Victor Lye, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, plans to create a community hub in Buangkok-Fernvale South that brings residents together.
He believes that fostering community connections matters more than constructing a physical structure. The proposed hub will occupy underused spaces and deliver social, economic, and cultural benefits to the area.
Mr Lye told Petir that he hopes to transform a plot adjacent to Block 982 Buangkok Crescent and the Buangkok Sports Park into a community activity hub.
The land is currently zoned for educational institutes. While the government firms up its plans for the piece of land, Mr Lye believes it can benefit residents in the meantime.
“I’m hoping to lease the land and introduce a variety of activities to support different segments of the Buangkok-Fernvale South community,” he explained.
“Using state land productively to serve the wider community creates social value. That’s valuable too.”
This approach reflects Mr Lye’s realistic can-do attitude, forged through the “school of hard knocks.” Mr Lye believes in three practical aspects of personal resilience: first, appreciate what you have; second, make the best of what you have; and third, help others along the way.
Applying imagination and innovation to benefit the community
A technopreneur in the private sector, Mr Lye sees an opportunity to create an innovative community hub that does not impact the land permanently, but blends with natural surroundings and supports diverse activities.
“We can transform existing tall trees into an adventure park for children and young adults. The grass patch can become a dog run or pet corner. We can set up camping zones with barbeque pits and demonstration gardens to teach sustainable urban farming techniques,” he continued.
Container booths or capsule houses can offer culinary classes in the open or provide alfresco dining, he noted. These structures are quick to put up and tear down, meaning a great deal of flexibility in deployment, and little or no permanent impact on the space.
“The space can support healthy living activities like Taichi or Zumba classes – even a soccer field. We can start a Buangkok-Fernvale South soccer academy.”
Mr Lye also shared his vision for building the hub using cost-effective, quick-to-construct, and environmentally friendly structures.
He described modular solutions: “Imagine container-sized boxes that mechanically transform into communal halls, capsule houses, and activity booths – structures assembled within a day or two and removed just as quickly. No piling. No soil displacement. They won’t damage the environment.”
He estimated that the community hub will cost much less than a community club building and can be set up within a few months.
“Instead of constructing buildings that cost millions, takes years, and distracts us from our core mission, I prefer to focus on serving our people. I want to create something useful and valuable for our community.”
Creating a heartland heritage trail at Buangkok-Fernvale South
Mr Lye sees an opportunity to generate economic and cultural value by creating a Heartland Heritage Trail at Buangkok-Fernvale South.
He highlighted the proximity to Kampong Lorong Buangkok, Singapore’s oldest surviving village, and the biodiversity along the Punggol River.
“What if we can draw tourists away from the Marina Bay and Orchard Road belt and invite them to visit our heartland here in Buangkok-Fernvale South?” he asked.
“We have Kampong Lorong Buangkok and the Punggol Park Connector. Visitors can learn how we transformed rivers into reservoirs in water-scarce Singapore. From time to time, we see the otters swimming in the river.”
Mr Lye’s eyes gleamed as he explained how tourists can meet Singaporeans at Buangkok-Fernvale South and discover local culture.
“Food draws people together. Tourists can learn to cook local dishes like laksa, nasi lemak, or Eurasian devil’s curry,” he said.
Unlocking S’pore’s silver dividend with seniors acting as community guides
Mr Lye said the heartland heritage trail initiative will create job opportunities for community guides, addressing Singapore’s ageing population and older Singaporeans’ growing preference for flexible work arrangements.
“I spoke about unlocking our Silver Dividend in my maiden parliamentary speech. We can train our seniors through SkillsFuture to become qualified guides,” he said. “This will give them purpose by drawing on their experience and memories to create authentic Singapore heartland experiences for tourists.”
Many older residents in their 50s and 60s want part-time work, Mr Lye noted. They have strong education and communication skills and can train to specialise in different areas like food, heritage, or environment.
Engaging with the youth
Mr Lye wants to connect young people with nature through outdoor experiences and educate them about Kampong Lorong Buangkok’s heritage. His team is exploring partnerships with young people interested in developing tours that target youth as their primary audience.
He also hopes to work with the Scouts and Guides to offer an outdoor adventure course, providing experiences outside the classroom.
“Students from every school can attend the adventure course. They will be given badges once they complete the course. By offering them a worthwhile experience in our community, we can connect with our young people,” he said.
Mr Lye shared that the community hub will complement the adjacent Buangkok Sports Park to create synergy.
“Young adults can visit to exercise and play games such as pickleball, futsal, basketball, and tennis. People from other parts of Singapore can come here too. This place will buzz with life during the day.”
Mr Lye’s focus is now on bringing his ideas to life and securing the necessary approvals from authorities.
“I want to create social value, along with economic and cultural value,” said Mr Lye.
“This community hub will unite people from all walks of life and all ages. We are doing this for our residents at Buangkok-Fernvale South, though the wider Ang Mo Kio GRC residents and all Singaporeans will also benefit.”
