SINGAPORE GOVERl\TJ'AENT PRESS STATEMTINT --------- INFS. FE. 58/ 65 ckl

SPEECH BY CHAIRivl.AN, RURAL BOARD, MR. P. H. I,iDJ:ADOWS 9 AT 'I'HE OPENJ;NG OF CEAN"GI COMJ.fLJNITY OEN'rI~ , ON

FEB. 22 1958 ____________ :;.;::..t.._____ - --- - - -

On. behalf of.' the Rural Boa1:cl. an.cl. the Chan.gi Rm:al DistJ'.'ict Committee , I should l:Lke to wel come you her•o this af'te1:n.0011. We m:e v'e1'.'y gl acl. that the Min.is te1: was able to accept 01.u: in.vi ta ti on to r''J:)en this CentJ'.'e - the Cha11g:L CoiTliTJ.1.mity Ce11tre, ·a1.1cl. that MJ'.'s . Hamiel. 1.2.s been a.hle to accomp2.r1.;y· him. I shoul d also like especially to 'i"ie lco rJ.e a fo1:mer Cha:Lnm.J.1 of.' the Rm:al Boarcl., who is heJ:e th:Ls ~Ete rnoon Mr. Stewart , and.of course Mrs . Stewart.

. Today is a ve1:1y :Lm~JOJ:tant cl.ay f'or the 1:1u1:al people l:L v:L11g :Ln ·(ids area , especially so as it has been a lo.n.g time si1.1ce the pro-. JOsal to have a Coi~1:n11.1i ty Cent1:e :L11. this aJ:ea was f'i rst made by tl1.o Cl!.8J.1gi Rural Distr:Lct Committee. This Centre , as you can Goe, is ! ,r·,rJ.0 1:in ancl. has ma11y vi1:1t1J.oo. ·.ve a.1:e grateful to the A1:1ch:Ltect, lfr. Richarcl.so11., i'oJ'.' such a successful p1:ocl.uction. Later you w:Lll :.2.ve o.n opportunity of iJ.1spccting the Ce11t1"'e co11sisting as :Lt cl.oes oi' tnts ma:Ln hall an.cl. stage , class1::oon1S aJ.1cl. hai.1.dicraft- 1:1ooms , the c::entre OJ:gnni seJ: ' s q_ua1:ter , a wa tchma11 rs g_ua1:1teJ:, and the gnrcl.on mi c1 i)o,sketball pitch. Thm::e :Ls also an a1:ea of land lying outside tho c ompou11cl. wh:Lch lateJ'.' C'-11 be c1evelopocl. as a football pitch. As 2.. ,·1a tter of interest , the bu:Llcl.ing c·os t about ~109 , 000 ~ while tl::e lanc1 cc·st about ~~23 , 000 i11clusive of the football f':Lelcl .•

The Cer1tJ'.'e ··iill bo used fo1:1 seve 1-al and va1:yi11g purposes. Uncl.eJ: tbe auspices of' the S · c ial ·Neli'a1:1e Depar•tme.i.1.t , :Lt will be ·J_secl. as a chilcl.1:en ' s soc:Lal co11tJ:o, fo1"' Youth Club activ:L ties , ·m11cUcrafts and domoot:Lc :Ll1St1:1ucti0J.1S such as cooking , cake 1rn.ki11g ·11cl. cl.ress naking. This hall c2.11 be used for lectuJ:es, moe·cings, "~lwn t1::Lcal peJ:f'o1:uiances , variety shows, rec o·,yc:L ons a11d other s oc:L 3.1 ,ccasions, as woll as for games of one so1:1·c or anothe1:1. The 11eigh-

bcn1:1i11g poj)ulatio11 to whom this Ce1YCJ'.'e will be ava:Llable 11umbe1'.'c :-'l')O"tJ.t 10 , 000 incluO.if1g pooplo from Somapah Village , farme1~s f'ro1i1 J <1 lan 'I'iga Ra tus, the Vial "-Y fisho1:1men f 1:or11 Padang Te1:bakar and l :-_ ta I kan , Malays f'rom Kg. Bugis , Chinese f'arme1:s i'J:om Yan Kit VilJa ge a1~e2. , Inc1:i:a11 wo1:1kmen from W:L11g Loo:i.1g Roacl. , e.n.O. the f ishe1:mo11 f' 1:om Kg. ll..ye1'.' Gemu.:-oh. A mul ti-1:acial commw1i ty i11 fact.

I shoulcl. like to to.lee: this opp01:tuni r,y 0 £' tha11ki11g tl10 Cha11g i Rural Dist1:1:L c t Co iumi tteo i'oJ: theiJ'.' effor-cs and achiove1ileJ:1ti· 111 th.:Ls area on beho.lf of loc2tl j:Gsicl.e11ts. The wo1~k of' the Rurnl Bn&.rcl. GJtl. that cl.one h~/ Run.:.l Dis t1::Lct Comrn:L ttees :Ls not always c.., ·") rocia·cocl. or un.cl.oJ:s·coocl., a11cl. it is never 1ve1:1y spectacula1:. ~Jowc-r,·.:s ,-;:~,:,wly but su1:ely things cl.o got cl.OilG an.cl. they aJ:e of:'te11 oi' 110 81111.l.. c;·_;~1sec.;.ue11ce. 'iH·chout bo1"'ii12; JOU ·.Jith a long recital I ··iill mu1v:J. 3 '1ilO of the cl.ovelopti1Gl1.t p1:cjocts Hhich have been. comjJletocl. :LJ.1 t1':.is l-::,cality. The su~()])l~r o:-:' 1_·,,atc1: by· the ins·callation of watGJ'.' mai1.1s "ncl. s·cancl.ji:LjJGS is one of' tbe f01:1 ernost of' ou1'.' p1~oblems. The Rural Bc,arcl. spends very coDs icl.c1:i:.-J1l0 aurns of' money each year on water• n .ins o.ncl. sta.ncl.pipos ancl. with "chc vel"'Y helpful coopo1:at:Lon of' -cl.u c _:_ ty Cotrncil a mo1:e ac1eg_unto sup:oly scPvice :Ls bei11g attai11ecl. every ·.7 vJ:e . My rGu18J:ks sim:Llc-J:ly r:pply to ·che supply of' 8lectrici·c,y. J·~c .:111 ox:1:,-;()lo we f:Li.10.ll shortly be Si)011cling about '.:,:26,000 on a w0te1:1 ·r1}'F,ly to i~ye1: Gomu.1:01:. , ·,hilo st1:1eot lightiJ1g has' beo11 i11st2ll8cl. at ;__; .Jmapah Vill "1.ge, CllaJ.1[';i Roacl. juJ.1c tion, Tanah Mo1:ah Bosar ancl. elsu-'.iLGJ'.'e. Very subs ·co.ntial ni l oages of main 1:ioacl.s irn.ve been huil t as

0 1: cxa ·,,J)le Tarqpi11es Ro2cl. ancl. N:Lccll Drive , r.,.-hile numm:ious ag1:i-cu.lt1..u"al 1:ioacl.s have bo0n 1,u:Llt giving access to farm la11ds. A11 0vo11 b:Lgger proe 1::o.r.11.!e of hu.ilcUng ag1:1icul tm:: 1 n::a cl.s has been cl. J: ·.m 1.·1 frn"' this yea1:. Rosicl.ent in.:Lcl..df'e g_uarte1:1s have been establisl'.cd

/ at 10 m. s ••••• . .

- 2 -

at 10 m. s. Ta. ,~1inos Ro--.c1. 8.11.:l. at S or.B.pah Village, whilG the micl.r:Lfe' s q-.1.s.1:1te1:1 built by the :0eOJ)le liv:L1.1g i11 the K1.1ala LoyaJ."\g a1:1ea ha.s. been t;lcel"\ over' 1,y the Rure.l Boa.nl.. Jetties have been esT,ablisl1e cl. at Pulo.u Ubin anci. Pulau Tokong i'o1: the convenience of tho isla1.1cl.e1:s, ,?.ncl. Malay schools l1ave also 11een establi'shecl. on each of those .Ls l anc1s plus a c1:Lspensa1::y at Pu.l si:i.:i. Teko11g. Public telephones lFve 1"J8CJ."\ iJ:1.stallccl. by the Singo.j?OJ:e 'rolephone Boa1:icl. in various pa1:its ,., f' .this locality by J:'GQ.uest oi' tl':e D:LstJ:ict Commit·cee, ard in the fl1_·(;,.1.1:u f·,1.1:i thm'.' monies are be:Lng set as:Lcl.e i'o1: an il1Ij')1'.'0Vecl. telephone s:-~1:·v:L c•.J,.. C ,J.1st1:uc·cion of a You.Ur Club at Cha11g:L fil'1a11cecl. by the Rv.1:>al B cB.1: cl. i.ct?.G J:1ecently s ta1:1·cecl.. The a 'J')Ove examples s ePve to give you a11 :L c1.oa cf' ·cho va1::Lou s 1;yo_.ys , bo·ch lni:gc 2.J.1.cl. · s •na.11, of how the Rm:>al Bo ,:;:1l=1.t ·che Rm:al Distr:Lct C 'L ti1ittee, 0.1:0 co1."Ce1:11ed Vliith everyday matt01:1s· ai':f:'ectiJ:lg the 1 ,,-eli'o.1:ie of l ocal resi cl.e1ns. I am su.1:: e the J'.'UJ:o.l poor1lc l:i.viJ.1g in th:Ls cu1ea a:i:e a:op :i:ec:Lat:i.ve of' the endeavouJ:s a11cl. accom-p lishments of' tbe Rrn:1al Dist1:>ict Comm:L ttee. On tlrnir behalf as 1n1,ll ns m1. behalf of' the Ru1:c1.l Bw. 1:ia. I should l:Lke to thank the Comm:L ttCle:..,

Fe,b. 22, 1958. , (Time issued 1200 boursJ