Published by Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council MCI(P)131/11/2016 April 2018 Issue No 5

MY Kampung

See page 15.

Some of the things we did on our Tree

Planting Days

More on pages 3-5.

Thank you Mdm

HalimahDo you know what this is? There are lots of things in our Town that you may not know

about. Some historical, some sur-prising, some just plain interesting. How can we thank Mdm Halimah Yacob for all she did for our Town!

Particularly for needy residents in Marsiling. On pages 6 and 7 we have photos that catch some of the things for which we should thank her, and a few personal thanks from former constituents. As the Prime Minister said to her at her inauguration: “You never forgot the poverty of your childhood. You went out of your way to help those in need, and enable many others to succeed as you yourself have done.”

2 MY Kampung

Dear Residents

What is the kind of town in Marsiling-Yew Tee that we want for our loved ones? How can we build one together?

I am sure we may have our definitions and differ-ent approaches, but there is one thing in common: it should be a town that is conducive to raise our children and safe for our loved ones. Simple as it seems, the process takes ongoing efforts and every-one’s contributions, and so, I encourage all of your participation, no matter how small.

Even as we set our eyes on the future, let us not forget to give thanks to the past. 2017 was nothing short of exciting! We witnessed a first in Singapore’s history when Mdm Halimah, your trusted MP and my dear colleague, became the first female President of our nation - it was indeed a significant moment. Her contributions have impacted many lives and will continue to echo in our Town. In this issue, we join some residents who recounted fond memories of the help they received from Mdm Halimah and take a walk down memory lane on pages 6 and 7.

Pages 8 and 9 of this issue feature some of the many improvements the Town Council has com-pleted over the past year. All of them make it easier for you to get about and are part of our constant efforts to make this Town a great place to live. The improvements have removed obstacles that hin-dered your path on a rainy day - or restricted resi-dents with wheelchairs, prams or shopping baskets almost every day.

As you flip through the rest of the pages, you will learn about some interesting and little-known historical facts about our estates, and be delighted with some of the events’ coverage that took place last year.

This year, we will continue to stand by all of you while enhancing and maintaining the physical liv-ing environment of our Town. There are initiatives which are innovative and the first-of-its-kind that are being explored. As the discussions are still at a preliminary stage, we will share the details with you in due course via various communication channels such as this newsletter. Please stay tuned.

Here’s wishing you and your family a joyous 2018.

Alex Yam ZimingChairman

Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council

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Para Penduduk yang dihormati

Apakah jenis bandar di Marsiling-Yew Tee yang kita inginkan untuk orang-orang yang kita kasihi? Bagaimanakah kita dapat mem-

bina bandar sedemikian bersama-sama. Saya percaya kita mungkin mempunyai definisi-definisi sendiri dan pendekatan-pendekatan yang berlainan, tetapi terdapat satu perkara yang kita semua setujui: ia harus sebuah bandar yang sesuai untuk membesar-kan anak-anak kita dan selamat untuk ahli-ahli kelu-arga kita yang tersayang. Walaupun nampak mudah, prosesnya memerlukan usaha yang berterusan dan sumbangan setiap orang, dan dari itu, saya meng-galakkan penyertaan anda semua, tidak kira sekecil mana penyertaaan itu.

Sambil kita merancang masa depan, kita tidak harus lupa untuk mengucapkan terima kasih atas usaha-usaha yang dibuat pada tahun lalu. 2017 ada-lah sebuah tahun yang penuh keterujaan! Kita men-yaksikan rekod pertama dalam sejarah Singapura apabila Puan Halimah, Anggota Parlimen yang anda percaya penuh dan rakan sejawat saya, menjadi Pres-iden perempuan pertama negara kita – ia sesung-guhnya sebuah detik yang amat penting. Sumbangan beliau telah memberi kesan kepada kehidupan ramai penduduk dan sumbangan itu akan terus bergema dalam Bandar kita. Dalam keluaran ini, kita mem-baca kisah beberapa orang penduduk yang mempu-nyai kenangan manis tentang bantuan yang mereka terima daripada Puan Halimah dan mengimbas kembali peristiwa-peristiwa semasa beliau berkhid-mat sebagai wakil rakyat di halaman 6 dan 7.

Halaman 8 dan 9 memaparkan beberapa pembai-kan yang Majlis Bandaran telah siap laksanakan pada tahun lalu. Semuanya memudahkan lagi anda untuk bergerak di sekeliling bandar dan ia merupakan sebahagian daripada usaha berterusan kami untuk membuat Bandar ini sebuah tempat tinggal yang hebat. Pembaikan-pembaikan ini telah menghapus-kan halangan-halangan yang menyekat perjalanan lancar anda semasa hari hujan – atau menghalang penduduk yang menggunakan kerusi roda, pram atau bakul pasar hampir setiap hari.

Sambil membelek-belek halaman-halaman lain, anda akan belajar tentang beberapa fakta sejarah yang menarik dan jarang diketahui tentang estet-estet kita, dan anda akan gembira membaca tentang acara-acara yang telah berlangsung dalam tahun lepas.

Pada tahun ini, kami akan terus berkhidmat kepada anda sambil kami meningkatkan dan memelihara sekitaran kehidupan fizikal Bandar kita. Banyak inisiatif sedang diterokai. Ia bersifat inovatif dan berupa jenis yang pertama kali dijalan-kan. Sedang perbincangan masih dalam peringkat permulaan, kami akan berkongsi butir-butirnya dengan anda apabila tiba masanya melalui pelbagai saluran perhubungan seperti surat berita ini. Kami harap anda akan mengikuti perkembangan mengenai

inisiatif-inisiatif ini.Semoga tahun 2018 membawa kebahagian dan

kegembiraan kepada anda sekeluarga.

Alex Yam ZimingPengerusi

Majlis Perbandaran Marsiling-Yew Tee

亲爱的居民

在马西岭-油池区，我们都想拥有一个理想舒适的居住环境，但要如何齐心打造呢？相信大家都

有各自的想法和意见。打造一个有利于培养我们的下一代和足以给亲人，居民安排安全的居住环境，需要大家共同努力和付出，因此恳切希望你们积极参与提供意见，哪怕只是个小提议，我们都会慎重考虑。

我们要放眼未来，但也不要忘记感恩过去。2017年并非平淡无奇的一年，大家一同见证和目睹了新加坡史上的第一次：我们非常信赖的国会议员和我敬爱的同僚哈莉玛女士成为我国史上第一位女总统，这真是一件令人万分激动的事。在本期简讯里，让我们一起回顾哈莉玛女士曾经给于一些居民的帮助，并在第6和第7页里一起追忆她和居民过往的一段美好时光。

本期的第8和第9页则刊载了市镇理事会在过去一年已经完成的一些改进工程，这些改进工程给邻里居民带来的便利。

在这些完成的改进工程项目中，包括了有盖行人走廊，这有盖行人走廊解决了了邻里居民雨天出入不

便，也给那些乘坐轮椅的残疾人士、婴儿手推车使用者和那些手推购物蓝的居民提供很大的方便。　

当你们翻阅其他页面时，将会从中认识一些关于我们住宅区有趣但鲜为人知的历史实资料，此外还能看到市镇理事会在去年最后一季举办的活动报道。

今年我们将持持之以恒加强改进邻里居民环境，也续续探讨一些创新和引进一些新设施，新装备，由于还在初步阶段中，所以我们将等到日后才通过诸如本刊的各种沟通管道与你们分享细节。敬请留意。

恭祝大家在新的一年里万事如意。任梓铭

主席 马西岭-油池市镇理事会

April 2018 3

Do you know what this is?

Australian gunners manning a 2-pounder

anti-tank gun overlooking the Causeway. The

Australian guns had knocked out several

Japanese tanks while pulling back from Malaya.

An old photo showing the 20m gap in tha Causeway blown by Indian sappers. They also destroyed the lockgates, the waterpipes and the bridge over the canal (see next page).

It is a hard military truth: if you blow a bridge or a gap in a causeway, it will only hold up the enemy as long as you command the break with your guns.

The first thing discovered was a small bunker or pillbox that still had its heavy roof in place.

The interior remained dry – and whitewashed! It had four loopholes on each of the three doorless sides.

A few metres to the east, with its entrance facing west was this slightly larger firing point or redoubt.

About 30m downhill towards the Causeway was the largest structure found, its roof collapsed.

The four walls had a trough on top (to hold the roof in place?) and drainways to carry rainwater caught there to the outside, through 30cm of concrete.

The only piece of hardware found was this heavy duty pivot for a barrel hinge, indicating that doors for this emplacement had been substantial.

AU

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Recently, the National Heritage Board led tours to the WWII Attap Valley Bunker to the east

of our Town, noting that there are other similar “forgotten” sites in Singapore waiting to be found.

The Town Council thought it would be of interest to you, and in line with this newsletter’s aim to tell you interest-ing, but little known, facts about our Town, to investigate rumours of ruins on the top of Marsiling Hill.

The coloured photos on this page show what our photographers found. The photos have been passed to NHB for their further investigation.

While our photographers know little WWII history, many facts are available on the Internet.

The Battle of KranjiOn 31 January, 1942, sappers blew a 20m gap in the Causeway, difficult for the Japanese to bridge as it lay under the control of anti-tank and machine guns of the 27th Australian Brigade.

Japanese Imperial Guards attacked the defenders on 9 February, but were repelled by the Australians.

Sadly, the Australians were then told by their commander to withdraw, and the Causeway was immediately bridged by the Japanese.

Map showing deployment prior to the Battle of Kranji.

4 MY Kampung

Did you knowthis Rotherham Gate post is still here

the Warriors’ turf is watered from below

Nypah grows in Woodlands Town Park

Kranji station has the most faregates

The photo on the left shows the Rotherham Gate at the western entrance to the Sembawang

Naval Base, back in the days when policemen wore khaki shorts. The photo on the right shows the same area today. The remains of the northern gatepost are believed to be cocooned in the tangle of roots of the giant banyan that now grows here. Some heritage items are preserved without interven-tion by the appropriate authority!

The park is now closed for renovations. NParks is taking great care to preserve the three nationally endangered mangrove plants shown above. And the nationally

vulnerable palm, Nypah, that also grows here. This is the palm whose trunk grows beneath the mud and only the leaves and flowers above ground. It was Nypah that provided the attap Singaporeans used to build their houses with.

The Choa Chu Kang Stadium was built in less than two years at a cost of $34.8m and opened in 2001. It won prizes for

Opened in 1996, this station has the highest number of fare gates

among all the MRT stations. Why? To handle the huge crowds on race days.

architecture and construction, but nothing for the Warriors’ FIFA-approved pitch – a marvel of modern turf engineering.

Plastic ‘cells’ support turf and distribute any load placed on it. (Roots grow through cells.)

When needed, water is pumped through perforated plastic piping buried under the pitch.

Turf

Textile membranes to protect piping and help spread water.

Mangrove Apple (Sonneratia caseolaris)

Dungun Air (Brownlowia tersa)

Teruntum Bunga Puteh (Lumnitzera racemosa)

Nypah (Nypa fruticans)

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April 2018 5

a canal cut through the Causeway here

this prison used to be KD Malaya

you can adopt dogs here

When the Causeway was officially opened in 1924, it had a canal with lockgates on the Johor side to allow ships up to 36m in length to pass through. The road and railway crossed the canal via a huge

steel ‘roller’ bridge that was raised for ships to pass. During the planning for the Causeway, the Royal Navy had asked for the locks to be large enough to accommodate their battleships and the extra cost to meet that request almost led to the complete abandonment of the Causeway project!

When WWII broke out, Britain formed a “Malay Section” of the Royal Navy. Over 1,450 volunteers served in this “Malay Navy” during World War II. It

was disbanded in 1947 – only to be reactivated in 1949 for service in the Malayan Emergency. Gazetted as the Malayan Naval Force, it was based on the site of a former radio station in the Sembawang naval base. Initially the ‘MNF Barracks’, the base was later renamed HMS Malaya after a WWI dreadnaught battleship named after the British colony that paid for her to be built.

With the formation of Malaysia, the base became HMMS Malaya, then KD (Kapal Diraja) Malaya until the Royal Malaysian Navy moved out in 1981. Today, their fleet headquarters in Lumut is called KD Malaya.

Home Team dogs and SAF dogs are trained at the camps on Mowbray Road.

Every year a few are due for retirement ... and rehoming. Call 63146043 or 6424 6623.

Scrapped in 1948, the waterline and 15-inch gun

turrets of HMS Malaya were covered by 33cm of solid

steel, yet she could achieve speeds of 26 knots.

RMN officers and ratings at KD Malaya in the 70s.

6 MY Kampung

Thank you Mdm Halimah

“I would like to thank Mdm Halimah for all the time she spent at her Meet the People sessions. I went to one MPS and told her about my son who is 39, handicapped, and cannot talk. She wrote a letter to the Commu-nity Development Council. Now they are giving me an allowance to help take care of him. She did a lot of things to help me and my family.”

Thank you for making

volunteer work a

pleasure

Thank you for

your many novel

programs

Thank you for always being there

Thank you for getting what

needed fixing - fixed

Photos from the albums remind us of the many

things for which we should thank Mdm Halimah.

Here are a few, picked at random.

And quotes from four Marsiling residents,

also picked at random.

Mdm Zaina

April 2018 7

Thank you Mdm Halimah

“I would like to thank Mdm Halimah for being so helpful. I was liv-ing alone and I wanted to get an HDB flat. I had been trying to get one for six years when I went to see Mdm Halimah at her weekly Meet the People session. She got in touch with the HDB for me and I got a place. It was very quick! She really helped me.”

Thank you for

your sense of

fun

Thank you for having time for

each and every one

of us

Thank you for always leading from the

front

Thank you for

inspiring our

young people

“I would like to thank Mdm Halimah for helping the residents in Blocks 3 and 4 so faithfully. She asked us to come together and look out for each other, as a group. She named it Mata Mata Kampung – the eyes of the village. The group organized a monthly distribution of rations, which she attended, every month. And if we heard of a resident who needed some-thing, she would see to it as soon as possible.”

“I would like to thank Mdm Halimah for teaching us how you build a community. She taught us how to connect with a resident you don’t know. She taught us how important it is to be sincere in dealing with every- one. To care about what you are doing. And to be humble because, really, we are all equal.”

Mr Neo Chun Chu

Mdm Jayaleela

Mdm Norizan

8 MY Kampung

We celebrate National Day

April 2018 9

We celebrate National Day

10 MY Kampung

Some of the things we did on our Tree

Planting Days Most of our Days included some exercise and other activities.

These Days mark milestones in the building of our City in a Garden.

We had colouring contests, houseplants to take home – or perhaps a litter-picking session.

April 2018 11

Some of the things we did on our Tree

Planting Days Every Advisor planted a tree, often with help from little ones.

All the trees were properly watered – difficult if you didn’t want to step in the mud.

After group photos for the album, we all enjoyed a bang-up breakfast and a chit-chat.

12 MY Kampung

Town Improvements In Marsiling

To loud applause, the new covered linkway from Block 887C Woodlands Drive 50 to 888 Plaza was officially declared open on 3 December 2017. The linkway

crosses two roads and the original design for it had to be aban-doned when underground service lines were found to interfere with the plans for foundations. In spite of this the project was completed – from initial plans to opening ceremony – in just two years. And under budget!

In Woodgrove

The high/low linkway built by the Town Council over the roadway between the link building 6A and Block 19 was completed in September and has proven very popu-lar. It is the centre of a sheltered pathway that goes all the way from Blocks 6, 7, 8

and 9 Marsiling Drive to the market and hawker centre at Block 20 and 21 Marsiling Lane.

April 2018 13

Town Improvements In November, a new covered linkway connect-

ing the multi-purpose hall and Block 631 Choa Chu Kang North 6 was opened. And in Decem-

ber the Town Council completed construction of a drop-off point that connects to the existing covered linkway between Blocks 686A and 686B Choa Chu Kang Crescent.

On Tree Planting Day, residents in Limbang celebrated the completion of construction work on two major projects: A barrier-free covered linkway that lets you

wheel your way from Block 543 to Block 570 Choa Chu Kang Street 52 – and a park shelter with barbecue facilities between Blocks 542 and 543.

In Yew Tee

In Limbang

14 MY Kampung

Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle is a stall in the second-floor food court in Limbang Shopping Centre run by Mr Pah Teck Chye and his wife, Mdm Wong Lee Peck, Jasmine. They use recipes handed down from his grandfather who opened a stall in Bukit Ho Swee in 1959. “We’ve revamped the recipes a bit,” said Jasmine. “And we make our own sauces, salty sweet.” The result is a traditional Hokkien mee with all the flavours you yearn for – and a traditional char kway teow that would be hard to beat anywhere in the City. Look at it. Plenty of cockles. Plenty of lard. Plenty of everything good. All right here in a shopping centre in the sub-urbs! Open 11am to 2.30pm and 4pm to 6.30pm, closed on Fridays.

Ma La Xiang Guo is a stall in the Yew Tee Square Kopitiam. Operated by Mr Zhang Yong, this stall has been here three years. Ma La = numbingly spicey. Xiang Guo = hotpot. But, though this is a classic Sichuan dish, it doesn’t have to be numbingly spicy because you can choose whether to you want ‘small’, ‘regular’ or ‘big’ spiciness. We got ‘regular’ and it was pretty mild if you avoided the fried cuts of chilli. Everything you could think of putting in a hotpot was there for selection – and several you probably haven’t thought of. The big bowl in the photo cost $25.60, with free soup. Open 11am to 9.30pm, busiest at dinnertime.

Some treats you might like to try

881(XO) has the corner stall #01-05 in Block 306A Woodlands Street 31. One of a chain of six branches, this branch opened here in 2009 – and

they’ve won a lot of regular customers since then, particularly a big lunchtime crowd. Famous for their seafood, they offer a wide choice

of popular dishes, from Chilli Crab to Fish Head Steamboat, Cereal Prawns to Prawn Paste Chicken. A serving of their XO Toman fish

head with noodles or rice costs $6.50 and a big bowl of Sea Bream fish head curry is $25, rice or noodles extra. That’s what we had.

They say it’s their top seller and small wonder – the fish is fresh and the sauce is thick, rich and with just the right amount of

spiciness. Open 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 11pm.

Petite Boite is shop #01-139 in Block 325 Woodlands Street 41. Opened just three years ago it was the first in what is now a chain of three pastry shops. The breads, pastries, cakes and desserts come from their bakery in Yishun, fresh daily. In amazing variety! And all seven of the pastries we tried were superb. One sponge cake featured the flavour and crunchiness of fresh longans, with the added sparkle of lemon. The bite-size peanut macaroons had that distinct flavour you get from fresh-roasted peanuts. The mini pandan roll tickled your tongue with a cheese filling. And that chocolate banana confection was a dream come true. All in the photo totalled $20.30. Open 8am to 9.30pm.

April 2018 15

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Main OfficeBlock 306A Woodlands Street 31, #02-00, Singapore 731306 Branch Office Block 563 Choa Chu Kang Street 52, #01-198, Singapore 680563Phone: 6430 7800Fax: 6362 4822Email: feedback@myttc.org.sg

For Payment/CollectionMonday to Friday: 8am to 4.30pm Saturday: 8am to 12.30pm Sunday and Public Holidays: Closed

For Maintenance/FeedbackMonday to Friday: 8am to 5pm Saturday: 8am to 1pm Sunday and Public Holidays: Closed

Our photos show one of the new yellow boxes painted in our Town

for parking shared bikes . Can you spot the five places where the two photos differ? Circle them and you could win a $30 NTUC Fairprice voucher! Send your entry to: Puzzle, Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council, Block 306A Woodlands Street 31, #02-00, Singapore 731306. Contest closes 31 May 2018.

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Congratulations to the four win-ners of the July 2017 PUZZLE: . Ng Pin Hui, Mary Tan, Ng Bee Hong,Kim Mui Huang.

16 MY Kampung

2017 was a good year!

Plans were unveiled for the Woodlands South station.

We did tonnes of litter-picking!

Construction began at the Woodlands Health Campus.

The upgrading of Woodlands Town Park commenced.

All our lifts now have light curtains.

Minister Ong Ye Kung came to visit us.

A new Town Council office opened in Yew Tee.

We thanked each and every one of our cleaners.

The Town Council completed twenty-two improvements.