Housewife Phua Chew Hoi, 61, meets up with her friends for a chat and a kopi-o three to four times a week at a coffee shop in Yishun.

Starting this Wednesday, they will have even more reason to do so.

A cup of kopi-o kosong or teh-o kosong will cost 50 cents instead of the usual $1.10.

The discount, which is available every Wednesday morning, applies to those in the Merdeka and Pioneer generations ordering from coffee shops in Nee Soon South.

Madam Phua welcomes the initiative. She has lived in the area for more than 30 years, and such an initiative is a first, she said.

"We usually order drinks with lower sugar content, such as kopi-o, because some of those in my group have health conditions such as diabetes."

The year-long initiative was launched by Ms Lee Bee Wah, an MP for Nee Soon GRC, yesterday morning.

All 10 privately owned coffee shops in Nee Soon South will offer the discount from opening time until noon on Wednesdays.

A similar initiative was announced in April at about 100 coffee shops and foodcourts run by NTUC Foodfare and Kopitiam.

But the Nee Soon South initiative is the first that involves privately owned coffee shops.

"This is a very good opportunity to show our appreciation for our Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation," said Ms Lee.

She added that by focusing on low-sugar drinks, the initiative is consistent with efforts of the Diabetes Resource Centre, which was opened in Yishun two years ago.

The initiative also aims to encourage residents to exercise in the morning, and hang out with fellow residents afterwards, said Ms Lee. Encouraging residents to interact more is part of Yishun's efforts to be a dementia-friendly town.

"By offering coffee and tea at 50 cents, we hope more residents will come out," she said.

Ms Lee said the coffee shop owners were very supportive and agreed to the initiative quickly.

Mr Seth Soh, 29, manager of Welcome Cafe coffee shop at Block 848 Yishun Ring Road, said the initiative was meaningful as it supports a healthy lifestyle for seniors, and he agreed immediately when the idea was proposed a month ago.

"If we can help the Merdeka and Pioneer generations lead a healthier lifestyle and offer (coffee and tea) at lower prices, then I think it's part of our service to the community," said Mr Soh.

His coffee shop typically sells between 50 and 60 cups on Wednesday mornings.

While he acknowledged that overall profits would come down, he said the initiative was a worthwhile one.