So NParks tried to issue a clarification regarding the double-booking of Hong Lim Park. From a CNA report: NParks said there have been multiple events held on the same date at Hong Lim Park previously. For example, on June 29 2013, the Pink Dot 2013, anti-haze speech and protest against the LTA Cross Island MRT Line took place. Other examples include May 1 2013 - Stand up for the Rest, and Say No to 6.9m population and others - and Nov 29 2008 - Mini-bond and General Election, and Dance India, Taste India, a spokesperson said. Unfortunately, there was no information on whether those events were held concurrently and whether there was staggered timing. For example, the Stand Up for The Rest event in May 2013 was held in the morning, whereas the Say No to 6.9m population protest only started at 4 pm. Additionally, NParks was silent as to whether the organisers were given ample notice that they would be sharing the space with other groups (and information on what groups these were). What we got instead from NParks was this: [The members from the Return Our CPF rally] caused alarm and anxiety to a group of special needs children who was about to perform a dance item on stage and left some of these children as well as elderly members of the audience shocked and traumatised. Seriously, when did NParks become the spokesman for the children performers and the elderly audience for the YMCA event? I believe NParks was asked about a seeming procedural weakness in the registration process--it would be prudent to limit their comments to this, instead of going on overkill and rolling out words like alarm, anxiety, shocked, traumatised etc. Its always sickening when stat boards and public institutions start looking like loudspeakers for the ruling party, whether it is HDB and their selective upgrading projects and NEA weighing in on hawker centre spats. We expect them to be transparent and accountable, but please we dont mean for them to be so transparently partisan and accountable only to the PAP. If you want public trust then at least try to conduct yourselves with impartiality.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 03:50:02 +0000
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