SINGAPORE - Fresh vegetables and fish, dried mushrooms, perhaps even a can of abalone.

That's what Madam Teoh Mei Ling is thinking of buying with her early Chinese New Year red packet she received on Saturday (Jan21) from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"This will all be for the family reunion dinner, it's very helpful for us," said Madam Teoh, 72.

She was one of the more than 400 needy senior residents from Teck Ghee who were given red packets with $150 cash and $50 Sheng Siong supermarket vouchers at the estate's annual Hongbao Presentation Ceremony.

They also received four bottles of chicken essence and two mandarin oranges each.

Mr Lee, in a brief message to open the event at the Teck Ghee Primary School, said he hoped the gifts would bring residents some new year cheer and help them to be "heathy, well and successful in the year ahead".

"This year is the Year of the Monkey - (but) the monkey has been quite naughty. Next year is the Year of the Rooster, I hope it brings us good luck, good fortune and a good future," said Mr Lee, to laughter from the audience.

Later Mr Lee, who is MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, sat down and chatted with some residents as they tucked into a breakfast of fried beehoon.

Madam Gurdip Kaur, 66, was thankful for the small gifts she got from Mr Lee.

"It helps the needy a lot. I'll use it to buy some rice, oil and other necessities," she said.

Another attendee, Madam Rossidah Mohamed, 55, said she was going to buy some fresh chicken to whip up a dish of chicken curry, a treat for her five grandchildren.

After the event, Mr Lee headed off on a walkabout to meet and greet residents at two wet markets nearby.