Ng Chee Meng unveils pay-it-forward umbrellas in Jalan Kayu, but some Singaporeans are sceptical of its success

SINGAPORE: Over the weekend, Jalan Kayu SMC Member of Parliament Ng Chee Meng announced an initiative aimed at helping residents living in his ward. The thinking behind it is this: if you ever alight from the bus and it’s raining and you have no umbrella, it won’t be a problem.

As Mr Ng put it in a Facebook post, “Ever gotten caught in the rain without an umbrella?  We’ve all been there.”

Therefore, Community Umbrella Racks are now being tried out at two bus stops along Jalan Kayu Rd, Bus Stop 68059 (After TPE) & Bus Stop 68051 (Before TPE).

Photos put up by Mr Ng showed a rack with his name and face that reads “Pay it forward, stay dry.”

Facebook screengrab/ Ng Chee Meng

People in need of an umbrella can take one and return it when they’re done. Additionally, those who have extra umbrellas at home are encouraged to bring them to the rack so that their neighbours can use them.

The initiative came from residents, and Mr Ng thanked them in his post, calling it “a small idea with big heart,” and adding, “This is our Jalan Kayu community looking out for one another.”

While a number of commenters on the MP’s post praised the community spirit behind the initiative, others were somewhat pessimistic that it could be sustained, gloomily predicting that the racks would soon run out of umbrellas.

“Good intentions, but it will not work, as all umbrellas will be gone soon. This is not a new idea. Others have tried but had no success, as all umbrellas disappear after a while. To implement this type of idea must pay a deposit for the cost of the umbrella before being able to utilise it and get refunded only when returned,” one suggested.

“Unfortunately, Singapore society is one that has gone backwards… those umbrellas will be gone within a week,” another wrote.

“Good intentions don’t always translate to good outcome,” a third opined.

In 2018, Member of Parliament (Jurong GRC) Rahayu Mahzam launched a similar project at Toh Guan estate. However, according to reporting from CNA, within a month, the umbrellas placed in community racks had disappeared due to the “ungracious” behaviour of residents who took them but neglected to bring them back.

At Joo Chiat in November 2023, more than 1,180 umbrellas were made available for use at Joo Chiat Sharella kiosks found at bus stops. However, the project was permanently shut down in early 2024 because hardly any of the umbrellas were returned.

Hopefully, the Jalan Kayu Community Umbrella Racks will have more success. /TISG

Read also: Joo Chiat Sharella: No more “kindness umbrella” to share because people don’t return it back to kiosks