The term "Choa Chu Kang" had it origins in the Teochew language meaning "kang chu". During the late eighteenth center to the early nineteenth, the Sultan of Johor permitted the Chinese immigrants to plant "ganmi" and peppers along the river bank. These immigrants were first called "Kangchu" from the word "kang" which is river and "chu" the name of the clan to which the first headman to supervise the plantations in the area.
Choa Chu Kang soon turned into a small Chinese district. It was an area filled with diversity with those old kampong housing and rubber plantations. Boats and bullock carts were their primary transportation. Villages emerged including Kampong Belimbing and Chua Chu Kang Village, having almost of their inhabitants from the Teochew dialect group. Early settlers in Teochew were mainly farmers who grow �ganmi� and pepper. The appearance of Hokkiens in later years made available pineapple, coconut, and rubber plantations including vegetable and poultry farms. Tigers used to roam the area. Unfortunately, Singapore's last tiger was shot to death in 1930.
From the attap houses, Chinese kampongs, and street hawkers to modern housings, real estate has greatly improved in the community of Choa Chu Kang and has been attracting homeowners ever since, with its large community area and various recreational facilities.
Politics of Choa Chu Kang
When Choa Chu Kang town was a greatly improved and expanded Teck Whye Estate, bordered on the north by Upper Bukit Timah Road and Woodlands Road, they wanted their name to encompass nearby estates as well. The Chua Chu Kang Ward, a political division, applied during the editions of the elections of the Parliament, for the whole of the northwest sector. At present, Chua Chu Kang Single Member Constituency, based on general election of 2001, covers only the New Town of Choa Chu Kang, while the rest goes to the governance of Hong Kah Group Representation Constituency.