SINGAPORE: We need to talk about Yishun. Bad.
Yes, cats have been abandoned and/or killed there. Drug smugglers were found to have set up shop in the ‘hood. Headlines have been made about all sorts of horrible incidents, memes generated and parody videos filmed – all leading to the town being painted in a bad light.
Recent events have also inspired one budding Singapore-based creative to put together a map of Yishun (see below) with all the headline-making news, colour-coding them into various categories such as murders, siao lang (crazy people) and sex.
Even self-proclaimed blogfather mrbrown couldn’t resist pronouncing Yishun the “real dark side of Singapore”, in his takedown of an episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (if you haven’t seen it, you should).
But let’s draw a line in the sand. Yishun should not be subjected to the ignominy of a border wall to, as some online commentators have suggested, “Make Singapore Great Again”.
Here are five reasons why the northern township of Yishun should not be tarred with a negative brush.
CONVENIENCE CENTRAL
Suffering from the munchies in the dead of the night? There is a 24-hour McDonald’s drive-through at SAFRA Yishun. Need a caffeine fix to get through your all-nighter? The Starbucks at Northpoint is open all night. These are not counting the handful of kopitiams (coffee shops) that open around the clock for night owls in need of a food fix.
Had a long day at work, but groceries need replenishing? Both NTUC Fairprice and Sheng Siong have 24-hour outlets within a stone’s throw away from each other in Khatib Central.
Needless to say, the town has its residents covered – at all hours of the day.
YISHUN LOVES CATS, REALLY
The spate of cat murders that took place in 2016 put Yishun in the spotlight, which also saw a 41-year-old man sentenced to 18 months’ probation for throwing a cat 13 storeys to its death under the city-state’s enhanced animal cruelty laws.
As recent as this February, two grisly cat deaths were reported there – one involving a cat whose throat was slit and the other had its stomach cut open.
But Yishun is, at heart, all for its feline friends.
In October 2012, the Love Cats pilot was launched in Chong Pang by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who was the MP of Nee Soon GRC then. The scheme allows residents to keep cats at home despite rules by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) prohibiting the practice. The pilot was extended by another two years in 2015 to give the Ministry of National Development time to assess the impact of the initiative.
There are also community-led groups that champion the rights of these cats, with Yishun 326 Tabby cat – an online community on Facebook – one of the more prominent examples.
Purrr-fect, right?
GREEN GOING
Before Yishun was earmarked as one of the neighbourhoods to site a big chunk of the public housing the Housing and Development Board (HDB) had planned for, the town was considered a green haven. (It was also a haven for bugs, but it’s a small price … )
Quiet walking and running paths sheltered by trees were found in pockets of Yishun, and insect sounds were usually the soundtrack of one’s early morning or late night jogs.
In recent times, however, swathes of land have been taken up to be developed for homes – such as those at Yishun Ave 4 and Yishun Ave 1 – as well as to house other developments such as international school GEMS World Academy.
That’s not to say there isn’t any more nature to gaze at and soak in. The green-tinged backdrop framing Lower Seletar Reservoir as the train rumbles into Khatib MRT station remains one of the more memorable vistas in Singapore, helped in part by the golf course at Orchid Country Club. The parks near Khatib MRT station and behind SAFRA Yishun are also to-go destinations to take in some fresh air.
But as Singapore continues to urbanise, and demand for land intensifies, these natural habitats are worth highlighting, and preserving.
FOOD, FOOD, FOOD
It would be remiss to do a list on anything Singapore without a mention of food. Sacrilegious, in fact. After all, food, as is commonly said, is a national past-time and hunting for good food, a national sport.
Yishun would then, I argue, be an Anfield or Old Trafford (at least before its various facelifts in recent times) for food fans – it might not be known for any bells and whistles like its more modern counterparts, but it’s one steeped in history and with a loyal supporter base.
It is, after all, the home of Chong Pang Nasi Lemak, Yishun 925 Chicken Rice and Shami Banana Leaf Delights – all known food destinations. That’s not to mention the many kopitiams that pop up around the neighbourhood.
I seem to keep returning to the number of food places available at all hours in Yishun, but it is no accident. Having recently shifted from Yishun, it’s one of the main things that I truly miss about the place. Being kept awake at 2am because of hunger pangs and no respite in the vicinity is a nightmare, I can assure you.
And last but not least …
MP NEVER-SAY-NO
This, I suspect, will be a controversial choice – but I am going for Member of Parliament (MP) for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah as the last point to round off the list.
The politician might not be everyone’s cup of tea, with her straight talk and bulldog-like persistence some of the more notable features. But as someone who champions residents’ rights and worries, Dr Lee is right up there with the best.
Her focus on domestic issues, and her successes, were featured prominently during the General Election in 2015. For instance, her insistence in installing lifts outside MRT stations to benefit her not-so-mobile residents paid off in 2011 when Khatib MRT station was identified by authorities as one of six test locations for the initiative. It has since been rolled out across the country.
A smoker using one of 50 Designated Smoking Points located around Nee Soon South. (Photo: TODAY)
She also oversaw the implementation of having smoking points in her constituency of Nee Soon South, with six tested in January 2014 and 50 by the end of 2016.
In more recent times, citizens were up in arms over the water fee hike announced during this year’s Budget announcement, and this trickled down to possible cost increases for common items. Dr Lee took up the issue in last month’s Parliament session, and engaged in a lengthy back-and-forth with the recently promoted Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon over whether enough is being done to prevent opportunistic price increases.
The 56-year-old credits her tenacity and never-say-no attitude to being given a second chance in life, having survived colon cancer in 2003.
If you want a polished politician who speaks in neat soundbites, Dr Lee may not be for you. But if you want something done, this woman is your man.
