Singapore — Madam Ho Ching appealed to Singaporeans to refrain from being kiasu, or selfish after reports emerged that some areas where free masks were being given out courtesy of Temasek Foundation had run out by noon on Thursday (Aug 26), the very first day of distribution.
“Hello, kiasu Singapore!”, she wrote in a mid-day Facebook post.
Mdm Ho, chief executive officer of Temasek Holdings and the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, assured the public that there are enough supplies of the free masks and that the distribution will last for over a month.
She posted a link to an article from The Straits Times that said queues started more than an hour before the distribution was scheduled to start, so much so that safe distancing ambassadors were needed to remind them to not come too close together.
In her customary direct manner, Mdm Ho asked people not to come to collect their masks unless their birthdays fall on Friday, Saturday or Sunday (Aug 27 to 29).
This would, she added, make sure the lines would not be too long as well as ensure everyone’s safety, given that the pandemic is still ongoing.
She then suggested that people make it a “birthdate” to go and collect the free masks.
“Why not make it a birthdate treat to go collect on your birthday, on behalf on (sic) your household?
If you are born on 26 of whichever month, come down and collect today.
If you are born on 27 of whichever month, come down and collect tomorrow.
That way, we collectively help to manage the queue – each one make (sic) a simple decision to collect on the date of our birthdays.”
She explained that the masks could not be mailed to people as the three boxes of masks will not fit their letterboxes.
Mdm Ho also appealed to Singaporeans to “be kind to the counter staff.”
“No one, absolutely no one is entitled to lord it over anyone, much less the volunteers manning the distribution counters to help in the fight against Covid.
Any misbehaviours will be reported to the police, whether abusing counter staff or is misusing someone else’s SP bill number,” she added.
Temasek Foundation is giving each residential household medical grade surgical masks (50 pieces) and N95 masks (25 pieces) from Aug 26 to Sept 26.
There are more than 130 collection points for the masks all over Singapore.
“Visit stayprepared.sg/masks to find your nearest collection points and collection hours, as well as check prevailing stock levels before heading down. There is ample time for collection and plenty of stock, so there is no need to rush,” wrote the foundation in an Aug 24 Facebook post. /TISG
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