Sheltered linkway to connect Tanjong Pagar CC to MRT station in a few years’ time

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SINGAPORE - Connectivity in the Central Business District will be improved with the building of a new sheltered walkway, which will link Tanjong Pagar Community Club to the Tanjong Pagar MRT station.

The walkway will connect the CC on Cantonment Road to Exit A of the MRT station, which faces Peck Seah Street and is connected to Guoco Tower.

The move will provide residents of the Pinnacle@Duxton, Tanjong Pagar Plaza and other developments in the area greater access to the station, said Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Foo Cexiang.

Announcing the plans during a National Day dinner on Aug 15, Foo noted the plans will take a few years to come to fruition, without giving a timeline.

He added that they are in line with the Land Transport Authority’s Friendly Streets initiative, which aims to make walking trips to key neighbourhood amenities safer and more convenient.

The dinner, held at Tanjong Pagar CC, was attended by more than 800 residents of Tanjong Pagar GRC as well as the Radin Mas and Queenstown constituencies.

Foo noted that the new pathway will provide high covered crossings across four thoroughfares – Yan Kit Road, Tanjong Pagar Road, Tras Street and Peck Seah Street.

This will complement an existing sheltered pathway connecting residents in the Spottiswoode and Cantonment areas to the newly-opened Cantonment station on the Circle Line.

“When all the infrastructure is completed, you will have sheltered, inclusive access to Cantonment station on the Circle Line and Tanjong Pagar station on the East-West Line,” he told residents.

Foo, who represents the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division of Tanjong Pagar GRC, also announced a new community youth hub for the area.

To be located at 10 Seng Poh Road, the hub will provide young people with gaming facilities and study areas.

There will also be mentors who can provide them with support in a safe environment, said the first-term MP, who will be Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry from September.

Staying united amid fault lines

In an address at the same event, Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing said that amid contestations between major powers, the world had become much more dangerous compared to past decades.

The Republic cannot afford to turn inwards, but instead must continue to stay open and connected to attract the best investments, he said.

Singapore’s social cohesion is a cornerstone of its success, said Chan, who spoke in Malay, Chinese and English.

The country’s man-made competitive advantages – such as rule of law, stability and security – are only possible when Singaporeans stay united, he said.

“If we are divided, no investors will seriously consider putting their investments here to create good jobs for our people,” said Chan, who is also an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC.

In the past, race, language and religion were the societal fault lines, he noted.

Today, the new fault lines include “disparities between the rich and not-so-rich, between new and old arrivals, and between differing causes and aspirations,” said Chan.

While it is natural to have different perspectives in a vibrant society, such differences cannot be allowed to drive people apart, he said.

“We must always remember that even as we debate and try to reconcile our differences, that we have a higher set of shared goals that drive us forward as a country,” he said.

Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, said he has confidence in the younger generation, describing them as “talented, passionate people who are ready to step forward to serve”.

“So come what may – the geopolitical challenges, the economic challenges, or the social challenges – I am confident that we have the ingredients to take Singapore forward and onward,” he said.