The Online Citizen, 17 Apr 2012On Saturday, 14 April 2012, Singapore Day, New York was greeted with great fanfare. Singaporeans travelled across America to sample much missed delicacies such as Char Kuey Teow and Laksa (here).
For the uninitiated, Singapore Day is a cultural cum cuisine based event organised by the Prime Minister's Office, Overseas Singaporean Unit. It is aimed at engaging Singaporeans residing overseas. It is held in different cities with a significant community of overseas Singaporeans (here). Singaporean cuisine is cooked and served by Singaporean hawkers who have flown especially for the event.
Judging from the response, the event was a roaring success but what made it such a hit? In addition, does the enjoyment derived justify the SGD4 million price tag?
In the face of the global economic downturn, SGD4 million is an exorbitant sum of money to spend. The recent debates on the struggles faced by low income Singaporeans only exacerbate that feeling that somehow we are overspending on something which does not warrant that degree of expenditure. Full story
