Singapore West

The purpose of education?

“What is the ideal product? The ideal product is the student, the university graduate, who is strong, robust, rugged, with tremendous qualities of stamina, endurance and at the same time, with great intellectual discipline and, most important of all, humility and love for his community; a readiness to serve whether God or king or country or, if you like, just his community.”

Lee Kuan Yew

1st Prime Minister of Singapore

Singapore

Updated:

8th Jun 2017

Less populated and developed than the Central and East regions, the West is a land of extremes. There’s a combination of lush forests and heavy industry centred around Jurong and Tuas, with wildlife and natural attractions including Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park, farms and parks aplenty alongside marine engineering plants, shipyards and industrial estates.

While it may feel ‘out of the way’ to some, the West has more than its fair share of shops, restaurants, leisure facilities and, best of all, abundant greenery. Looking ahead, the West has been earmarked for major development that will transform the area and make it far more attractive to expats. Plans are underway to develop Jurong Lake District into Singapore’s next Central Business District with lakeside homes and leisure facilities. Also, the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) line is expected to terminate in Jurong.

Popular neighbourhoods within the West include Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Jurong and Tuas. In general, these densely populated areas have home-style properties, excellent amenities and more affordable rents than in other regions. Jurong is home to older but larger housing estates in Boon Lay, Taman Jurong and Hong Kah, which appeal to local employees wanting to avoid a long commute. Condos and semi-detached houses in Upper Bukit Timah have the Bukit Nature Reserve on their doorstep, and many have beautiful forest views.

International schools within the West, many of which are centred around Clementi, include Dover Court International School, Dulwich College, Integrated International School (IIS), International Community School, Japanese School Singapore, Waseda Shibuya Senior High School and Yuvabharathi International School. The region’s hub of outdoor activities, tourist attractions and museums such as the Singapore Science Centre are also a draw for expat families.

It can be a long commute to the Central region but public transport links are excellent via the East-West MRT line; if driving, use the Pan Island (PIE) and Ayer Rajah Expressways (AYE).