It's Not What It Seems

Club clears the air over guest's mistaken impression at community event
Straits Times Forum, 15 Oct 2011

WE THANK Mr Lum Yan Meng for his feedback on Thursday ('Undoing community bonding').

The 8th People's Association (PA) Humorous Speech Contest was organised jointly by the Cheng San Community Club (CC) and Nee Soon South CC management committees.

After a preliminary round last month, 12 finalists competed in the final last Saturday. There was a short interval after the sixth contestant had delivered his speech, during which the judges and sponsors were asked to review the proceedings.

The review was conducted in a separate room to avoid any influence by contestants and the audience.

By doing so, we regret that it gave Mr Lum the impression that we did not wish to mingle with residents at the event and were having tea in a closed air-conditioned room.

In fact, as soon as the review was completed, grassroots adviser and MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Mr Ang Hin Kee, and PA chief Yam Ah Mee joined the organisers and participants in the hall for tea.

Andy Tan
Assistant Secretary,
Cheng San Community Club Management Committee
Chairman of Organising Committee
The 8th PA Humorous Speech Contest 2011


Undoing community bonding
Straits Times Forum, 13 Oct 2011

LAST Saturday, a friend invited me to an event organised by the People's Association (PA) at Cheng San Community Club.

The ticket cost $12 per person, and a high-tea buffet was included. In attendance were Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Ang Hin Kee and PA chief executive director Yam Ah Mee.

While I appreciate the efforts of the PA and community clubs in organising such community-bonding events, it left me with reservations.

I was flabbergasted to discover that the organising committee, judges, sponsors and other VIPs enjoyed their high-tea in a closed air-conditioned room while the rest of the guests had theirs outside under a tent.

Why was there a 'divide' for an occasion aimed at community bonding?

On the same day, across the road from the PA event, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was officiating at an event marking the completion of an upgrading programme.

According to press reports, he emphasised that the Government was determined to improve citizens' lives, and this included community bonding.

What happened was unfortunate because the grassroots leaders who organised the community-bonding event were undoing what the Government is trying to achieve.

Lum Yan Meng