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Group’s bid to stage pro-family event at Padang rejected

SINGAPORE — A voluntary welfare organisation’s application to stage an inaugural pro-family event at the Padang has been rejected, after the authorities said it was not suitable for the venue.

The Padang Stage during the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Padang Stage during the Singapore Grand Prix.

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SINGAPORE — A voluntary welfare organisation’s application to stage an inaugural pro-family event at the Padang has been rejected, after the authorities said it was not suitable for the venue.

TOUCH Family Services, which is an affiliate of TOUCH Community Services founded by Faith Community Baptist Church senior pastor Lawrence Khong, had applied to stage the event, originally called Red Dot Family Moment 2014, on June 28 to “celebrate the International Year of the Family 2014 and to highlight the important role of family in nation building as part of the SG50 celebrations”.

However, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said the event was not suitable for the Padang and proposed alternative sites. But TOUCH Family Services declined as it felt that the alternative locations, which were in the heartlands, were less accessible.

In response to media queries, an MSF spokesperson said: “TOUCH Family Services requested for the use of Padang for their event. The event was originally called Red Dot Family Moment 2014. It was to take place on June 28.”

She added: “The MSF did not find the proposal to be suitable for the use of Padang. The MSF discussed with TOUCH and suggested alternative sites, but it declined. The MSF’s mission is to strengthen families, the basic building block of our society. We will continue to support social service organisations and projects that strengthen families in a socially cohesive manner.”

A police spokesman said they received an application for a permit for the event, but it was withdrawn by the organiser on Monday.

Mr Edmund Wong, general manager of TOUCH Family Services, said the VWO had planned to organise a concert-in-the-park event.

One of the names it was considering for the event was Red Dot Family Moment 2014 before it settled on #FamFest 2014.

He described the planned programme as “light-hearted (and) highlighting the unique roles of individuals in the family”. Activities included honouring the Pioneer Generation, renewal of marriage vows by couples and the recital of the National Family Pledge.

There were also plans to have participants wear red. Mr Wong said the colour theme was inspired by Singapore’s national colour and the SG50 tagline Celebrating The Little Red Dot.

He said the Padang had been chosen because of its accessibility to public transport and crowd-friendly amenities provided by the surrounding shopping malls.

#FamFest is separate from the VWO’s annual TOUCH Family Festival, which consists of a series of family talks and seminars held in the Central Business District.

The festival, which was held at the end of May for the past two years, will carry on and will take place this year on June 25 and 27 at Great Eastern Centre.

If the proposed event had been given the green light by the authorities, it would have been held on the same day as Pink Dot — an annual event held at Speakers’ Corner in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community — where participants wear pink.

TOUCH Family Services rejected the suggestion that its proposed event was pitted against Pink Dot.

Mr Wong said the date had been chosen because it is the last Saturday of the June school holidays and also the weekend when the annual National Family Celebrations traditionally culminate.

He reiterated: “As we believe that families are the basic building block of society, the event was organised as an SG50 celebration of the family’s contribution to nation-building.”

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