East Coast Plan: DPM Heng announces new play areas

Recreation spaces will be carved out at three areas in East Coast GRC, with construction set to begin in the second half of the year.

The constituency’s anchor minister, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, announced this as the latest initiative under the East Coast Plan, days after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee was formed on Jan 22.

Speaking at East Coast’s Chinese New Year Carnival at Heartbeat@Bedok on Jan 25, DPM Heng said the new spaces in Bedok, called PlayHubs, will each have a playground, fitness zone and pet area.

They will take over existing amenities – including a multi-purpose court and an amphitheatre – near Blocks 6 and 15 in Bedok South Road, Blocks 135 and 138 in Bedok North Street 2, and Block 84 in Bedok North Street 4.

The hubs will be connected by a new network of paths surrounded by greenery, called PlayTrail Network, he added.

These projects will add to the community infrastructure developments in the five years since the East Coast Plan was announced, he said. The plan was unveiled on Nomination Day of the 2020 General Election, when DPM Heng fumbled his announcement of the initiative.

But on Jan 23, he put the incident at the centre of a video on social media, referencing the blunder as a way to remember the plan’s beginnings.

“While some might define that moment as one to forget, it was in fact the start of a five-year journey,” DPM Heng said in the video. “The East Coast Plan is our blueprint to enhance East Coast together with residents, for residents.”

Developments in his constituency since then have included two community clubs in Siglap and Fengshan, a 24-court badminton hall at the Singapore Expo, and the space under the Tanah Merah MRT viaduct that will be turned into a community hub.

Last week, it was also announced that a new community hub will be set up at the former Kampong Chai Chee Community Club. This will feature co-working spaces, a community garden and a therapy centre for people to interact with rescued cats.

In a statement on Jan 25, the East Coast Group Constituency Office, which falls under the People’s Association, said the East Coast Plan has to be “wide and deep” to tackle issues that different groups of residents face. The range of programmes and initiatives rolled out since 2020 reflects this diverse demographic, it said.

Examples include free wheelchairs for elderly residents with mobility issues, workshops to equip seniors with digital skills, bursaries to encourage women to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) education, and regular beach clean-ups at East Coast Park.

It also includes measures to help residents with the cost of living, such as the 200=100 @ East Coast initiative. This scheme allows lower-income residents to buy groceries such as rice, eggs and cooking oil at half price, subject to a $200 cap, once every two months.

From February, up to 800 households will benefit, up from the current cap of 500.

On Jan 25, DPM Heng named at least four other initiatives to help residents stretch their dollar.

One of these, called Gd Lobangs, was launched at Kampong Chai Chee in June 2024. Under it, grassroots leaders work with neighbourhood merchants to grant discounts to residents.

For instance, at the Thye Hin Hoe Medical store, customers who spend at least $20 in CDC vouchers also get Gd Lobangs vouchers for deeper discounts.

Other activities to build a vibrant and buzzing neighbourhood include a youth festival, an internship programme and family events, DPM Heng said.

On Jan 25, he also launched an exhibition on what residents, grassroots volunteers and the five East Coast GRC MPs have achieved.

Highlights include the planting of some 50,000 trees, which involved 8,000 residents, and the recruitment of 500 volunteers, known as green ambassadors, to get residents to adopt more sustainable lifestyle habits.

More than 9,000 housing units have been built in the constituency and over 5,000 seniors have been brought on board as part of digital literacy efforts.

And a new “Let’s Get Moving” campaign will be launched in April to encourage residents to clock at least 10,000 steps every day, DPM Heng said.

“It is so inspiring to see our residents, volunteers, grassroots leaders and community partners coming together to take part,” he added. “Together, we have made East Coast an even better home.”