05/05/2026
The weekend before last, held our quarterly Conversations townhall. As always, we welcomed questions about matters that were of national concern, as well as those with a more local flavor.
Among the broader-based topics, one area that stood out was how the war in Iran is raising concerns over increased costs of living, especially over food and fuel. This is understandable, and may be masked by those who only look at the more stable—the so-called “core”—components of inflation (it’s useful to point out that the MAS actually computes core differently from most other central banks, by excluding the price of accommodation and private transport instead of food and fuel; nevertheless, these are impacted, even if indirectly, by rising prices in energy).
The discussion veered into how we might secure energy independence. I shared that, in the short run, the government has assured us that it has fairly ample reserves (the official position is that we have “months” worth, and have yet to tap of these). In the longer run, there has been discussion of obtaining at least some of our energy mix from nuclear. This often sparks spirited arguments against such an idea, usually due to existential fears, given how we are a small island, and a fallout would all but wipe us out. We invited residents to share their thoughts, and the vocal ones certainly held this view.
Nearer to home, residents asked about upcoming developments. We shared that we had already launched two landmark estate projects—the dog run and butterfly sanctuary—and were on track for the others, including the flagship revamping of the Sculpture Park. Residents can also look forward to Ministry-led initiatives, such as an Integrated Community Hub that is expected to roll out closer to the end of the decade.
Thanks to our community partners, Asian Film Archive, NSS Public Forum, and Clave, for setting up booths and sharing your fascinating work with others in our town. And if you’re a community organization that would like to showcase your work, feel free to get in touch!
