Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2^nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 837-9666

Parliamentary colleague, community leaders of Ang Mo Kio & Cheng San GRC,

Home Team Commanders and Officers,

Members of the Market Stallholders’ and Shopkeepers’ Association,

Ladies & Gentlemen

I am pleased to join all of you this afternoon for the launch of the Market CSSP, or Community Safety & Security Programme, another CSSP project by Ang Mo Kio-Cheng San CDC and the Home Team. To begin, let me thank the market stall holders, shop owners and representatives of the Market Stallholders’ and Shopkeepers’ Association for attending this ceremony. By putting aside your time and business for this programme, you have shown your support and commitment towards improving the safety and security of the marketplace.

The marketplace is not just for buying and selling of groceries and fresh produce, goods and services. The marketplace is also a focal point for meeting old friends and neighbours, exchanging views and the building of social bonds. If the marketplace is destroyed, the lifestyle and routine of the community that it serves will be much affected.

This happened when fire destroyed three markets in Teck Ghee, Kebun Bahru and Seletar between February 2000 and January this year. Just overnight, market and hawker stall-holders lost their source of livelihood and residents were greatly inconvenienced by having to travel longer distances to buy their groceries. Likewise, if there are crimes such as thefts and robberies in the marketplace, fear for their own safety and that of others will surface amongst the residents.

That is why the mission of the CSSP is to proactively partner and support active citizens to achieve a caring community and safe homes. This strategic partnership between the communities and the Police, Civil Defence, Housing and Development Board, Community Development Councils and the Town Councils will help to enhance the safety and security in our neighbourhoods.

This Markets CSSP, which is initiated by our CDC and grassroots leaders with support from the Home Team agencies, is an excellent example of the CSSP mission statement in action. I am glad to see these elements coming together with the various members of the Market Stallholders’ and Shopkeepers’ Association to form a Steering Committee to spearhead the Market CSSP.

I am confident that the ideas and programmes to be implemented by the Steering Committee will make the 10 marketplaces under this grouping safe and secure against crime and threats by fire.

It is also noteworthy that this CSSP has received overwhelming support from more than 1,500 stall and shop owners from marketplaces in Ang Mo Kio, Cheng San, Yio Chu Kang, Jalan Kayu and Serangoon Gardens. This support is crucial for the success of the programmes that the Steering Committee will propose.

For example, after months of discussion, the committee has come up with a tentative list of 15 recommendations for implementation. This list, which includes a variety of activities like night patrols by the stall owners, regular clearing of combustible materials and the conduct of crime and fire prevention activities, amongst others, can be adopted and customised by the various marketplaces according to their specific needs.

I am also glad to note that there has been a rising awareness of the necessity for fire insurance coverage. Today, more than 90% of the 1,500 stall and shop owners have already insured their properties, and this is indeed a positive development. Well done!

I would urge all of you to encourage your respective market associations to choose and implement the programmes from the list of recommendations. Most importantly, you should share your experiences with other market associations through the Steering Committee so that everyone can learn and improve as well. This is how we can make the Market CSSP even more successful.

To conclude, I commend the Ang Mo Kio-Cheng San Community Development Council, grassroots leaders and the Home Team for their efforts to involve the market stalls holders and shop owners in enhancing the safety and security of our community.

To the 22 representatives of the various markets and food centres appointed as members of the Market CSSP Steering Committee, I would like to offer my heartiest congratulations. I hope your efforts will serve as an example for others to follow, and together, we can achieve a caring and safer community.