Around 1,000 residents from the Clementi neighbourhood came together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Clementi Town Centre on September 15. In his speech, Guest of honour Dr Tan Wu Meng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry, and Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC (Clementi), urged residents to help each other, whether family, neighbours or friends. He said: “By pulling together and looking after each other, we can overcome whatever challenges that come our way. So let’s keep sticking together, holding up together, staying strong together.”
The event was attended by residents from different cultures. One young resident, Stefanie, brought along her two Indian friends, Aveebah and Tanvi. The three teenagers got to know each other while attending the same primary school, and they came to join in the fun.
Primary 4 student Shobit, who was there with his mother, said that he had been attending every year as he found such cultural festivals “very interesting”.
Many residents tried their hand at making mooncake. Mr Leon Lim, a teacher, has a recipe for healthier mooncakes by replacing shortening, which is 100 per cent fat, with olive oil. He also adds less sugar. His parents are diabetic and are unable to enjoy normal mooncakes, so he decided to make one that suited them.
The celebration was from 7.30pm till 9.30pm, and the flow of residents joining in the festivities continued unabated. They could be seen enjoying the food, games and atmosphere. There was also a Chinese tea appreciation counter, as well as games such as solving lantern riddles, guessing the weight of a pomelo, giant snakes-and-ladders board game, darts and hopscotch.
There was a booth specially installed to share more information about the benefits for Merdeka Generation seniors. They also had the opportunity to spin the Wheel of Fortune to win prizes that included umbrellas, sports towel and food containers.
On stage, a singer gave a melodious rendition of Moon River, a song first sung in 1961, among other crowd favourites. Mr Patrick Ng, a retiree, remembers the song and said: “Many people went to a lot of trouble to put this mini-carnival together. It’s for residents of this estate, so my wife and I decided to come to enjoy the experience.”
This year, there were six Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in the Jurong-Clementi neighbourhood. The decentralisation was for the convenience of residents, as they then would not need to travel far to join in the festivities.
