The South West Community Development Council (CDC) launched a new Value Meals programme on 9 Mar 2025 to help residents manage living costs through affordable meals from vending machines placed in their neighborhoods.
South West District’s $600,000 Meal Credit Programme for Vulnerable Residents
The Value Meals @ South West initiative, a partnership between South West CDC and Select Group, will feature 80 vending machines progressively installed at strategic locations throughout the district, mainly under Housing Development Board (HDB) blocks.
Select Group is sponsoring $600,000 worth of credits as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts and in celebration of SG60. These credits will be distributed through the Taste Asia mobile app, allowing vulnerable residents to purchase meals from the machines.
About 80 Choa Chu Kang residents who attended the launch each received $300 in meal credits. According to South West CDC Mayor Low Yen Ling, the credits will be provided to all 18 divisions in the South West CDC, with grassroots advisors deciding how to distribute them based on residents’ needs.
The meal credits are expected to benefit between 1,000 and 3,000 residents in total. Vincent Tan, Managing Director of Select Group, explained that residents will receive between 100 to 300 credits each, with 300 credits covering 100 meals.
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Affordable $3 Meals Available Round-the-Clock Through Vending Machines
The vending machines offer meals priced at $3 or less, making them an economical option for all district residents. The food selection ranges from sandwiches to reheatable dishes like fried bee hoon and curry chicken with rice.
Beyond the nine types of ready-to-eat meals that can be reheated in microwave ovens, the machines also offer sandwiches and snacks. Mr Tan mentioned that the variety of meals will rotate regularly.
At the launch event, held at the pavilion next to Block 165A Teck Whye Crescent, volunteers helped residents download meal credits on their phones and redeem meals from the machines. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Mayor Low heated pre-prepared meals in microwaves and served them to attending residents.
Muslim residents observing Ramadan, including Choa Chu Kang residents Endrawati Mohd Sairi and Othman Basir, took their meals home to break their fast later in the evening.
Mr Tan revealed that Select Group can offer these affordable meals by buying ingredients in bulk, implementing mass production methods, and serving through vending machines to lower costs.
Mayor Low highlighted that the 24-hour availability of these machines would particularly benefit shift workers who often have limited food options during late hours. “We hope Value Meals @ South West can help improve their diet and health, especially for low-income shift workers,” she said.
When asked about food safety concerns—particularly in light of recent gastroenteritis cases from ready-to-eat meals distributed under Singapore’s Food Resilience Preparedness Programme—Ms Low emphasized that food safety is a “top priority.” She noted that Select Group has more than 30 years of experience and maintains robust workflow and standard operating procedures at their central kitchen.
DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry and an MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, mentioned during the launch that while inflation is expected to ease further this year, prices remain high. “Singaporeans are understandably anxious. We hope that the support schemes announced at Budget 2025 will help with your daily living expenses, and give you some peace-of-mind,” he said.
He added, “While the Government will do our best to cushion the impact of high prices on Singaporeans, businesses and the community also have a role to play.”
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