Over 1,000 attend active ageing carnival in Sembawang

The event, which was held near Sun Plaza in Sembawang Drive, was jointly organised by the five constituencies in Sembawang GRC: Admiralty, Canberra, Gambas, Sembawang and Woodlands. ST PHOTO: JEREMY KWAN

More than 1,000 seniors attended an active ageing carnival in Sembawang yesterday, as part of a People's Association (PA) Wellness Programme to promote healthy living among older Singaporeans.

The event featured a mass zumba session by the Health Promotion Board as well as a basic health screening conducted by Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The Agency for Integrated Care did a sketch on dementia to highlight the importance of advance care planning.

The event, which was held near Sun Plaza in Sembawang Drive, was jointly organised by the five constituencies in Sembawang GRC: Admiralty, Canberra, Gambas, Sembawang and Woodlands.

The PA Wellness Programme was rolled out nationwide in 2010. It aims to reach out to residents over 50 by engaging them in activities to promote mental, physical and social activeness.

Food was one of the main draws at the carnival, with long queues for snacks such as kueh tutu and muah chee.

Seniors were also treated to dance performances by Sembawang GRC interest groups. They also got dressed up in retro costumes and had their photos taken at the instant print booth.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, Education Minister Ong Ye Kungand Mr Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health, attended the event.

Joining them were Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Vikram Nair.

The five Sembawang GRC MPs, as well as the seniors at the event, left their fingerprints on a 10m by 1m artwork.

The piece of art represents the past, present and future of Singapore, and people were invited to pledge their support towards Singapore's nation-building efforts on the artwork. It was also a way to mark the bicentennial next year.

The bicentennial marks 200 years since Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival on the island.

The completed artwork will be digitalised and enlarged to form a 270m-long painting that will feature during next year's Chingay Parade.

Mr Gan Hock Seng, 58, who owns a funeral service, made use of the health screening at the event.

He got himself checked for diabetes, and also to see if his cholesterol and blood pressure were at healthy levels.

Mr Gan said it was a good idea to organise such events for seniors .

He said: "It's heartening to see other seniors here who are older than me being active."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 26, 2018, with the headline Over 1,000 attend active ageing carnival in Sembawang. Subscribe