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Bukit Batok East Newsletter

Build . Bond . Engage


JUNE 2013

For more information about Bukit Batok East, pls visit us at: www.bukitbatokeast.blogspot.com

ADVISERS MESSAGE

Dear Residents,
I had received many kind wishes and congratulatory messages from many residents during my Meet the People Session, house visits and community events, on my election as the Speaker of Parliament. I am deeply moved by your strong support and kind words, and will do my best to serve the nation. At the same time, some of you were also concerned that as the Speaker, I will no longer be serving you as your MP. I want to take this opportunity to assure all residents that I will continue to serve you in all the ways that I had done before and there is no change to this. Moving on to another topic, the government has just announced Budget 2013. This budget has been widely hailed as caring, inclusive and pro-Singaporean, focused on helping the elderly, the low income and the young. The centerpiece of this budget is the Wage Credit Scheme which covers those earning up to $4000/-, where the government will pay 40 % of wage increase paid by employers. A huge injection of $3b was also made for childrens development. It will help to improve the quality of our early childhood education and create 17,000 more childcare places. What I find most gratifying, is that the Ministry of Education is now implementing a proposal which I had made in parliament before to strengthen the Learning Support Programme in schools. MOE will now expand LSP beyond primary 1 and 2 to the upper primaries, and 600 more teachers will be employed. This is a great effort at improving our social mobility, as LSP helps weaker students most of whom are from low income families. Finally, I will continue to work very hard to improve our residents lives. Our estate is now more elderly friendly, it is bustling with activities and engagement with our private estate residents is stronger. But to do more, I also need more volunteers. So, I urge more residents to come forward and join me in serving our community.

Halimah Yacob

Para Penduduk yang Dihormati,


Saya telah menerima banyak ucapan dan mesej tahniah daripada ramai para penduduk semasa Sesi Bertemu Penduduk, lawatan ke rumah dan acara-acara masyarakat, di atas pemilihan saya sebagai Speaker Parlimen. Saya berasa amat terkesan dengan sokongan padu dan kata-kata yang baik hati daripada anda, dan saya akan melakukan yang terbaik untuk berkhidmat kepada negara. Pada masa yang sama, sebahagian daripada anda juga bimbang bahawa sebagai seorang Speaker, saya tidak lagi akan berkhidmat sebagai Ahli Parlimen anda. Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk meyakinkan semua penduduk bahawa saya akan terus berkhidmat kepada anda dalam semua cara yang telah saya lakukan sebelum ini dan tidak akan ada perubahan dalam hal ni. Beralih kepada topik yang lain, kerajaan baru sahaja mengumumkan Bajet 2013. Bajet ini telah dialu-alukan secara meluas sebagai mengambil berat, inklusif dan pro-Singapura, yang memberi tumpuan kepada membantu orang lanjut usia, orang berpendapatan rendah dan orang muda. Tunjang bajet ini adalah Skim Kredit Gaji yang meliputi mereka yang berpendapatan sehingga $4000/-, di mana pemerintah akan membayar 40% kenaikan gaji yang dibayar oleh majikan. Satu suntikan sebanyak $3b juga telah dibuat untuk perkembangan kanak-kanak. Ia akan membantu meningkatkan kualiti pendidikan awal kanak-kanak kita dan mewujudkan 17,000 lagi tempat penjagaan kanak-kanak. Apa yang saya dapati paling memuaskan, adalah bahawa Kementerian Pelajaran kini sedang melaksanakan cadangan yang telah saya buat di parlimen sebelum ini bagi mengukuhkan Program Sokongan Pembelajaran (LSP) di sekolah-sekolah. MOE kini akan memperluaskan LSP melepasi darjah 1 dan 2 kepada peringkat darjah atas, dan sebanyak 600 orang guru lagi akan diambil bekerja. Ini adalah satu usaha yang besar dalam meningkatkan mobiliti sosial kita, oleh kerana LSP membantu pelajar-pelajar lemah yang kebanyakannya adalah daripada keluarga berpendapatan rendah. Akhir sekali, saya akan terus bekerja keras demi meningkatkan kehidupan para penduduk kami. Estet kami kini lebih mesra orang lanjut usia, sibuk dengan aktiviti-aktiviti dan penglibatan dengan para penduduk estet swasta kami adalah lebih erat. Tetapi untuk melakukan lebih banyak lagi, saya juga memerlukan lebih ramai sukarelawan. Jadi, saya menggesa lebih ramai penduduk agar tampil ke hadapan dan menyertai saya dalam memberikan khidmat kepada masyarakat kita.

Halimah Yacob

ADVISERS MESSAGE

2013 $4000 40%

,
, , , , . , . . , . . 2013 - . - , , , , , . $4000/- , 40 . $3 . , 17,000 . - , (LSP) . (MOE) 1 2 600 . , . . , . . . . .

ACTIVE AGEING

Active Ageing and Intergenerational Bonding Day

BBE Active Aging Committee (AAC) and CC Senior Citizens Executive Committee (SCEC), in collaboration with Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and other partners, launched a series of programmes to foster family bonding and encourage active ageing within our BBE community.

Health Screenings
BBE AAC organises frequent health screenings for our seniors in order for them to obtain a better knowledge on their health status. This was to raise awareness among our elderly community, with much emphasis placed upon the need for them to be health conscious and for them to understand how early detection of health risks could better prepare themselves ahead.

Brisk Walk @ S.E.A. Aquarium


Over 600 of our BBEs senior active agers and volunteers had a fun-filled educational brisk walk @ S.E.A. Aquarium on 3rd March 2013.

SPORTS

Brisk Walking cum CNY Celebrations


More than 300 residents were given oranges during the festive walk by Grassroots Adviser Mdm Halimah Yacob.

Bowling Grassroots Leaders Challenge 2012

More than 100 of our Grassroots Leaders and residents took part in the annual event organised by BBEs Constituency Sports Club (CSC).

Moonlight Walk

cum Countdown 2013

Welcoming the New Year in a sporting manner, over 200 of our residents participated in BBEs inaugural moonlight walk organised by CSC.

FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS

Zone 1 residents gathered together at Blk 235 BBE Ave 5 for an eventful night of Christmas celebration with neighbours and friends.

Christmas Party

Christmas Nite cum Tele-match

Residents had great fun joining the telematch and singing along to Christmas carols during the recent Jurong East View RCs event.

BBE Countdown 2013

More than 2,500 Bukit Batok East residents gathered at the U-square on 31st December 2012 to usher in the New Year. There was plenty of excitement at the Countdown party where PS3, Xbox games, Uncle Ringo Inflatable Tower and food stalls were set up to everybodys delight. To spice things up, a Variety Show was also staged, entertaining our residents with cultural performances and more Its certainly a carnival with something for all!

A CARING COMMUNITY

Project Gift

This ground up initiative by our very own Bukit Batok East resident mobilising her family to help the disadvantaged families in the community is the type of wrap-around-care communal spirit that we would want to nurture within Bukit Batok East. Potentially, this project paves the way for more of such collaborations between our grassroots leaders and the well-wishers, who contributed their time and effort to put a smile on the faces our needy residents.

for Seniors

A collaborative efforts by BBE Active Ageing Committee (AAC) and Jurong Town Council (JRTC) to reach out to the ageing segment of the community who are in need, we have successfully helped many to install grab bars in their washrooms. Till date, 22 of our senior citizens have benefitted from this programme.

Residents Get Together cum

During one of our BBEs recent residents gathering session, there were more than 30 needy families who were given tins of Milo drinks along with milk cans by Grassroots Adviser Mdm Halimah Yacob. This enhances BBEs efforts in reaching out and assisting those in need.

Sharing with Needy families

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

BBE Hongbao Presentation to the Elderly


Early this year and in conjunction with the Lunar New Year, Grassroots Adviser Mdm Halimah Yacob gave away 2,000 Hongbao to our elderly residents aged 60 years and above.

CNY Dishes Cooking Workshop

A CNY dishes cooking workshop was organised for residents to learn how to prepare dishes such as Pen Cai, Steamed Fish, Curry Chicken and Mua Ji.

Zone 2 RC Spring in Full Bloom

Its a multi-racial occasion where the elderly, students, parents and new immigrants alike were treated to hands on Chinese Calligraphy, special appearance by BBEs very own God of Fortune and sumptuous buffet spread to fill their evening. A sharing session was also held where students gathered together to mingle around and share their idea and aspirations with each other.

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Lunar New Year Dinner Celebrations

To welcome the year of the Snake, three Lunar New Year Celebrations dinners were organised at three different locations (BBE CC, Nature View and Toh Guan Estates) to bring the festive season nearer to our residents.

Meet Up with Cai Shen Ye

Nature View RC

Throughout the month of Lunar New Year, residents of Nature View RC were presented with ample opportunities to meet up with our God of Fortune in their estate on Fridays for moments of joy and prosperity. It was a light-hearted affair as residents chit-chatted, got to know their neighbours better and took photos as mementos.There were also Fortune goodies for everyone!

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DISCUSSIONS WITH RESIDENTS

Our Singapore

Conversation (OSC)

Over the past couple of months, BBE Grassroots Organisations (GROs) had conducted six sessions on Our Singapore Conversation (OSC). OSC is a national conversation amongst Singaporeans which explores possibilities on the future that Singaporeans would want to build for themselves and their children come the year 2030. Grassroots Adviser Mdm Halimah Yacob was present for all sessions. This series of Conversations also saw highly-interactive participation from our residents who showed great interest in national matters.

DISCUSSIONS WITH RESIDENTS

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Population White Paper Discussion


The discussion was attended by more than 200 residents and community leaders from public housings and private estates in BBE. The objective was to raise awareness on the content of the Population White Paper. People from all walks of life were able to present their diverse views as well as provide constructive feedback on the various topics covered in the Paper.

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BBE BUZZ

Emergency Preparedness Day

Important life-saving skills were showcased to members of public during a carnival organised by Bukit Batok East C2E. Booths and exhibits were set up by Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force to share with residents and activists on the latest bicycle engravings initiatives, on how they could save the lives of others of using methods such as CPR and AED, as well as, on how they can better react during any fire outbreaks. Students from care centres and neighbouring schools were also present to experience what had been an eventful day for everyone.

DPMs Market Visit

On 24th March 2013, DPM Tharman made a visit to Bukit Batok Easts market area from as early as 9.00am. Adviser Mdm Halimah Yacob and BBE GRLs also participated in the market visit which covered the area from Bukit Batok East CC to Blk 281 Bukit Batok East Ave 3.

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS

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BBE Scholarship

This year, Bukit Batok Easts Scholarship and Edusave Merit Bursary (EMB) presentation saw over 1500 students taking stage to receive the awards. Most recipients parents also turned up to share the joy of their childrens accomplishments.

and EMB Presentation 2013

CDC/CCC Bursary Presentation


Grassroots Adviser Mdm Halimah Yacob was invited to our Bukit Batok East CDC/CCC Bursary presentation. Reaching out to 50 University and Polytechnic undergraduates from BBE, a motivational talk was also held to encourage recipients to continue their pursuit for academic excellence. During the event, Mdm Halimah also stressed on the importance of education and lifelong learning to benefit ones career and life.

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OUR VOLUNTEERS
Bukit Batok East CC Indian Activity Executive Committee (IAEC) Chairman - Mr Dewa Rajen Martin S/O Paskaram, Pbm
Designation: Chairman, Bukit Batok East CC Indian Activity Executive Committee (IAEC) Treasurer, Bukit Batok East CCC Vice Chairman Bukit Batok East CCMC Chairman Inter-Racial & Religious Confidence Circle Assistant Treasurer Active Aging Committee Member, Senior Citizen Executive Committee Member, C2E Associate member, Bukit Batok East Zone 2 RC

Bukit Batok East CC Malay Activity Executive Committee (MAEC) Chairman - Mr Omar Bin Ismail, PBM
Designation: Chairman, Bukit Batok East CC Malay Activity Executive Committee (MAEC) Assistant Treasurer, Bukit Batok East CCMC Member, Bukit Batok East Zone 1 RC Vice-Chairman, MESRA

Milestones and Key Appointments

Serving the community has always been my passion and having served as a grassroots leader for the past 23 years, I have held several positions. Notable key appointments include serving in committees such as the Community Sports Club (CSC), Citizens Consultative Committee (CCC) and Community Club Management Committee (CCMC) to name a few.

Milestones and Key Appointments

The Beginning

It was only in the late 1980s where a good friend of mine from the group had challenged me to taking up the role of organising a soccer tournament after recognizing the coordination work I did to bring my group of soccer buddies for the weekly soccer meet previously. Always having the desire to help others, I willingly took up the offer and eventually played the main role in organising mini-soccer competitions in the estate. Little did I realise that my efforts were rewarded as I was subsequently recommended by him to be part of Bukit Gombak Community Sports Club (CSC). This was where I had embarked my journey of a thousand miles in organising activities and contributing to the larger community.

Having the passion to serve others and being confident of myself led me to a commitment to serve people around me. I am honoured to be part of the various committees. The trust and confident my Adviser, fellow grassroots leaders and residents have in me, motivated me to contribute services wherever and whenever possible through various bonding and activities.

The Beginning

The Journey

As a community volunteer/leader for the past 23 years, the rich experience had exposed me to people from all walks of life ranging from the elderly, to the younger residents as well as the needy. This had broadened my mind and had enabled me to develop a better understanding on what the society is about.

Word of Advice

Volunteering as a grassroots leader is fun and it does open many opportunities for one to explore their mind and develop their capabilities in whatever aspects they desire so if you are friendly, helpful, honest and sincere to all including towards your fellow GRLs, it would indeed be a harmonious and pleasant journey for anybody. As for my personal experience, it has always been one that requires me to consistently keep an open mind, having the desire to learn and last but not least, having the passion to help and reach out to the community in building social capital in Singapore.

My interest to be of help to others developed from my younger days living in a kampong, and when I was in the lower secondary. My very first experience being in the grassroots started when I was living in Queenstown with the RC/CC. The old Kampong Helping and Supporting Spirit followed me and has empowered me to see how I could be involved and contribute my services to others. Ive also served in many other organisations those days. After moving from Queenstown to Bukit Batok the memory of the residents and the committees I was involved were still mingling in my mind. The closeness we had and how we worked together hand in hand as a team at all times, facing all challenges together and achieving etc.

The Journey

Challenges were like new learning curves which had helped me to be selfmotivated, resilient and stay devoted to volunteerism till today. By sharing my experiences and grassroots journey, it feels like I am being a mentor to existing as well as new volunteers, guiding them in a way and building our values around trust. It had also given me a sense of satisfaction to eventually see others stepping up to lead and organise activities for our residents.

Word of Advice

Personally, I believe that if we have our minds set on the path towards being a service to others while not expecting anything in return, there would be highest of chances that one would be able to lead a more fulfilling life and stay positive. Thats the reason why I volunteer.

LETS GET HEALTHIER!

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5 Food Mistakes You Dont Want to Make


1. You have fruit for dessert/ after a meal.
Fruit does not combine well with other foods, reason being that fruit contains simple sugars that require no digestion. Other foods, especially those rich in fat, protein or starch, stay in the stomach for a longer period of time because they require more digestion. If you eat fruit after a meal, the fruit sugar will stay for too long in the stomach and ferment, resulting in digestive trouble. Tip: Consume your fruit before a meal. This also helps you to eat lesser during your main course if you are watching your diet.

2. You eat too little fat.


Studies have shown that a diet with less than 25 percent of its total calories from fat can raise anxiety and anger levels. However you should keep an eye on saturated fat intake, and limit your fat intake to polysaturated fats. They are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which lower blood pressure, combat bad cholesterol, fight inflammation and protect the brain and nervous system. Tip: Choose foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids salmon, tuna, cod, flaxseed oil, dark leafy vegetables, kidney beans, red peppers, pork, lamb and broccoli.

3. You think snacks are bad for your diet.


The truth is, correct snacking can actually jumpstart your metabolism and do a whole world of good for your diet. Snacking helps manage hunger by keeping your metabolic engine running at a more constant pace. This reduces the tendency to overeat at your next meal because you are feeling too hungry. Tip: Snack on calcium-rich low-fat dairy foods, fiber-rich nuts, or naturally sweet, low-calorie fruit.

4. You think all granola bars are healthy.


Many of those seemingly healthy breakfast bars so great for eating on the run are basically candy bars in disguise. Even though they may contain granola or fruit, some bars are full of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats to keep them soft and sweet. The rush of sugar will leave you feeling drained and hungry by mid morning. Tip: Choose a bar with less than 11 g of sugar, no trans fats, and has at least 3 grams of fiber, which slows digestion and provides sustained energy.

5. You think drinking more water will result in water retention.


In reality, drinking enough water helps you burn fat, and tells your body to lose that layer of musclecamouflaging water it holds between your skin and muscles. Since we dont sense thirst until after the body is already dehydrated, proper hydration requires drinking water preemptively. You also need to drink more water if you are weight training. Tip: We need approximately two litres of fluid a day for optimal health. A easy way to ensure we get adequately hydrated throughout the day; fill a 1-litre jug with water in the morning and pace yourself to drink up by lunch time, refill the jug again after lunch time and finish it before dinner time.

Healthy Together @ Nature View


A new programme Healthy Together @ Nature View was launched by Mdm Halimah Yacob, Grassroots Adviser, together with Mr Ang Hak Seng, on 13 January 2013 to encourage residents to stay active and healthy.

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WRITE TO US

PLAY YOUR PART, VOLUNTEER


If you have an interest in volunteering and organising activities for your neighbours, WAIT NO MORE! Come join the Volunteer Induction Programme at Bukit Batok East Community Club!

Personal Particulars
Full Name :__________________________________________ Nationality :__________________________________________ NRIC :__________________________________________

Simply complete the form and return it to us at: Bukit Batok East Community Club 23 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4 Singapore 659841
For more information, please visit our Blog! www.bukitbatokeast.blogspot.com For enquiries, please contact: Tel: 65619044 Fax: 65613609

Contact Information
Home No. :__________________________________________ Mobile No. :__________________________________________ Email :__________________________________________ Office No. :__________________________________________ Address :__________________________________________ __________________________________________ Postal Code :__________________________________________

Dear Bukit Batok East residents, BBE produces a newsletter for its residents every quarter to keep all of us updated on the events and happenings in the constituency. Other than the usual photos of events, the editorial team is keen to get our residents more involved in this newsletter and is looking to include pictures, stories and articles by the residents. This could include any contributions by residents such as any health and fitness articles, or personal sharing. We hope you can help us by contributing such articles for the newsletter. Thank you! Editorial Team (Letters that are successfully published in our Newsletter will be awarded a S$20 voucher from the Editorial team.)

Congratulations
Sonal S. Vanarse SXXXX401G Nurafisza Binte Ahmsam SXXXX008J Lim Soon Kheng SXXXX841F

Pls send your completed entries by 30th June 2013 to:


BBE Newsletter Contest, Bukit Batok East Constituency Office 23 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4 Singapore 659841

We hope you have enjoyed reading this issue of BBE Newsletter, a newsletter published by Bukit Batok East Constituency Office. Come and test your knowledge with this simple quiz and stand a chance to win attractive prizes!

Quiz

Q1: How many sessions of Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) has BBE organised? a) Eight b) Five c) Six d) None of the above Answer:_____________ Q2: What items were prepared during CNY Dishes Cooking Workshop? a) Pen Cai , Steamed Fish, Thai Curry and Nasi Lemak b) Steamed Fish, Curry Chicken, Mua Ji and Pen Cai c) Pen Cai, Steamed Fish , Curry Chicken and Kueh Ji d) Curry Chicken, Bak Kwa, Mua Ji and Pen Cai Answer:_____________ Q3: What was the name given to the initiative of our BBE resident in helping the less privileged in our community? a) Grab Bar for Seniors b) Emergency Preparedness Day c) Residents Get Together cum Sharing with Needy families d) Project GIFT Answer:_____________ Name: ______________________________________________________ NRIC: ______________________________________________________ Tel: ______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________

Editorial Committee
Adviser : Mdm Halimah Yacob Grassroots Adviser to Jurong GRC GROs, Speaker of Parliament, MP for Jurong GRC Chairman: Mr Lee Chuen Fei, PBM Members: Ms Sng Khai Imm, Mr Sim Kwang Hwee, Mr Jong Sing Peng, Mr Joel Teh Design and Printed: Hobee Print Pte Ltd Tel: 6296 4289 www.hobee.com/print

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