For those who have been living in Sengkang, they will know about a cafe called Legend, which is located at the corner of Anchorvale Community Centre, by the scenic riverside park.

It was where I originally proposed to meet the People's Action Party (PAP) team who are facing off the Workers' Party team in this hotly-contested Sengkang GRC.

The cafe, as part of the Starker group, has unfortunately shut down recently due to Covid-19 -- one of the many SMEs in Singapore affected by the economic impacts of the pandemic.

And I got to find out about the plight of Legend cafe through the 15-year Sengkang West MP, Lam Pin Min, as we settled at a McDonald's outlet in Anchorvale on July 7 morning with the rest of Sengkang PAP team.

This new PAP team consists of labour chief, Ng Chee Meng, Lam, as well as Amrin Amin who used to serve in Sembawang GRC and PAP new face Raymond Lye.

The closure of the Legend cafe affects me on an emotional level. This is a place that adds to the sense of community in this relatively new town, a town that does not have a rich history like Sembawang. Yet.

Young adults and families gather on weekends, listen to live bands, or simply chill in the outdoor area to escape from the hustle and bustle at this backyard of western Sengkang.

The closure also drives home a broader point that Ng and the team will make in the interview -- jobs and livelihoods do matter as much as one would have other aspirations for the towns.

Jobs and livelihoods are real

The team shared how during their house visits in the past few days or even weeks, they face a number of residents who shared their woes over livelihood issues as well as the uncertainty amid ongoing Covid-19.

This group of people is usually part of the "double sandwich generation" which has to support their young children and elderly parents, Ng said.

Amrin recalled one incident:

"One thing that struck me it's actually the resilience of the people. You know we've met very interesting people. There was one guy that touched my heart when I knocked on his door, he just got up and I asked him what he was doing and all that. I thought he looked slightly down. So I asked him if he is okay. And he told me that he just lost his job. And that was his first job. And I felt that there is something that we can do as a society to support each other. That was one thing that struck me... that people are facing difficulties right now, but they are trying to put on a brave face and I think there are many such people around."

Ng also highlighted that he is aware that many Singaporeans do not share their worries openly and try to solve the problems on their own. However, they might not be aware of the range of assistance that is available for them.

"Honestly, many people don't know the plethora of government policies, all the different support programmes for either business owners or employees, or both. There are so many good schemes so when you step out at least this level knows, the NTUC knows and this is what we mean by [having] strong networks."

This natural reticence among Singaporeans makes walkabouts important as they encourage the affected residents to step out of their comfort zone to seek help as well as to remind neighbours to keep a lookout for one another, Ng added.

"So, it can be from a moment of serious, sombre discussions about livelihoods and extending assistance to the next moment where we are playing with the kids. So, we do have that emotional rollercoaster even with reasonable experience among all of us."

Spending more time to convince younger residents this is not just about election

The team has also met younger residents or those who are not that affected by Covid-19 and are more concerned about longer-term issues such as the sense of identity and sustainability.

The team noted that the younger residents are more direct and upfront with their questions, asking "how do you intend to engage Millenials?" during house visits.

Despite being new to the political scene, Lye recognises the importance to convince them that they are here to stay:

"They are more direct and to the point. In other words right, their sensing is this 'Hmm, are you talking to me only because this is campaign period, or are you genuinely interested in talking to me?'. So I find that for the young people, it's worthwhile to invest the time so during my block visits right, I'm so grateful to Pin Min yesterday because basically I spent a lot of time talking to the younger residents in this particular block in Compassvale. And I couldn't you know finish my last visit according to the scheduled time and Pin Min actually came to help me."

At this point in time, the leader of the team, Ng interjected with a jab at Lye, a proud Manchester United fan, while showing support for his teammate at the same time:

"You'll never walk alone."

Lye continued:

"We cannot give them the impression that [we are thinking] 'eh look, you know why you asked me so many questions ah? I don't really have time for you'. I think that will be a [defining] moment, and I can't bring myself to a cut shot the discussion."

Developing a town identity is not a 3-in-1 mix

For those who are not aware, the new Sengkang GRC consists of mainly three areas that previously do not belong to the same constituency -- Rivervale, Compassvale and Anchorvale.

In the past two decades, the various parts of Sengkang have developed their own charms differently with different facilities and programmes.

Lam recalled he used to plan kite flying and Mario kart race when Sengkang West was less crowded.

He then moved on to plan more sporty activities and even had a beer fest for young people at the Anchorvale Sports Centre. Now, there are more activities for children to cater to the rise of young families.

Lam also elaborated on how different precincts differ but complement each other:

"If you go to Rivervale side, which is actually the oldest, there are very good food. Then as you progress to Compassvale, it is a totally different profile together. It's like a lot of shopping... you know... Compass One and more modern looking. Then, when you come towards Anchorvale, there are more recreational activities. So you have your sports complex, CC, McDonald’s drive-in and then you even have your water activities and swimming pool. So it’s actually quite charming and all together ah, actually it complements each other."

Ng added his observation:

"On the western side you have Sungei Punggol, the PCN and on the Rivervale side, actually it is also flanked by Sungei Serangoon and you can go up to Punggol North, my old division side where you can go through the PCN. Actually, it is beautiful on the flanks."

As they share their observations, you can tell that both Ng and Lam probably have the map of Sengkang imprinted after spending years on the ground.

The past developments also illustrate the point that Amrin made about how a town identity takes time to develop and that the team plans to engage residents in Sengkang to create a common identity as a GRC:

"Identity is not a 3-in-1 mix, it requires some process of fermentation, some process of development. But we see this identity emerging and it's actually a beautiful one that people are asking to get involved, asking us about our views on policies, you know, wanting to be involved and I think that's actually a very good development."

Amrin quipped:

"I’m not an ACS boy but the best is yet to be."

Sengkang Together Movement

This brings us to the team's flagship initiative -- the new Sengkang Together movement.

For a start, the team revealed that Lye has been tasked to set up the new town council for Sengkang GRC to address to the municipality issues promptly in Sengkang.

The team also invites residents to join them in co-creating the identity for this new town as Ng calls it the "Gotong Royong" spirit, should the team get elected.

Ng explained that while many people can say that they want a kampong spirit, the execution is not so straightforward.

"Now, beyond words and ideas, how do you implement? How do you bring it to fruition? So, the SK4 (the nickname that the volunteers gave to the team) is here. Collectively, I think we have the experience, the track record, and we’ve already put out the plan. We are willing to be flexible with the plan, we are willing to incorporate views. We want to get future Singaporeans excited about this thing, come join us."

Lam also reiterated that the Sengkang Together movement will be a consultative process:

"It's not just about infrastructure, not just about sheltered walkways, bus stops and things like that. It goes beyond just infrastructure, we also want to look at programmes and also activities. By consulting widely, we will get the best ideas from everyone. And at the same time, you know, if people are involved in the co-creation of all these programmes and activities, then people also will be able to understand what the trade-offs are. Because you can have 1000 suggestions, but you can't do 1000 things...but people understand these are what most people want and there are trade-offs. This is the process that we want people to imbibe and get used to, because I think moving forward, we have to be very consultative, get the young people involved, so that we can get the people's buy-in."

With that, Ng summarised the team's pitch to the Sengkang residents: "We got talk, got plan, got action."

Describing Sengkang as a local dish

While the team has spoken much about their plans for Sengkang, we are also curious about their team dynamics and the understanding of the place.

So towards the end of the interview, we surprised them with an impromptu test and asked each of them to describe Sengkang with a type of local dish.

Amrin was quick to volunteer to go first. He described Sengkang as a plate of Rojak and he added that he intentionally kept it vague because it can be Chinese Rojak, Malay Rojak or Indian Rojak.

"It's a mix of people but when we all come together, it tastes very nice...when you mix it all up, you got the kick, you got the power."

The second to answer was Lam, knowing that he might run out of choices if he speaks later.

Lam's enthusiasm to answer next made the group burst out into laughter.

"I would say that it's like an ice kachang. Ice kachang is also a mix of everything but actually it is quite cool lah with the ice you know...making everybody feels comfortable," Lam said.

At this point, Amrin cheekily reminded Lam, the Senior Minister of State for the Health Ministry, that it should also be a healthier choice.

Ng graciously let Lye answer first, saying he will be "magnanimous" and the latter thoughtfully described Sengkang as "cai png" (mixed vegetable rice).

Lye proved that he is indeed ready to set up the town council with his "customer-centric" explanation behind his choice of dish:

"The most appropriate kind of food I would have equate Sengkang Town with is cai png. You have different individual dishes and components. And then if you are the customer, you decide what particular combination you like and then you order, and hopefully [the stallholder] serves you what you want."

At this point, the other teammates teased Lye by asking if he's selling the cai png at a flat rate of S$2.50.

Lam asked, "Is it one price?" while Ng also asked, "S$2.50 is it?".

When it comes to Ng, as the "manager" of SK4, he did a round-up for the team's reply and linked it back to the Sengkang Together movement after a short excited drum roll on the table by his fun-loving teammates.

Ng emphasised that they will work with residents to find out what's the best recipe to create Sengkang town:

"I bring it back to Sengkang Together. Whatever the dish may be, [for example], ice kachang without ice is not possible. Rojak or Cai png, if we do not have the correct ingredients that different groups bring in together, it will be plain. But if we can get everybody together, Sengkang Together gets in place, then I think no matter what dish you may like, SK4 especially this young man here (referring to Lye who has been tasked to set up the new town council) can prepare for you. Because we will have the ingredients and even in the first time we don't get it right, we can do it again. So...I don't know what is your favourite dish. But we will do our very best to incorporate your expertise and let's discover what is the best recipe for Ice Kachang, Rojak."

 

Top photo © Caroline Chia for Mothership