- Clementi, Singapore
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This article is about the neighbourhood Clementi in Singapore. For other uses, see Clementi (disambiguation).
Clementi English Clementi Chinese 金文泰 (Pinyin Jīnwéntài) Malay Clementi Tamil கிளிமெண்டி Ruling party Places of Interest Clementi is a town in Singapore, located in the west between Jurong and Dover, and commonly refers to the Housing and Development Board's housing estate of Clementi New Town. The town was named after the Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner Sir Cecil Clementi Smith. The Clementi Planning Area encompasses this entire area. Clementi is also the capital of the West Coast Group Representative Constituencies, whose head office is at Clementi Avenue 3.
Clementi New Town has an area of 4 square kilometres of which slightly over 50% is used for residential purpose. There are 24,000 HDB residential units with an estimated population of 88,000.
Contents
Geography
Clementi Town Centre, near Clementi MRT Station
Bird's eye view on HDB blocks at Clementi Town.
Mosque in Clementi.Clementi's arterial road, Clementi Road, runs for some 5 kilometres, from the vicinity around Bukit Timah, at Jalan Anak Bukit, to the West Coast Highway, but the geographical entity of Clementi is generally regarded as the area dominated by HDB apartment blocks around Commonwealth Avenue West and the Clementi MRT Station.
The primary residential district in Clementi is Clementi New Town and forms a large bulk of its residents and identity. The area also consists of many landed properties, especially in the West of the area. The boundaries of Clementi New Town are Sunset Way estate for the North, Clementi Road for the East, Clementi Woods for the South, and Sungei Pandan for the West.
Etymology
Clementi and the roads therein are named after Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1887 to 1893. The governor was an accomplished Chinese scholar. Among his achievements during his stint in office were laws brought into force to control secret societies in Singapore.
History
Clementi New Town was developed on land once occupied by squatters and the British armed forces barracks. Clementi Road was formerly known as Reformatory Road because there was a boys' home situated along the road.
Amenities
Unlike many neighbourhoods in Singapore, Clementi did not used to have a shopping centre in its central vicinity; however, there is a wide range of shops and hawker food stalls. Clementi Bookstore, located in the Clementi Town Centre, is reputed for its affordable tertiary textbooks. The Commonwealth theatres opposite the MRT station have been closed and rebuilt into a 4-level small shopping mall, 'City Vibe'. As of Nov 2011, the 4th level of City Vibe is still under construction and inaccessible to the public. The former Eng Wah Empress Entertainment Centre Cineplex is closed and going to redeveloped into a shopping centre and 10 hall cinema. It is expected to be completed in 2012.
Further from the town centre, a shopping complex, West Coast Plaza, serves the upmarket residents of the condominiums along West Coast Road. The shopping mall has many restaurants and house a variety of small stalls selling fashion accessories and handicrafts.
Towards Pasir Panjang, there is also the stretch of mostly 24-hour eating places, such as Fong Seng nasi lemak, Niqqi's cheese prata and also the new takeaway food store, Ai-Takeaway. National University of Singapore students frequent these popular late-night eating spots.
The Singapore Police 'D' Divisional Headquarters is located at Clementi Avenue 5. Clementi Fire Station is also located off Commonwealth Avenue West.
In April 2005, the HDB announced plans to build a 40-storey complex in Clementi Central on the existing bus interchange site. The complex will comprise housing and commercial zones, a public library, and an air-conditioned bus interchange. It is planned to be opened in January 2011 and is tentatively named Clementi Mall. A temporary bus interchange has been built at a site across the road from the old interchange.
In 25th March 2011, Clementi Mall the new 5 story shopping centre is officially open. It is also the first new town to be developed with public housing, transport and shopping together with one complex.
Transportation
Clementi New Town is served by Clementi MRT Station (EW23) on the East West MRT Line.
The Clementi Bus Interchange is used mainly by SBS Transit. The following bus services are in operation (which is SBS Transit unless stated otherwise):
- Feeder services
Service Between And SBS Transit Feeder Services 282 Clementi Bus Interchange Clementi West Street 2 (loop) 284 Clementi Bus Interchange Clementi Avenue 4 (loop) 284M Clementi Bus Interchange Clementi Avenue 3 (loop) 285 Clementi Bus Interchange Pandan Loop (loop) - Trunk services
Service Between And SBS Transit Trunk Services 7 Clementi Bus Interchange Bedok Bus Interchange 14 Clementi Bus Interchange Bedok Bus Interchange 96 Clementi Bus Interchange National University of Singapore (loop) 99 Clementi Bus Interchange Jurong West Street 91/92 (loop) 147 Clementi Bus Interchange Hougang Central Bus Interchange 156 Clementi Bus Interchange Sengkang Bus Interchange 165 Clementi Bus Interchange Hougang Central Bus Interchange 166 Clementi Bus Interchange Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange 196 Clementi Bus Interchange Bedok Bus Interchange SMRT Buses Trunk Services 173 Clementi Bus Interchange Bukit Batok Bus Interchange In addition, the following bus services pass through parts of Clementi:
- SBS Transit
Service Between And SBS Transit Trunk Services 30 Bedok Bus Interchange Boon Lay Bus Interchange 51 Hougang Central Bus Interchange Jurong East Bus Interchange 52 Jurong East Bus Interchange Bishan Bus Interchange 78 Jurong East Bus Interchange Clementi Avenue 2 (loop) 97 Jurong East Bus Interchange Marina Centre (loop) 105 Jurong East Bus Interchange Serangoon Bus Interchange 143 Jurong East Bus Interchange Toa Payoh Bus Interchange 154 Boon Lay Bus Interchange Eunos Bus Interchange 183 Jurong East Bus Interchange Singapore Science Park (loop) 197 Jurong East Bus Interchange Bedok Bus Interchange 198 Boon Lay Bus Interchange Bukit Merah Bus Interchange SBS Transit Chinatown Direct Services CT28 New Bridge Road Bus Terminal Clementi Avenue 4 (loop) Service Between And SBS Transit NiteOwl Services 5N Marina Centre Bus Terminal Jurong West Street 92 SMRT Buses Trunk Services 106 Bukit Batok Bus Interchange Marina Centre Bus Terminal 176 Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange Bukit Merah Bus Interchange 184 Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange Clementi MRT Station (loop) 188 Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange HarbourFront Bus Interchange 189 Bukit Batok Bus Interchange Kent Ridge Bus Terminal 963 Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange HarbourFront Bus Interchange SMRT Buses NightRider Services NR5 Marina Centre Bus Terminal Jurong West Street 75 NR8 Marina Centre Bus Terminal Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 Politics
Clementi was last an independent political constituency in the 1984 general elections. Most of Clementi now comes under the West Coast GRC and is managed by the West Coast Town Council, whose head office is located in Clementi Central. The bulk of this area is managed under the Clementi division, the rest under the West Coast division. However, some parts of Clementi are not part of this GRC but of the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. That constituency is in turn administered under the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council.
The PAP slate for five-member West Coast GRC, comprising Lim Hng Kiang, Cedric Foo Chee Keng, S. Iswaran, Arthur Fong and Madeleine Ho Geok Choo, was unchallenged in the 2006 general elections. Arthur Fong currently represents the Clementi division of the GRC, while Iswaran represents the constituents the whole West Coast Division.
Education
Clementi is serviced by several educational facilities, some of which have a long history. Primary schools in the area include Qifa Primary School, Nan Hua Primary School, Clementi Primary School and Pei Tong Primary School. Secondary schools include Kent Ridge Secondary School, Tanglin Secondary School, Clementi Woods Secondary School, Nan Hua High School, New Town Secondary School and Clementi Town Secondary School. The NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, an independent school specialising in Mathematics and Science, is located at Clementi Ave 1. The School of Science and Technology, Singapore, which specialises in Science, Technology, and Applied Learning, is also in the area. It will move to its permanent site in 2012 close to Dover MRT Station and Singapore polytechnic. E.R International School is also located close by, on Ulu Pandan Road.
Tertiary educational institutions in Clementi include SIM University, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and a branch of the Institute of Technical Education - ITE Clementi now at Choa Chu Kang. Singapore Polytechnic and the National University of Singapore borders on Clementi, although they are technically part of Queenstown. There is a direct bus from the Clementi bus interchange that loops around the NUS campus.
The Japanese School or Singapore Nihonjin gakko has two elementary school campuses on Clementi Road and Upper Changi Road North and a middle school campus on West Coast Road. A kindergarten is also located near the middle school. Waseda Shibuya High School Singapore campus is also located at West Coast Road.
A bird's eye view of Clementi Town, facing WestPlaces of worship
- Ang Chee Sia Ong Temple
- Clementi Bible Centre
- Darussalam Mosque
- Singapore Buddhist Youth Mission
- Tentera Di-Raja mosque
- Wu Tai Shan Buddhist temple
Recreation
Clementi has a swimming complex and a sports hall for badminton or table tennis located near the MRT station. The Clementi Stadium (capacity 4,000) and West Coast Recreation Centre are located near West Coast Road and can be seen from the Ayer Rajah Expressway. West Coast Park and Clementi Woods are situated further away from the central area but are still accessible by bus.
Neighbourhoods
There are 4 constituencies in the town, and 7 neighbourhoods (N1 to N7) within the Clementi vicinity; made up primarily by Clementi, West Coast and Sunset each with their own different traits. Most of the neighbourhoods are centralised or aligned along their respective neighbourhod centres, where most of the commercial activities are conducted, other than the town centre, Clementi town centre.
References
- Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1
External links
- Clementi Free Online Community Forums (ClementiToday.COM)
Neighbouring areas 
Toh Tuck Bukit Timah Ulu Pandan Teban Gardens 
Dover 
Clementi 
Pandan West Coast National University of Singapore
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