The first town councils to be established in Singapore were Ang Mo Kio West, Ang Mo Kio East and Ang Mo Kio South in Ang Mo Kio new town. They were set up on 1 September 1986 as a pilot project for the town council concept.[1] This concept was put forth by Lim Boon Heng, S. Chandra Das and S. Vasoo, who were then members of parliament (MPs) for Kebun Baru, Chong Boon and Bo Wen respectively, in December 1984.[2] Town councils aimed to change the way housing estates were managed, devolving the day-to-day running of these estates to residents.[3] It was perceived that under this management style, public housing estates would be less monotonous as each estate could develop a distinctive character of its own according to local conditions and the desires of its residents.[4] The bottom-up approach adopted also helped to cultivate the spirit of shared responsibility, involved residents in policy-making and decision-taking, as well as encouraged active community participation among residents.[5]
Prior to the introduction of the town council concept, management of housing estates was under the jurisdiction of the Housing and Development Board (HDB).[6] Although the HDB was successful in providing public housing to the local population, the standardised rules that the board had set for all housing estates made HDB towns monotonous in appearance.[7] Furthermore, by managing housing estates centrally, the HDB was slow in making decisions to address problems faced by residents and in responding to their complaints.[8]
When the first town councils were created, each had three MPs with one serving as chairperson.[9] They were assisted by a team of about 20 councillors, who were members of the constituency’s grassroots bodies such as the Residents’ Committee (RC) or the Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC).[10] Some of the maintenance and management works carried out by the three town councils during the trial period included the installation of ceiling fans at hawker centres, replacement of footpaths and creation of more parking spaces in the housing estates.[11] The councils also initiated landscaping projects such as painting of murals on void deck walls and planting of shrubs to liven up the surroundings to give the neighbourhood a distinctive feature.[12] In addition, town councils were involved in organising community-related activities such as holding exhibitions and campaigns to promote social responsibility and neighbourliness among residents.[13]
The pilot town council project was a success. This prompted the government to pass the Town Council Act in 1988, which paved the way for the full implementation of the town council concept throughout Singapore.[14]
References
1. Low, A. (1986, September 1). Town councils take over from HDB. .The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Ngoo, I., et al. (1987, April 7). My kind of town. The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Koh, T., et al. (Eds.). (2006). Singapore: The encyclopedia (p. 568). Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with the National Heritage Board. Call no.: RSING 959.57003 SIN.
3. The Straits Times, 1 Sep 1986, p. 8; What are town councils? (1988, July 1). The Straits Times, p. 26. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. The Straits Times, 1 Jul 1988, p. 26; How the town councils will work. (1988, June 29). The Straits Times, p. 13. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. The Straits Times, 1 Sep 1986, p. 8; The Straits Times, 7 Apr 1987, p.14.
6. The Straits Times, 7 Apr 1987, p.14.
7. The Straits Times, 7 Apr 1987, p.14.
8. The Straits Times, 7 Apr 1987, p.14.
9. The Straits Times, 1 Jul 1988, p. 26.
10. The Straits Times, 1 Sep 1986, p. 8.
11. What the three pilot councils have done. (1987, February 10). The Straits Times, p. 14; Town council soon? (1986, March 18). The Straits Times, p. 13. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. Tan, A. (1988, April 8). Come beautify your estate. The Straits Times, p. 23. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; The Straits Times, 1 Jul 1988, p. 26.
13. The Straits Times, 10 February 1987, p. 14.
14. Town Councils Bill passed. (1988. June 30). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
The information in this article is valid as at 2014 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.