SINGAPORE: Nominees of the 2017 Star Awards and other Mediacorp celebrities strutted their stuff on the black carpet on Sunday (Apr 16) evening ahead of the annual awards show recognising the best and brightest of local Mandarin television. 

Regional stars such as Korean actor Jang Hyuk, Korean girl band f(x) member and actress Krystal Jung, Taiwanese actor Kai Ko and Hong Kong’s Bowie Lam, were also in attendance with several taking part in the awards presentation. 

Korean girl group f(x) member Krystal Jung (left) and actor Jang Hyuk (right) on the black carpet ahead of the 2017 Star Awards in Singapore. (Photo: Toggle)

Romeo Tan (The Dream Job) and Aileen Tan (Hero) were given the Best Supporting Actor and Actress award respectively, while veteran actress Xiang Yun, was honoured with the Best Evergreen Artiste Award.

Quan Yifong (Markets in Asia) won Best Programme Host, as well as this year’s All-Time Favourite Artiste award alongside Elvin Ng and Joanne Peh.

The main buzz this year had been around Queen of Mediacorp Zoe Tay, who was close to picking up the Best Actress trophy again, 21 long years after she last won for her role in The Golden Pillow. Rui En was also nominated, for her role as an unhappy housewife in If Only I Could – a part she was said to have gained a lot of weight for. 

Here is the list of nominees for this year’s main categories:

BEST ACTOR

Rui En (far left) and Andie Chen (far right) – nominees for some of the evening’s top honours – pose for pictures with Chen’s son ahead of the 2017 Star Awards. (Photo: Toggle)

Andie Chen (If Only I Could)

Chen Han Wei (The Gentlemen)

Pierre Png (The Gentlemen)

Zhang Zhen Huan (The Dream Job)

Shaun Chen (Hero)

BEST ACTRESS

Best Actress nominee Zoe Tay arrives at the black carpet with Chen Han Wei, who’s also up for an award for his role in The Gentlemen. (Photo: Toggle)

Jeanette Aw (The Dream Job)

Jesseca Liu (Hero)

Rebecca Lim (You Can Be An Angel 2)

Rui En (If Only I Could) 

Zoe Tay (You Can Be An Angel 2)

BEST DRAMA SERIAL

C.L.I.F.4

Fire Up

Hero

The Dream Job

You Can Be An Angel 2

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Andie Chen (Hero)

Chen Shu Cheng (Fire Up)

Ian Fang (The Dream Job)

Jeffrey Xu (Peace & Prosperity)

Romeo Tan (The Dream Job)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Aileen Tan (Hero)

Bonnie Loo (Hero)

Paige Chua (Hero)

Pan Ling Ling (Hero)

Ya Hui (House of Fortune)

BEST EVERGREEN ARTISTE 

Veteran actress Xiang Yun is up for the Best Evergreen Artiste award. (Photo: Xiang Yun’s Facebook page)

Aileen Tan

Chen Shu Cheng

Hong Hui Fang

Rayson Tan

Xiang Yun

SINGAPORE: The black carpet was rolled out at Mediacorp for the arrival of the best and brightest of local Mandarin television, mere hours before the annual Star Awards show set to take place on Sunday (Apr 16) evening at the MES Theatre.

From 5.30pm, nominees of the 2017 Star Awards and other Mediacorp celebrities hit the Walk of Fame alongside regional stars like Korean heartthrob Jang Hyuk, Korean girl band f(x) member Krystal Jung, Taiwanese actor Kai Ko and Hong Kong actor Bowie Lam.

Korean girl group f(x) member Krystal Jung (left) and actor Jang Hyuk (right) on the black carpet ahead of the 2017 Star Awards in Singapore. (Photo: Toggle)

The buzz this year is around Queen of Caldecott Zoe Tay, who may finally pick up the Best Actress trophy again, 21 long years after she last won for her role in The Golden Pillow.

Rui En, who is coming from a rather controversial past year, has also been nominated for playing an unhappy housewife in If Only I Could – a part she is said to have put on a lot of weight for.  

Finally, could Andie Chen pip Ian Fang to the post and take home the Best Actor gong for his role as Rui En’s husband? 

Here is the list of nominees for this year’s main categories:

BEST ACTOR

Rui En (far left) and Andie Chen (far right) – nominees for some of the evening’s top honours – pose for pictures with Chen’s son ahead of the 2017 Star Awards. (Photo: Toggle)

Andie Chen (If Only I Could)

Chen Han Wei (The Gentleman)

Pierre Png (The Gentlemen)

Zhang Zhen Huan (The Dream Job)

Shaun Chen (Hero)

BEST ACTRESS

Best Actress nominee Zoe Tay arrives at the black carpet with Chen Han Wei, who’s also up for an award for his role in The Gentlemen. (Photo: Toggle)

Jeanette Aw (The Dream Job)

Jesseca Liu (Hero)

Rebecca Lim (You Can Be An Angel 2)

Rui En (If Only I Could) 

Zoe Tay (You Can Be An Angel 2)

BEST DRAMA SERIAL

C.L.I.F.4

Fire Up

Hero

The Dream Job

You Can Be An Angel 2

BEST EVERGREEN ARTISTE 

Veteran actress Xiang Yun is up for the Best Evergreen Artiste award. (Photo: Xiang Yun’s Facebook page)

Aileen Tan

Chen Shu Cheng

Hong Hui Fang

Rayson Tan

Xiang Yun

SINGAPORE: The first of 57 new trains fitted with an upgraded signalling system made its debut on the North-South Line (NSL) on Sunday (Apr 16) morning, as part of a two-month trial conducted by rail operator SMRT.

Besides the new signaling system, the new trains are also fitted out with several new features.

These include LCD display panels that provide information on landmarks and places of interest near the various MRT stations, LED lighting, which has been said to be more energy efficient than the usual fluorescent lighting and marked spaces in the train cars for wheelchair users.

File photo of the LCD display in the new SMRT train. (Photo: Kenneth Lim) 

Sunday’s trial also marked the first full day trial since such tests began in March. Trains ran on the new system from the start of the day, compared to just during the final hour of service previously.

During these trials, LTA and SMRT officers track the system’s response to different situations and the trains’ ability to keep to schedules.

The new signalling system – first announced by SMRT in 2012 to the tune of S$195 million – allows trains to run closer to each other, which in turn shortens the waiting time for trains at stations from the current 120 seconds to 100 seconds.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has previously said this could improve peak hour capacity by up to 20 per cent.

But there has been a speed bump. The launch of the new system was delayed from 2016 to 2017, because of the need to conduct “more extensive reliability tests”, LTA said.

These tests include safety and system checks, such as ensuring train doors and platform screen doors are aligned when a train stops.

Authorities say that all 57 trains are expected to be in service on the North-South and East-West Lines by 2019. Together with the 42 trains added to the North-East Line and Circle Line fleets in 2016, this will bring the total fleet size from 141 to 198.

SINGAPORE — Woodlands will transform into the “Star Destination of the North” in the next decade, following a comprehensive facelift under the third phase of the Remaking of Our Heartland programme.

An exhibition showcasing the proposed raft of plans for six new proposed developments and enhancements to existing neighbourhood centres in the northern town was unveiled on Sunday (April 16) by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

The proposals were the results of a series of seven focus group discussions held by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in 2015 with some 220 residents and community stakeholders. 

One of the highlights of the facelift involves revamping the Woodlands Regional Centre, which could see a new Town Plaza built beside Woodlands MRT station — an idea that many participants had raised and supported during the focus group discussions.  

A new Town Plaza could be built beside Woodlands MRT station. Photo: Housing and Development Board

A new landmark residential development will also be built at Woodlands Central, part of the Woodlands Regional Centre. 

The proposed landmark residential development at Woodlands Central. Photo: Housing and Development Board

At the Woodlands North Coast, a new public development beside Admiralty Park aims to offer a “Housing-in-the-woods” experience. 

“This project will leverage on the (area’s) hilly terrain, so residents will be able to enjoy good views of the park and the Straits of Johor,” said the HDB. 

A residential development at Woodlands North Coast, offering a “Housing-in-the-woods” experience. Photo: Housing and Development Board

Specific development plans for these residential sites have not been finalised yet. 

The Woodlands North Coast area will also be home to the Woodlands North Coast Innovation District, which will be beside Republic Polytechnic, and is part of the North Coast Innovation Corridor.  

To connect Woodlands Central to the north coast and Woodlands Waterfront, the agency is proposing a 1.9km-long jogging and cycling link. Called the WoodsVista Gallery, this second proposal will feature multiple rest points with seating along the way, for residents to gather and interact. 

At Marsiling, residents can expect a new “Discovery Playground”, featuring amenities like a boardwalk along the coast, and a heritage corner showcasing the area’s history. 

The new “Discovery Playground” in Marsiling. Photo: Housing and Development Board

The “Discovery Playground” will comprise the current Woodlands Town Garden, which will be renamed Marsiling Park after a facelift, as well as other recreation facilities. 

To the south, the new Woodlands Health Campus will be constructed, and opened in phases from 2022. It will comprise a community hospital, a long-term care facility, as well as an acute care hospital. 

The Health Campus, which includes the first hospital to be built in the town, will also be integrated to the adjacent greenery, in a setting similar to the current Khoo Teck Puat hospital, said the HDB. 

To the east, the area beside Admiralty MRT station will be transformed into a new “Community Nexus”. Within it will be Kampung Admiralty, which will comprise a plethora of facilities like medical centres, eldercare and childcare centres, dining and retail outlets, and housing for the elderly. 

Existing facilities in the area will also form part of this “Community Nexus”, with the Admiralty Place Neighbourhood Centre (NC) getting a spruce-up, said the HDB. 

The new “Community Nexus” in Admiralty. Photo: Housing and Development Board

Lastly, to span the entire Woodlands town from east to west, the HDB is proposing a “Social Corridor”, built on the existing North-South Line viaduct. This 4.2km-long link will feature eight nodes, and residents will have a say in what to do in each of the eight proposed spaces. Suggestions could include community gardens, and rest points. 

On the timeframe for the proposals to be implemented, the HDB said: “Residents can look forward to many of the plans being implemented within the next five to 10 years. The actual implementation timeframe for each proposal will differ from site to site.”

Separately, the HDB will also be giving existing NCs and parks in Woodlands a facelift, with improvements such as additional greenery, and improved connectivity. 

Neighbourhood centres will also be upgraded, as part of the Remaking Our Heartland programme. Photo: Housing and Development Board

Woodlands, which sits on around 1,198 hectares of land, is the first town in the third phase of the Remaking Our Heartland programme. 

Two other towns, Pasir Ris and Toa Payoh, will also be remade, with details to be shared in the coming weeks. 

SINGAPORE: New mega-housing projects, linkways for pedestrians and cyclists, and a larger recreational area at Marsiling – these are some of the plans residents of Woodlands can look forward to.

As part of the third batch of estates under the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Remaking Our Heartlands (ROH) programme, the Woodlands estate will be spruced up over the next five to ten years.

Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong announced the renewal plans at the launch of the ROH exhibition for Woodlands on Sunday (Apr 16). 

The renewal plans will focus on strengthening the character, community, and connectivity of each town, said HDB. It added that six “star attractions”, in the form of new recreational and residential developments, will be introduced to revitalise Woodlands.

Six new “star attractions” will be introduced to revitalise Woodlands. (Photo: HDB)

These include turning the Woodlands Regional Centre – which comprises Woodlands Central and Woodlands North Coast – into a “vibrant hub of activity”, with better connectivity and new commercial and residential developments, and building a 1.9km-long community link with dedicated cycling and pedestrian paths, called the WoodsVista Gallery, to connect Woodlands Central to the Woodlands waterfront.

At the edge of Woodlands Central, a landmark housing development is set to be developed.

Another residential development called “Housing-in-the-Woods” will be constructed in Woodlands North Coast, where Republic Polytechnic and the upcoming 70-hectare business hub are located.

HDB said that the project will “leverage on the hilly terrain” so that homeowners will have views of the park, and the Straits of Johor.

It will also be next to Admiralty Park, where redevelopment works will be completed in the second half of 2017, according to the National Parks Board (NParks) group director of parks Mr Chuah Hock Seong.

There is no confirmation yet whether these two housing projects will be earmarked for public or private developments. 

According to HDB, the Woodlands Town Garden located at Marsiling will also be upgraded and expanded into a new “Discovery Playground” and a new integrated healthcare complex will be developed next to the upcoming Woodlands South MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).

At the Discovery Playground, residents will be able to enjoy the Woodlands Town Garden and learn about the history of the town. (Photo: HDB)

The fifth attraction, called the Community Nexus, is a one-stop hub of facilities for all ages. It will be located right next to the Admiralty MRT station, said HDB. Meanwhile, the existing park connector that runs from the east to the west of Woodlands will be transformed into a ‘Social Corridor’, with lush greenery, community gardens and 3-Generation facilities along the park connector and MRT viaduct. 

The Community Nexus will serve as a one-stop hub of facilities for all ages. (Photo: HDB)

HDB also said greenery along key roads throughout the town will also be enhanced, with the introduction of an extensive ecological network of green corridors to connect green nodes within Woodlands. 

To provide residents with a more pleasant walking and cycling experience, the cycling network will be enhanced progressively with new cycling paths that connect to the MRT stations. Ramps and lifts will also be implemented over time to improve barrier-free accessibility.

The ROH programme was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2007. Since then, six towns and estates – Punggol, Dawson, Yishun, East Coast, Hougang and Jurong Lake – have been rejuvenated.

In drawing up the rejuvenation plans, HDB said it had actively engaged residents and stakeholders to seek their views and suggestions on the plans. Residents from the three selected towns were, for the first time, invited in the early stages of the planning to participate in Focus Group Discussions. 

A total of 11 discussion sessions were conducted, involving about 400 residents and community stakeholders from the three towns, it added. 

Residents are invited to visit the Woodlands ROH exhibition and give their feedback on the plans. The exhibition will be held at Woodlands Central on Apr 16 from 10am to 9pm, and from Apr 17 to 30 (9am to 9pm). Residents may also view the exhibition on the HDB InfoWEB and share their feedback online.

*Additional reporting by Channel NewsAsia’s Rachel Phua.