As Tengah fills up, residents and retailers settle into life as Singapore’s newest HDB town takes shape
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On Dec 6, HDB said more than 14,000 flats across 14 projects in Tengah have been completed, with over 12,000 households having collected their keys.
ST PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG, BRIAN TEO
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SINGAPORE – When Mr Mohd Zaki moved into his two-room flexi flat in Tengah in October 2024, much of the Housing Board town was still under construction.
But despite the teething problems of living in a new estate, Mr Zaki – who lives with his wife, 18-month-old son and elderly father – said it felt like a fresh start.
One draw was the affordability – he paid $117,400 for his flat.
His workplace is now also nearer home. He used to live in Serangoon and work as a waiter at a Swensen’s outlet in Sengkang. On moving to Tengah, he asked for a transfer to the restaurant chain’s Plantation Plaza outlet, a 10-minute walk from his flat. He now works as a waiter at another cafe in the mall.
“I wanted to experience living and working in a new town,” said Mr Zaki, who declined to reveal his age.
Mr Mohd Zaki with his wife Norafiqah Johan, son Muhd Zhafran Khalish and father Mohd Tari Haji Mohd Som at their home at Garden Vale @ Tengah on Dec 26.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
As Tengah fills up, daily routines like Mr Zaki’s are taking shape. On Dec 6, HDB said more than 14,000 flats across 14 projects in Tengah have been completed
Tengah, a former military training ground, is Singapore’s first new town since Punggol was built more than 20 years ago. It will take about 20 years to develop fully and will house an estimated 42,000 homes.
Residents told The Straits Times they understand that new towns take time to build up, making them more patient with early-stage inconveniences.
Public transport – especially connectivity to the rest of Singapore – remains the common concern in what has been touted as an eco-friendly, “car-lite” housing estate.
Ongoing construction at the site of Tengah Plantation station, which is part of the Jurong Regional Line. Public transport in Tengah still remains the common concern for residents.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
One resident, Ms Eunice Yap, 28, said it takes about 90 minutes to get to her asset-management job in Balestier. She walks 10 minutes to a bus stop near Parc Residences @ Tengah, takes a 15-minute bus ride on bus service 180 to Bukit Panjang MRT station, and then the Downtown Line to Newton. From there, she has to take another bus to Balestier.
She, too, chose Tengah for its affordability but hopes for more bus services and better connectivity as the town grows.
New bus services have been added to serve Tengah’s growing population.
Ms Phyllis Teo, 30, moved into Block 221B at Tengah Garden Walk in January 2025. She said that, at first, there was only one bus from the bus stop in front of her block to Bukit Batok MRT station.
But the recent addition of bus service 452
“Previously it took me about one hour to travel from home to work. Nowadays, it takes about 40 minutes,” said the senior human resources executive who works in Buona Vista.
To date, Tengah Bus Interchange is served by at least six bus services – 870, 871, 992, 452, 453 and 872 – connecting residents to MRT stations such as Bukit Batok, Beauty World and Jurong East.
Bus service 870 passing the bus stop outside Block 231B in Tengah estate on Dec 26. Tengah Bus Interchange is currently served by at least six bus services.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
The first batch of Tengah residents, who began collecting their keys in 2023, had also raised issues with the estate’s centralised cooling system
Tengah was the first HDB estate to provide a centralised cooling system as an option for home owners. But with the earliest owners running into problems with leaks and condensation, some who received their keys later have chosen to opt out altogether.
Mr Leo Ee and his fiancee Rachael Loh said they were reluctant to opt for Tengah’s centralised cooling system for their flat after reading online comments and residents’ accounts about the feature.
“We have read a lot of nightmare stories about the centralised cooling system and everyone in our Tengah group chat said no to it,” said Mr Ee.
Even so, he and his fiancee are encouraged by what they have seen in Tengah, citing the environment and long-term plans for the town as reasons they are still confident about their decision to live there.
Mr Leo Ee and fiancee Rachael Loh bought their four-room flat at Tengah Garden Avenue for $385,000.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
The couple, both aged 25, bought their four-room flat in Tengah Garden Avenue for $385,000. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and the couple plan to move in around mid-2027, when more amenities are ready and Tengah MRT station is slated to open.
Mr Ee and Ms Loh are currently living separately with their parents in Sengkang. They visited Tengah for the first time on Dec 27, and said they were drawn by the affordability of the flats there, as well as its quieter environment.
Mr Ee, who grew up in Sengkang, said the new town reminded him of the early years of Punggol and Sengkang.
“It feels very peaceful here. Sengkang has become very crowded,” he added. “Back then, there were fewer amenities and transport links in those towns. Today, both are very established and prices have gone up,” said the project executive.
Mr Ee said the upcoming church, hospital and growing number of pre-schools near their new home give them confidence in raising a family in Tengah.
“A lot of people may worry about the uncertainty of a new town. But we are glad we took the leap of faith,” he added.
During four visits to Tengah between Dec 12 and 27, the ST team observed that some completed residential blocks remained largely unoccupied. At night, only a handful of units in certain blocks were lit, and the estate’s wide roads and walkways were noticeably quiet.
During four visits to Tengah between Dec 12 and 27, the ST team observed that some completed residential blocks remained largely unoccupied.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Residents said they liked the quiet environment, adding that Tengah’s network of walking and cycling paths, including its “wellness trail” linking neighbourhood centres, residential blocks, carparks and roof gardens, had also been a draw.
But the gradual filling up of Tengah has also meant a slower start for businesses in the area.
Some retailers at Plantation Plaza said they are taking a long-term view of Tengah’s growth, with several noting that business has been uneven even as more residents moved into the estate.
In the earlier months, some shops relied heavily on customers from nearby estates, such as Bukit Batok, before Tengah’s own population built up.
The gradual filling up of Tengah has also meant a slower start for businesses in the area, such as those in Plantation Plaza.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Mr Jovi Yeung, owner of Ron Sheng Fish Soup, who has been operating at Plantation Plaza for a year, said business has gradually picked up. Most of his customers are living in Tengah.
“We get better crowds on weekends and weekday evenings,” said Mr Yeung, who pays $17,000 in monthly rent for his 1,000 sq ft shop. He said he was given a 30 per cent rent reduction by HDB for his first year of business. The discount has been increased to 50 per cent for the second year, and will be further increased to 70 per cent for the third year.
With the rent reduction, Mr Yeung said he is now able to break even. However, his business has yet to turn a profit.
Business fluctuates and quieter periods are still common, said Ms Saffire Ng, founder of Lunavae Pets, which was set up in May 2025. Besides selling pet-related products, the 31-year-old holds pet-focused cooking and baking classes.
“Our market survey found that seven to eight households out of 10 in Tengah own pets,” she said. “Business was not too bad when we first opened, but it has been down since October. We are not sure what’s the reason.”
