Source : The Straits Times, 20 Aug 2007
HOUSING Board (HDB) blocks rise up along the banks of a pristine waterway, amidst greenery, jogging tracks and al-fresco restaurants.
Welcome to Punggol 21+, which will turn the coastal suburb of Punggol into the inspiration for future HDB towns.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s interactive visuals had his audience of around 3,000 responding with cheers and applause.
They ooh-ed and aah-ed at the vision of new water features, promenades and HDB homes with terrific views.
‘I’m not selling them yet,’ Mr Lee said with a laugh.
Along with the new, something from the past may return too - Punggol chilli crab, on the menu of the open-air eateries to come.
Wowed by all he saw, civil servant and Punggol resident Melvin Yong, 35, said: ‘I could really see the ‘plus’ in the plan.’
Mr Lee also highlighted plans for ongoing improvements to revitalise several other towns and estates.
‘No other city in the world can do this,’ he said. ‘Public housing that’s attractive, that’s affordable, that’s appealing, that gives a quality home for every citizen and gives you an asset which will appreciate in value and also help to provide for your old age.’
But Singapore will do it systematically.
‘We will remake the whole city. It will take us 20, 30 years but eventually, the whole country will be transformed. And this is what Singaporeans will call home.’
LYNN LEE
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