener future.
Residents are involved in multiple initiatives for sustainable living as the Town ups its ante with more efficient use of energy and zero waste efforts. CCK Town is also home to green icons such as the Tengeh Floating Solar Farm and Singapore’s largest freshwater marshland, Kranji Marshes.
Just how green are you? Have you tried our latest Green Trivia Challenge put up on the digital display panels at the lift lobbies?
Check out the answers below:
Q1: One of the world’s largest inland floating solar farms is located at ____ Reservoir in CCK Town. It is the size of ___ football fields.
Answer: The size of 45 football fields, the floating solar farm at Tengeh Reservoir is one of the world’s largest inland floating solar farms. The 60 megawatt-peak farm contains 122,000 solar panels, which are durable enough to last 25 years. It can power about 16,000 four-room flats and reduce carbon emissions by about 32 kilotonnes annually, which translates to taking 7,000 cars off the road.
Q2: Solar panels have been installed on the rooftops of more than ___ HDB blocks in CCK Town.
Answer: So far, more than 200 HDB blocks in CCK Town have been outfitted with solar panels on the roof top.
Q3: Kranji Marshes in ___ estate is home to more than 170 species of birds, 54 types of butterflies and 33 kinds of dragonflies.
Answer: Kranji Marshes, one of Singapore’s largest freshwater marshlands, is located in Keat Hong estate. The 56.8-hectare nature reserve is home to a wide array of flora and fauna, including more than 170 species of birds, 54 types of butterflies and 33 kinds of dragonflies. Birds that can be spotted include the Changeable Hawk Eagle, the White-bellied Sea Eagle, Purple Swamphen and Common Moorhen.
Q4: CCK estate’s community gardens produced about ___kg of vegetables last year.
Answer: Under CCK Town’s 2015–2020 Masterplan, CCK Town has introduced 37 community gardens. These plots are managed by resident gardening representatives. In CCK estate, the community gardeners produced about 80 kg of vegetables last year, which was shared with residents.
This silk cotton tree in front of Block 488C, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5 once stood guard over the former Keat Hong Camp.
Keat Hong resident Franky Chong with 8-year-old Shiaw Jing and 5-year-old Shiaw Qian found some unusual white fluff on the floor near the tree and went by to check it out.
In April this year, when his daughter, Shiaw Qian started preschool in Brickland, Keat Hong resident Franky Chong noticed a tree near her school which was shedding soft, white fluff. Curious, he approached it for a closer look.
“When I realised it was cotton on the ground, I quickly looked up. To my surprise, I saw a big tree with cotton all over its branches,” said Franky. “As that was my first time seeing a real cotton tree, I googled for more information online.”
Franky’s daughters, 8-year-old Shiaw Jing and 5-year-old Shiaw Qian, showing off their soft, silky find.
According to Chua Chu Kang Town Council’s Senior Horticulture Manager, Kwok Hon Weng, the tree in question spotted by Franky is a Silk-Cotton tree. Located in front of Block 488C at Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5, this tree is native to tropical America and tropical West Africa and is grown in the tropics for the silky floss its fruits contain.
Commonly known in Asia by its Malay trade name, the Kapok tree produces fine, soft, elastic and waterproof floss, which has been used to fill pillows, cushions, mattresses and sleeping bags. In the early to mid-20th century, it was used to fill life jackets too.
Historical Origins from Former Keat Hong Camp
A close-up look at the silky fruits of the tree. The fine, soft, elastic and waterproof floss is used to fill pillows, mattresses and even life jackets.
According to Mr Kwok, this Silk-Cotton tree was planted in the former Keat Hong Camp compound. It was preserved by HDB when construction for the current Sunshine Gardens flats began in 2012.
If you visit Singapore Botanic Gardens, you can see an older specimen of the ‘Kapok’ tree beside Holttum Hall. A designated heritage tree, its seed was part of an exchange between Singapore and the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) in 1932, and planted in 1934 by the former director of Singapore Botanic Gardens, Eric Holttum.
After he found out more about the tree, Franky decided to share his discovery with fellow CCK Town residents through CCKTC’s Spot & Share campaign.
“Residents can take their children to see a real cotton tree here, instead of having to travel to Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is far away. The tree is also near Sunshine Place and easily accessible,” added Franky.
Mr Kwok tells us that this species of cotton tree usually flowers and bears fruit between March and June, so the June school holidays are just the right time to take the children there to check it out.
For his submission, Franky receives a $50 NTUC FairPrice voucher.
We want to hear from other residents too! If you’ve spotted anything interesting or discovered something unusual or someone extraordinary in CCK Town, share it with us.
Email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg. If your story tip is featured, you win a $50 NTUC FairPrice voucher.
For this June school holidays, why not go on a photo trail of CCK Town to discover gems in your backyard!
Make it your personal or family challenge!
Find the 12 spots featured in CCK Town’s 2022 calendar & share your photos with fellow residents via Instagram. Tag us @mycckhome, #CCKHome, mycckhome.
Discover this whimsical playground at Choa Chu Kang Park that’s a sure hit with the young ones, as captured by CCK estate’s Guo Shun.
See if you can find this scenic spot along the Rail Corridor in this picture shot by Bukit Gombak resident Gina Ng.
Locate this hidden spot discovered by Bukit Gombak’s Grace Zheng. Tip: These Japanese Torii gates and rustic, overgrown pavillions can be found in Bukit Batok Hillside Park.
Hunt down this iconic tree in Goodwood Gardens. Challenge yourself to capture a unique version of this winning shot by Bukit Gombak’s Lim Chiat Cheong.
Discover the serene beauty of Bukit Gombak Park, like Ong Yi Chao did.
Sungei Buloh is filled with IG-worthy spots, like Eagle Point shot by Hong Kah North’s Yong Kuo Hoong.
Keat Hong Colours estate looks stunning from behind CCK estate’s Carlo G. Palma’s lenses. Have you checked out the colours of Keat Hong at sunrise or sunset?
This morning scene at Bukit Gombak Stadium inspires an energising stretch, as shown by Bukit Gombak’s Clement Lee.
Soak in the serenity of Kranji Reservoir, as captured by CCK estate’s Bryan Goh.
Little Guilin is a favourite subject of shutterbugs. Bukit Gombak’s Alwin Saji found ‘autumn colours’, how about you?
Rustle up some woodland magic at Bukit Batok Nature Park like Bukit Gombak’s Teo Lee Kiang.
Or find a magnificent bird of prey looking for its meal over the waters of Little Guilin as Bukit Gombak’s Myron Tay did.
It was a busy April for CCK Town residents — young and old — who made effort and took time to thank the town’s estate cleaners.
From acts of care like picking litter to making gifts of appreciation, the town’s cleaners certainly felt our town’s love in this second run of the annual Appreciate Our Cleaners initiative.
Kids Take the Lead
PCF Sparkletots preschoolers at Blk 3 Teck Whye Ave taking part in litter-picking drive.
Pupils across all levels of 4 PCF Sparkletots @ Chua Chu Kang centre honoured the town’s cleaners through various events and activities.
Teck Whye Ave Blk 3’s preschoolers took part in a litter-picking drive near? their school compound, and even got into an impromptu Zumba session with the cleaners.
Their teacher Trixie Dagatan said the activity helped to inspire the children to upkeep and promote cleanliness in their neighbourhood. It was also a chance for them to learn the proper way to sort different types of waste, and how that enhances sustainability.
Teck Whye Ave Blk 3’s preschoolers getting into the groove of Zumba with their teachers and estate cleaners.
Teck Whye Lane Blk 123’s pupils showed off their Appreciation Wall.
Over at Blks 19 and 123 Teck Whye Lane, the preschoolers expressed their appreciation by creating dedicated appreciation walls to thank the estate cleaners.
Teacher Jenny Obeso Bantolinao said the kids of Blk 123 turned shoeboxes into creative 3D art as part of their lessons on the importance of recycling. Parents were also roped in to help their children pen appreciation notes for the cleaners.
Giving high-fives in the air are the cleaners and kids of Blk 19 Teck Whye Lane.
Over at the centre in Blk 19, the children were asked to brainstorm ideas of how they could do their part to keep the environment clean and make the cleaners’ jobs easier,
Preschoolers from Blk 10 Teck Whye Ave held a mini-exhibition where the children showed off their models of buildings made of recycled materials. At the event, MP for CCK, Minister Gan Kim Yong also presented hampers of appreciation to the cleaners.
MP for CCK Minister Gan Kim Yong presenting a hamper to Cleaner Islam Saidul at Blk 10’s mini-exhibition event.
A closer look at some of the models made by preschoolers of Blk 10.
The children enjoyed themselves learning all about being clean and green. K2 preschooler Emma Ho, age 6, from Blk 123, said: “I will help to pick up litter next time I see it on the floor.”
“We must tie our plastic bags before throwing them into the rubbish chute,” said 6-year-old Zayn Ebraar, K2 student at Blk 123.
Care Packs for Cleaners
The thoughtful CCK estate residents and their families presented care packs to 20 cleaners in Teck Whye.
The children, of course, are not the only ones appreciative of the cleaners in CCK Town. CCK estate resident Jane Tan got together with 3 other families to buy and present care packs to 20 cleaners in Teck Whye.
The 45-year-old IT specialist said they decided to do this in the run-up to the Easter weekend to show love and care to others in the community. The 7 children among them, aged 2 to 14, packed the care packs with snacks and daily necessities and also made Thank You cards.
Jane said: “We tried to explain to the children what we were doing and they were quite excited. I think it’s a good start to get them to understand that we don’t live in our world but we also need to think of others.”
Cleaner Islam Saidul with the thoughtfully prepared care pack presented to him by some CCK estate residents.
Breaking Fast & Showing Residents Care
With restrictions to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic gradually lifted, various other activities were held too.
Vice-chairman of CCK Town Council and MP for Keat Hong Zhulkarnian Abdul Rahim held an ‘iftar’ (break fast) session with town council staff and cleaners to mark the Ramadan.
Mr Zhulkarnian interacting with the estate cleaners at the break fast event.
Over at Hong Kah North, Adviser Amy Khor joined residents and cleaners to pick litter.
Dr Amy Khor (in the centre) and Hong Kah North cleaners giving everyone a thumb’s up for doing their part to keep the environment clean.
And in Brickland, fast-food giant McDonald’s Singapore presented Brickland cleaners with a complimentary meal voucher.
MP for Brickland Don Wee joined the cleaners for a chat and meal at McDonald’s at Keat Hong Mirage.
As preschooler Annasofia Damia, age 5, of the PCF Sparkletots at Blk 19 Teck Lane succinctly puts it: “We must thank and appreciate the cleaners because they clean for us, and make our environment so clean and so beautiful.”
The second run of CCK Town Council’s Appreciate Our Cleaners campaign was yet another rounding success.
This year, a total of 70 nominations were received.
Said CCK Town Council Chairman and Minister of State, MTI & MCCY, Ms Low Yen Ling: “As residents continued to work from home in the past 2 years due to the extended Covid-19 pandemic, our cleaners stepped up their regular cleaning, with some going beyond the call of duty. We are greatly heartened by our residents’ keen support and appreciation of our cleaners.
“Our cleaners’ effort did not go unnoticed and were deeply appreciated. Many residents made extra efforts to highlight their nominations with photos and appreciative words. Thank you to all our residents and everyone who participated.”
Here are the 10 winning cleaners and why their nominators said they should win.
Lalilabanu (Keat Hong)
Resident Phang Soon Tuck says: “She’s hardworking and dedicated to her work. Quite a few times I’ve seen her cleaning the rubbish chute at Blk 438 despite the rain.”
Peh Cheng Swee (Keat Hong)
Resident Chui Shoong Hee says: “I see Uncle Peh already at work early in the morning before the crack of dawn. I have also spotted him working on his days off (when he was not in uniform).”
Mafuz (Keat Hong)
Resident Doris Cheong says: “Mafuz is cheerful and hardworking, and takes pride in his work. I have seen him and a few other cleaners helping to ferry seniors up to their units when the lifts were down or under maintenance.”
Hossain Anwar (Hong Kah North)
Jade Chan says: “Hossain helped me throw my rubbish during my quarantine. He went beyond his duty, and he tends to the estate like his own home.”
Mollah Aktar (Hong Kah North)
Joanne Lau says: “On top of his daily regular duties, Mollah faithfully clears up all the bulky items found in the estate.”
Sadon (Brickland)
Resident Wee Sin Tian says: “Shadon is very hardworking, kind and friendly. He always helps me place my floor mat on my shoe rack when I forget to do so on floor-cleaning days. My 1.5-year-old son likes him very much.”
Tamil Mani (CCK)
Resident Cheryl Chew says: “Our block tends to have rubbish left behind by passers-by who don’t live here. But no matter how dirty it gets, our void deck will be clean as new the next morning – a testament to how hard Tamil Mani works.”
Md Yusof (CCK)
Resident Zaleha Bte Rosdi says: “Each day, I can hear the sound of a broom sweeping from the void deck in the wee hours of the morning. It’s Yusof, hard at work. He often goes the extra mile and offers me help when he sees me carrying groceries.”
Ong Bee Kook (CCK)
Resident William Tan says: “Bee Kook is a friendly and hardworking lady. I see her going up to every floor to clean and remove unwanted items near the common rubbish chute.”
Nasir Khan (Bukit Gombak)
Resident Cheong Soon Keng says: “Nasir has been taking care of our estate for many years. He can often be seen working late and going beyond the call of duty to assist residents when we require help.”
Congratulations to all our 10 winning cleaners for 2022! Each cleaner receives a $50 FairPrice voucher, and the nominating resident gets a $30 FairPrice voucher.
Stay tuned for more on how CCK Town appreciates our cleaners.
Singapore’s largest hand-made ‘wau bulan’ (traditional Malay kite), designed and made by Bukit Gombak resident Khusaini Bin Jamari, welcomes visitors to Bukit Gombak Neighbourhood Centre.
Festive lights and decorations, yummy kueh-kuehs, cookies and other delicacies, new baju (clothes) galore — you can get them all from Bukit Gombak Neighbourhood Centre.
Where to Shop & What to Buy
Soak in the festive mood at CCK Town’s very own mini “Geylang Serai” of the West. Get ready for the occasion. Here’s how!
Swing by Toko Warisan Trading (above, first photo) or Ain Aimirah Trading (above, second photo) to get ‘matchy-matchy’ family outfits.
Or stock up on cookies from Al Barakah (top).
Make sure you don’t miss out the stalls along the walkways of Blk 374 (above) that entice with delicious snacks and goodies.
And not forgetting the delectable kueh-kueh (see above), which can be found at the stall in front of Ananas Chicken.
Looking Forward to a Bigger, Better Hari Raya Adilfiltri
Keat Hong resident Noridah binte Othman (back row, second from right) with her husband, Kamari bin Muhali (on her right) having a small celebration last year with only immediate family members. Front row, from left are the couple’s second son, Muhd Hamiyadiy bin Kamari, third daughter, NurHanis Hanani binte Kamari, eldest son, Muhd Hamizan bin Kamari, and his wife, Nordiana binte Ibrahim. Back row, from left are their fourth son, Muhd Hamizharif bin Kamari, and wife of their second son, Siti Hadeejah binte Abd Rahman, holding her daughter, Aara Basyirah binte Muhd Hamiyadiy.
Keat Hong resident Noridah bin Othman is one of the many who greeted the more relaxed Covid-19 rules with jubilation.
“The last 2 years have been quite sad, especially for the elderly, because of the restrictions on visitations. This year, everyone is happier and very eagerly looking forward to being able to be able to at least gather again,” said the 55-year-old home-maker.
As Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a season for strengthening bonds among relatives and friends, even though most families tried their best to catch up via virtual gatherings in the past 2 years, they can’t quite compare with the physical meet-ups, said Noridah.
Glad as her family is with the relaxed rules, they will still approach the celebrations with some caution, especially in their visits to older friends and families. They are taking care not to go in big groups.
She explained: “Even though we are now moving towards living with Covid-19, we still need to do our bit to protect our vulnerable elderly, including ourselves.”
Noridah said she and her neighbours are also hoping they can welcome the return of mass community events such as sit-down dinners where more than 250 people can enjoy the ‘makan’, complete with performances.
“The rules have just been relaxed so we cannot just go all out; we still need to have some control. Hopefully, soon we can bring some of those events back,” she said.
The 3 winners for CCK Town Council’s Energy-Saving Contest in March are:
Bukit Gombak resident Andrew Lim, Keat Hong resident Shayden Wong and Keat Hong resident Madurai Kamala Kannan.
These residents not only answered the 3 questions in the quiz* correctly, but they also shared their great power-saving tip and won a $50 NTUC FairPrice voucher each.
To mark Earth Day, which falls on 22 April, we spoke to the three residents on how they stay green.
Harvesting the Power of the Sun
Andrew’s kitchen showing the placement of his solar panel and light (above, circled in red), and a close-up of the solar light in action (above).
66-year-old retiree Andrew has been tapping on solar energy to light up his kitchen for the past year.
A closer look at the solar panel and light.
He bought a plug-and-play solar panel and light for about $100, and installed them on a West-facing window in his kitchen. Voila, he has since been enjoying ‘free’ light in his kitchen every night.
The 14×12 inch solar panel can store enough energy to power the 100W LED light for 2 to 3 hours. It’s bright enough such that Andrew and his wife do not even need to turn on their kitchen light.
He and his wife also save energy in other ways too, such as lowering the blinds to keep the sun out on hot days so they spend less energy cooling the room down at night.
Besides reducing his energy bill, Andrew urged: “Using energy from renewable sources will help us to reduce our carbon footprint. Even though we may not achieve much as individuals, every small bit of effort adds up.”
Sharing Aircon on WFH Days
Shayden’s sketch of how his family keep cool by sharing the same room.
Shayden and his parents share the same room when they work or study from home. This way, they need to turn on only 1 air-conditioner to keep everyone cool and comfortable.
Once the room has cooled down sufficiently, they also turn the aircon off and rely on the fan to keep cool and further save energy.
By doing so, the 17-year-old student said his family has seen a 20% reduction in their energy consumption for their 4-room flat in the past year. They brought their power bill from above average of their neighbours to below average and were rewarded with cost savings.
He said: “Saving electricity is very important to us as the Earth’s resources are limited, so we must use them sparingly if we want to conserve them for future generations.”
The World is in Your Hands
Madurai succinctly expresses his idea in a sketch (pictured below) along with his message “the world is in your hands”.
He said: “By saving energy, I’m doing my bit to save the environment and also help to reduce air pollution and prevent climate change.”
The 42-year-old team leader in a chemical firm has been practising as he preaches for the last 4 years.
By eliminating the use of aircon completely, using energy-saving lights, and turning the power of all devices, he has reduced his power bill by 30%.
Now that you have learnt about the residents’ winning green habits, let them inspire you to embark on your own green journey, just in time for Earth Day!
*Correct answers for the quiz are:
Q1: Filament light bulbs look better & use less power than LED bulbs.
A1: B: False
Q2: Use a fan instead of aircon as 1 aircon = __ fans.
A2: B: 11
Q3: Set washing machine to wash clothes in __ water.
A3: B: room temperature
Appreciate Our Cleaners Week is back!
After the rousing success with last year’s inaugural Appreciate Our Cleaners Week, CCK Town Council is bringing back the campaign for the second year.
Residents are invited to submit nominations for their estate cleaners to show them that you recognise and appreciate their effort.
Simply pen your words of appreciation for the cleaner or write about a heart-warming encounter with him/her. Your entry should include reasons why he or she should win. (Psst, there is no word limit!)
Boost your chances by including a photo with or of your nominee!
10 winning entries will be selected. The nominated cleaners will receive $50 NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers each, while the nominating resident will be awarded $30 NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers.
Send your nominations to CCK Town Council by 17 April 2022 via:
- Google form https://forms.gle/M7zKadU5pAZg4ZyM7 or
- Email to corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg
Send in your nominations now!
See Terms & Conditions here.
