Dr Koh Poh-Koon

Winding down the year with a simple Christmas party with sisters and brothers from @ameu_sg. Great catching up with everyone over a simple meal. Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and a great year ahead in 2025!

Hopped aboard a special train yesterday - the "International Migrants Day" Concept Train! Running on the East-West and North-South Lines from 9-22 Dec, the train showcases compelling photo stories of our migrant workers and domestic workers, highlighting their diverse interests and talents beyond work. There are also tips on how we can show our appreciation to our migrant community. Happy to have met Ashik, Basir, and Ruby, whose stories are featured on the train. Thanks to @holdinghands_studio and @smrtsingapore Trains for making this possible! 🙏 Our migrant workers and migrant domestic workers have made sacrifices to build a better life for themselves and their families back home. They are an integral part of our economy and society and contribute to Singapore’s continued development. 💪 Let's continue building an inclusive Singapore by showing appreciation to our migrant workforce in our daily lives. 🤝 #InternationalMigrantsDay #AppreciateOurMigrants #InclusiveSingapore

I visited the Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island (Eco Island), with a tour of its Net-Zero Carbon Park, which is an important part of the Eco Island’s plan to develop itself into a net zero carbon zone by 2050. The Eco Island is now a vibrant and livable island, and an ideal site for hosting cultural and sporting events. The inaugural Nanjing Sundown Marathon was held on the island last month and attracted more than 5,000 runners. Singapore companies are participating in China’s growing silver economy sector. I visited @keppelltd’s flagship senior living project Sindora Living, a 400-bed facility providing comprehensive assisted living services for seniors, as well as day care and home care services that will benefit communities in the neighborhood. Glad to see the good progress for this project since my last visit in May 2023.

I was in Nanjing for the 18th Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council (SJCC) meeting alongside Minister @indraneerajah and Jiangsu Governor Xu Kunlin. Singapore companies remained active in various sectors across Jiangsu. At the SJCC meeting, we witnessed the signing of 21 projects, across several areas such as sustainability, healthcare and biomedical, technology and people-to-people exchanges. Singapore and Jiangsu have seen good progress in our key projects, such as the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) and the Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island (SNEHTI). The SIP celebrated its 30th anniversary last week, and the SNEHTI was featured earlier this year at the World Cities Day China Observance Event as one of China’s six exemplary cases of successful sustainable development efforts. I look forward to closer collaboration between Singapore and Jiangsu, and to meet again with our Jiangsu friends soon.

With 90% of Tampines Greenspring units occupied since key collection earlier this year, Tampines Parkview hosted a Welcome Family Carnival to foster community spirit and connections among the new home owners. The carnival featured five exciting zones with activities for everyone. It was heartwarming to see neighbors coming together, building camaraderie, and celebrating the shared joy of their estate. A personal highlight for me was getting up close with a live python—a popular attraction among the children! A big thank you to the volunteers, agencies, and residents who made this event possible. Special thanks to our community partners for their efforts in sharing useful local initiatives and resources that are readily available to residents. Here’s to many more meaningful connections and shared memories in @tampinescentralcc!

Had a great time chatting with Jonathan and Daniel on their Daily Ketchup podcast alongside our hawker, Cornelius where we discussed the recent Parliamentary motion on hawkers and some of the ins and outs of being a hawker. I’m encouraged to read about Singaporeans expressing support for hawkers and recognising that hawkers too face inflationary cost pressures. And we as consumers can do our part to keep our hawker culture thriving if we are willing to pay a little more for this unique food craft we so treasure. Hawkers are an integral part of Singapore’s culture. I’m glad I could share some of our policy considerations in preserving our hawker culture for future generations, while ensuring there are affordable food options for all, and our hawkers can have a fair livelihood. The government will continue to listen to feedback and improve our policies to support this important part of Singapore identity. Tune in to the episode here - https://youtu.be/5AUVLZMBSLo?si=fsqSKF4SqrOjXSF5 #OurHawkerCentres #SupportHawkers

Last Thursday, I visited Tampines Arcadia Blk 842G, where I met active Mdm Liew. At 80 years young, Mdm Liew is a familiar face at our weekly Café Corner gatherings. Her kindness and energy helps keep our neighbourhood Kampong spirit alive. During the visit, I took the opportunity to update residents on the high sheltered linkway project connecting Block 856E to Our Tampines Hub. While construction has been delayed due to architectural site constraints, a temporary alternate zebra crossing in front of Block 856F has been made available for use since 26 Nov. This will provide a safe crossing while works continue. Hoarding works for the new linkway is in progress and expected to be completed by Q2 2025. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to enhance connectivity in our town. Many thanks to the residents for your warm hospitality and to the volunteers who accompanied me during the walkabout. Together, let’s continue building a better-connected, closer-knitted @tampinescentralcc!

The spirit is strong when we come together and work towards a common cause 💪

PAP70 Anniversary Dinner and Awards Great opportunity to catch up with comrades from Yio Chu Kang and Tampines Central Branch. Thank you all for your steadfast commitment to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. Congratulations to all our award winners! Majulah PAP! Majulah Singapura!

At the PAP 70 Dinner & Award Ceremony, we celebrated the achievements of our leaders, especially SM Lee Hsien Loong, for his selfless contributions to Singapore. The Tampines Central branch also celebrated the dedication of Jack, Eddie, Daryl and Mary with their well-earned Long Service Awards. Congratulations!

“How do we make the right choice when faced with a tough decision?” This was the takeaway for @tampinescentralcc Education Merit Bursary (EMB) award ceremony for ITE and Polytechnic students held at @ourtampineshub last Sat. I shared a personal story of a time when I faced a difficult choice – when the outcome was uncertain, but I knew that I had to stand by what was right. I hope this story inspires our young awardees as they navigate their own challenges in life. The courage to act with integrity and the resilience to persevere even when the going gets tough are qualities that will lead to success. Congratulations to all the award recipients, and a special thank you to my Grassroots volunteers for taking their time to help out during the weekend. To all our students: Life’s challenges are opportunities to grow; Make the tough – but right – decisions when it counts!

Exciting developments for Singapore's agri-food sector! At the annual Singapore International Agri-Food Week, I unveiled initiatives to strengthen our food future: ✅ The 2nd Future Foods Grant Call, under Singapore Food Story 2.0, focuses on enhancing the nutrition and functionality of alternative proteins to boost consumer acceptance, and brings us another step closer to a sustainable food future. ✅ The launch of the Singapore Aquaculture Plan sets the path for a more productive and sustainable aquaculture industry in Singapore. I also had the pleasure of touring the Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia, where I explored cutting-edge solutions and strategies for creating sustainable and secure food systems. Innovation is critical to our agri-food industry as it helps us overcome constraints and build our production capabilities. It also helps to ensure the food we produce is safe for all. Together, let's build a sustainable, innovative, and productive agri-food sector for Singapore! #SIAW2024 #SingaporeFoodStory #FoodSecurity