Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on 23 March that stables are being built in Sembawang to house more than 100 horses set to be relocated from Turf City in Bukit Timah, triggering backlash from netizens.
Ong, also an MP for Sembawang GRC, said the relocation are expected to occur later this year as Turf City undergoes redevelopment into a residential enclave with 15,000 to 20,000 public and private homes.
“Bukit Timah Turf City’s over 100 horses will be moved to Sembawang sometime in the middle of this year. So there will be horse riding in Sembawang,” Ong said during an event in Bukit Canberra.
Ong said that equine therapy will also be introduced in Sembawang GRC, which is a therapeutic programme that involves interactions with horses to enhance emotional well-being.
The minister also announced that 20 black-and-white colonial bungalows in Sembawang will be repurposed. The Singapore Land Authority has recently put these up for tender for short-term stays.
With these developments, Sembawang is set to become a destination where Singaporeans can enjoy a holiday, according to Ong.
“Some of the houses can be for retail, some for restaurants, some for chalets, that you can stay for one week or beyond,” he said.
Other upcoming community developments include education facilities. Ong announced that 1,000 new preschool places are set to be opened in East Canberra by 2027.
He also shared that the Ministry of Education has been receptive to his proposal for a new primary school in East Canberra.
“If all goes well, by 2029, we will have another primary school,” he said.
More recreational amenities are in the pipeline for Sembawang, including a dog run park set to open in the second half of this year.
Frustration over govt spending priorities
Netizens commenting on the Facebook posts of CNA and Mothership.sg expressed frustration over the move, with many feeling that public funds should be spent on urgent needs rather than building equestrian facilities.
One commenter questioned whether the government was truly listening to the people’s concerns, pointing out that many are struggling with rising living costs, job competition, and education expenses.
The user wrote: “People concerned about putting food on the table … but here they telling us they built gyms, playground, stables, built houses … Are they hearing the people?”
One commenter criticised the minister’s lack of attention on rising living costs and affordability of public housing.
One commenter said that Ong’s announcement showed that the government has not been listening to the people and is “completely detached” from public concerns.
“If this was a private institution, this clearly isn’t performing up to mark,” the person wrote.
One commenter sarcastically compared citizens’ struggles with rising living costs to the government’s priorities.
One commenter pointed out the irony that horses are being provided homes while many people struggle with housing affordability.
One commenter argued that during such difficult times, the focus should be on the high cost of living rather than “horsing around,” noting that horse maintenance is also costly.
One commenter wrote that while recreational options are nice, the high cost of living is a more pressing issue—one so severe that even expatriates are reconsidering living in Singapore.
The user wrote, “when the cost of living is high enough that even expats are thinking twice about living here, we have a serious problem that CDC vouchers cannot solve.”
Another commenter argued that the move showed “how out of touch” the government is “with what is happening on the ground,” as it prioritises horse riding over real issues.
One commenter called the stables in Sembawang “useless,” arguing that the cost of living issue is being ignored while unnecessary projects move forward.
One commenter said that ministers are “up in their ivory towers,” talking about horse riding while urgent issues like the high cost of living, overburdened infrastructure, and job losses remained unaddressed.
Concerns over maintenance
Several netizens raised concerns about the cost of maintaining the stables and whether public funds would be used for their upkeep.
One commenter questioned the costs of maintaining the horses, estimating a fee of $100,000 per month for 100 horses. The user asked who would be covering these expenses and whether Sembawang residents would have to bear the cost.
One commenter expressed concern over the high cost of maintaining the horses, suggesting that many might eventually be sent to the zoo due to the financial burden.
One commenter questioned if public funds would be used to cover the cost of maintaining the stables and horses.
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