MP offers to hold Halloween event
Left in the lurch when Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) cancelled Halloween Horrors, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) students now have an offer from Member of Parliament (MP) Baey Yam Keng to hold a Halloween event in his Tampines ward.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Baey offered alternative sites like Sun Plaza Park or the Eco Green Park in Tampines to the students who had helped WRS plan, as part of their final-year project, the now-canned annual event at the Night Safari.
He said that instead of letting the preparations for Halloween Horrors go to waste, it would be a good idea to have the event "to bring the residents together."
While the community does not have the kind of resources like WRS and would have to downscale the project, he added that North East Community Development Council (CDC) Mayor Teo Ser Luck has called him and informed him that the CDC "would be happy to provide some financial support to promote community building."
In a statement issued on Monday, Tan Hang Cheong, SP's principal said the school is encouraged by the "interest shown by several organisations who called up to explore opportunities for engaging" its students in their project. He did not specify any project or let on if the polytechnic was considering any offer.
While the students are "devastated" by the decision to abruptly cancel the event two weeks before its launch, they have also learnt much from the process, he said.
Yahoo! Singapore understands that WRS representatives met with the students to discuss possible plans on Monday.
According to Channel NewsAsia, WRS chief executive Isabella Loh said the difficult decision to cancel the Halloween Horrors event was "made with the best interests of the park and its many visitors in mind."
Loh said in a statement that over the years, the event has not contributed to a noticeable increase in visitors in the month in which it takes place. In comparison, family events such as the National Day and Hari Raya celebrations have resulted in a significant increase in visitors.
"Our focus is on education, conservation, family recreation and bonding within the context of a wildlife reserve experience," she said.
As of Tuesday early morning, Baey's post has received 69 likes and 48 replies. The majority of posters supported the idea of having the spook fest at a Tampines park, with some citing the huge area and the park's low lighting conditions as suitable for the event.
Facebook user Collin Hu posted, "Let's give our support to the SP students who have put in so much effort. I believe many of us in Tampines will be supportive of this idea."
