Our bonds with one another contribute to our sense of home: PM Wong at One Punggol hub launch
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SINGAPORE – While it may be a little red dot, there is something distinctive about the different parts of Singapore, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sept 8.
“It’s the places we grew up with and are familiar with, the shared experiences we had, especially in our formative years, and the emotional connections we built with the people around us,” he said.
“In the end, it’s not about hardware and infrastructure. It’s about the bonds we have with one another that contribute to our sense of home.”
Speaking at the launch of the One Punggol hub that brings community spaces, public services and retail shops under one roof, PM Wong highlighted the rapid development of the once “ulu”, or remote, part of Singapore, now filled with many young families.
He spoke of the new developments to come in the area, including the Punggol Regional Sports Centre the Punggol Coast MRT station slated to open later in 2024
He recounted his own memories of Punggol – eating seafood there in the 1980s, and as the designated driver when visiting relatives there during Chinese New Year in the 2000s. Then, even the street directory had not been updated with Punggol’s streets, and there was construction and empty buildings all around.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘Goodness, this is really frontier territory’. But all that is behind us because now, Punggol is so different. The vision of a waterfront town has come to life,” he said.
PM Wong’s visit to Punggol on Sept 8 is part of a series of constituency visits across Singapore
He said at the launch that he welcomed the ideas and involvement of residents in shaping the estate.
PM Wong cited the Punggol Green park outside the hub, which used to be an unused walkway under a viaduct.
The community was consulted, and today, the space has fitness corners and playgrounds, he added.
“When we come together like this, as a community, working closely with one another, as well as with the Government, we can be more effective. We can get more things done, and we can make this a better home for all,” said PM Wong.
He added that what is done as a community applies as a country too. “We are embarking on our next phase of nation-building. Our ability to move forward in this increasingly troubled world depends on our solidarity and unity.”
PM Wong spoke with residents and took a tour around the various stalls set up by organisations in Punggol. The launch was also attended by MPs from Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Punggol West.
The One Punggol facility, developed by the People’s Association, is five storeys tall, with about four football fields’ worth of floor space.
The community and lifestyle hub houses a community club, regional library, hawker centre, childcare centre, senior care centre, blood collection centre, kidney dialysis centre, Housing Board office and sports and wellness facilities, among others.
The new hub has made life more convenient for 44-year-old engineer Gordon Toh and his wife as they usually grab their lunch at the hawker centre on the building’s second floor, or take their nine-year-old daughter to the library.
The couple are looking forward to the opening of the sports centre, in particular, so that they can use its swimming facilities, as the nearest one is currently in Sengkang.
“Everything is so accessible now. All the things I need or want are here, like the supermarket, cinema, McDonald’s and the park connector,” said Mr Toh.
The One Punggol hub houses sports and wellness facilities, a community club, a hawker centre and a childcare centre, among others.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
IT consultant Tony and finance executive Jade, 34, who live a few bus stops from One Punggol, said they had intentionally made their way to the hub on Sept 8 to catch their first glimpse of PM Wong in person and to hear him speak.
The couple, who declined to give their surnames, moved to Punggol in 2022, and like the quiet neighbourhood with young residents. They have a 16-month-old daughter.
“It’s also close to nature; near our place, we can easily go to the park connector to walk,” said Jade.
Echoing the accessibility to nature was housewife Michelle Idris, 35, who had gone to One Punggol for lunch with her family after a walk in the morning. Her husband and eight-year-old daughter take walks along the park connector every weekend, she said.
They moved to Punggol in 2017, to an estate near Punggol Plaza.
But Ms Idris said her family would likely go to One Punggol more often in the future as they like the large library, and plan to use the swimming facilities next door when they open.
“Punggol has developed more to cater to young parents in the past few years. When we first moved (in), there wasn’t much here,” she added.
