Mayor Low Yen Ling of The South West District, Singapore: Community’s Convenience and Needs at the Centre

MAYOR Low Yen Ling of South West District (Singapore) has been focusing on community’s needs and convenience in her leadership role. It is shown in the major improvements in Bukit Gombak, the education sector, and fund care innovation in helping the society.

Bukit Gombak now has upgraded facilities for the community’s convenience and has become a comfortable home for the district. Compared to its previous condition in 2011, Bukit Gombak has become more accessible for the people. Playgrounds, community, and family facilities were built for the children. The upcoming Bukit Gombak Park is also on the list to ensure children can grow and learn well. Maintaining a good living environment, Mayor Low has started the Hume MRT project for their convenience in moving from one place to another. For the elderlies, Mayor Low provides them with the heart wellness centre and new senior activity centre to stay active and live healthily. She makes sure that elderlies can still have activities together and exercise for a healthy lifestyle. She also communicates well with society and builds a healthy relationship with the people. Bukit Gombak community is well-served and facilitated in all sectors.

Mayor Low has also shown great concern on education. In her previous role in the Ministry of Education, she strengthened students’ foundation in learning the Chinese language. She developed public outreach programmes for pre-schoolers, teenagers, and adults. Witnessing a young girl who joined the reading programme some time ago has now become a person who read to younger children, Mayor Low once said “There was this young girl when she first joined the (reading programme), she was very young. But five years later, she became a da jiejie (big sister) to  read to the younger group. And this is what we hope to see.” Being a mayor now, as she knew the significance of education to young kids and how big the impact is for their future, she continues serving as the board member of the Chinese Development Council (CDAC) where she steers student and parent education Committee to reach out to low-income students and families. Under her leadership, 20 Big Heart Student Care centres island-wide were established to provide after-school care for students. It shows how she cares for the generations’ education and hopes that a child’s whole being can healthily grow for the country’s future.

Finally, Mayor Low Yen Ling with the community development council raise a fund to facilitate underserved ones. One million dollars of care fund is provided for the southwest district. The prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been more pressing than ever and this fund will assist schemes and address residents’ urgent needs. Each household will receive up to $4000 a year. The fund will provide social support and mental health workshops, education, enrichment programmes, and home improvement services to all the southwest residents. A social worker from Shine Children and Youth Services said that the South West Care Fund can   help to plug the gaps and will be a relief for many underprivileged families. The care fund could help find a job by giving them more access to enrichment programmes to upgrade their skills and improve their employability. Students can also tap the fund to help their schoolbooks and transportation fee. With this South West Care Fund, the southwest district community will have easier access to education, occupation, and upgrading their skills. The fund aims to help society obtaining a well-deserved life.

Mayor Low Yen Ling has shown her quality as a mayor in caring the society. She understands the importance of upgrading public and housing facilities and that education is an asset for a better and promised future both for the country and the next generation. Being a mayor does not necessarily mean that one has a title and high position and is bragging about it, but it’s rather to give back or to serve back the society for choosing her. Society choose someone they can trust to make a change to the community and environment and Mayor Low has just done that.

 

References:
https://www.mti.gov.sg/About-Us/People-at-MTI/Low-Yen-Ling
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/day-in-the-life-of-a-mayor-low-yen-ling-cdc-community-562526
https://www.lowyenling.com/ – Bukit Gombak Website
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYR7B8ZSglk – Bukit Gombak video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc-SmzqenVg – Pre-schools education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsBHCQWLho – Housing Estate
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community/south-west-cdc-launches-1-million-care-fun d-for-vulnerable-residents and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSKgYzcTZC8 – South West Fund Care