Benches at Tampines Changkat constituency are now up for adoption, as a special way for Singaporeans to remember someone or honour those who have made special contributions to society.

The adopt-a-bench programme was launched on Sunday morning by MP Irene Ng, with a bench dedicated to the memory of the late Victor Oh, a pioneer member of the Tampines Changkat Butterfly Interest Group.

Mr Oh, who died in January this year, had helped to build the Tampines butterfly garden from scratch. Despite being on chemotherapy for prostate cancer, he continued to mentor volunteers and shared his knowledge of butterflies with schoolchildren who visited the garden.

Ms Ng said the bench programme would create a warmer neighborhood to live in, "imbued with a strong sense of belonging and identity".

Anyone can adopt a bench, but priority is given to Tampines Changkat residents and those with links to Tampines Changkat. It costs $500 to adopt an existing bench, and $1,000 to install a new one. This covers the cost of the bench, a plaque, and maintenance of the bench, for five years.