MP for Kebun Baru SMC Henry Kwek Hian Chuan shared an inspiring story of a young couple who exemplifies the Singapore dream. This experience reinforced the meaningful impact of his work as an MP in helping residents succeed.
He told Petir about a young couple, both from single-parent families who grew up in rental flats. With support from the Social Service Office (SSO) and family service centre, they completed their formal education before starting their own family together.
“Life was tough. They had very little to start off with,” he recalled. “They completed their university education. The husband then pursued a Masters in Social Counselling with SSO’s support. He himself benefitted a lot from it.”
Mr Kwek shared with amusement that the couple’s social worker later jokingly “complained” that, having completing his masters, the client’s starting salary exceeded the social worker’s own pay.
” A lot of times, when we discuss the Singapore dream in Parliament, it often involves abstract policies. It is certainly very touching when we see how these policies directly translate into people’s lives and transform lives [on the ground]. That story stayed with me.”
Mr Kwek has been overseeing Kebun Baru constituency since he entered politics in 2015. It was part of Nee Soon GRC during his first term as an MP.
He noted that Kebun Baru has undergone a major transformation over the past decade. The living environment has been revitalised, with refreshed housing estates and improved connectivity through the new Mayflower and Lentor station on the Thomson East Coast Line.
“We are one of the few constituencies in Singapore that started off as a mature estate. We are probably the second neighbourhood in Ang Mo Kio town,” he said. “But now, the demographic of Kebun Baru is transforming rapidly. The area is becoming younger, reversing in age as more young families move in.”
Mr Kwek said that there will be six to seven condominium projects and several Build-to-Order housing developments in the coming years. “These developments will change the texture and nature of our community, and so we will refresh our plans accordingly,” he said.
“If you go around Kebun Baru, you realise that we have shaped the environment quite a lot,” he continued. “We have brought in renowned artist Henri Chen to design the area’s colour scheme, creating a harmonious and beautiful atmosphere. We have also worked with NParks and greenery experts to enhance the landscaping throughout the constituency.”
Mr Kwek outlined his upcoming plans for the constituency. First is to make sure that the plans for the new developments, as well as the Housing and Development’s rejuvenation plan for Ang Mo Kio town, are properly implemented.
Secondly, his team plans to host more activities to unite families, particularly young families. In April, they held a Sunday Carnival at Thomson Green estate, which saw a good turnout.
One in three residents from the private estate attended the carnival. As part of fostering community spirit, Mr Kwek’s team will also launch a competition for the best decorated home or house during the year-end festive season.
Henry Kwek: Good Robot equips residents to apply AI knowledge for community service
Mr Kwek also shared plans to strengthen Good Robot, an artificial intelligence (AI) interest group launched by the Kebun Baru grassroots organisation in July 2024.
His team partners with AI Singapore and polytechnics to conduct outreach programmes and talks. Through collaborations with polytechnics, students teach AI skills to residents, including seniors. The initiative aims to build people’s confidence in embracing AI across their work, education, and daily lives, Mr Kwek said.
“AI is transforming both workplaces and education,” he said. “Through our initiative, business professionals, IT expert, and students can explore cutting-edge AI technology at the community level. We have many IT professionals, and we get them to design community service projects using AI. This expands our definition of volunteer work.”
Thirdly, Mr Kwek wants to transform Kebun Baru into one of the world’s first communities focused on healthy longevity. A key initiative is training longevity ambassadors to support residents in pursuing a healthy lifestyle.
He has partnered with the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity, which brings world-class experts to Singapore for longevity research. At the Sunday Carnival in April, many residents showed enthusiasm by signing up for clinical trials, said Mr Kwek.
The team plans to collaborate with academy experts to train longevity ambassadors – individuals with strong medical backgrounds, such as volunteer doctors
“The longevity ambassadors can help build this community by sharing the latest knowledge in an understandable, bite-sized way, while also creating micro-communities of people,” Mr Kwek said.
He emphasised that achieving longevity requires more than medical intervention alone. It needs knowledge sharing and lifestyle modifications, which means helping residents change their habits.
“We can encourage more residents to adopt healthy habits when they join micro-communities, whether for jogging, healthy eating, or proper supplementation. Participating in these activities in a communal setting provides both the benefits of the intervention and friendship, since relationships are crucial for health and happiness.”
Being an MP is like drinking from a fire hose of life: Henry Kwek
Mr Kwek, who has served as an MP for 10 years, says the friendships he’s built with residents and the continuous learning from them drive his commitment to service.
“Being an MP is like drinking from a fire hose of life. Everything comes rushing to you, sometimes on the same day: the good, the tragic, the inspiring, every aspect comes in at the same time,” he said. “What keeps me going is the deep friendships I have formed with many residents over the years.”
He highlighted that Kebun Baru is home to many accomplished professionals who are also caring individuals in the community.
“I learn and grow through my interaction with them. I see my work as amplifying the best in them, whether it’s getting them together to form teams to take care of others in a systematic way, or it is learning from and tapping on their professional views to build a better Singapore.”
