Student volunteer claims Padang was left full of litter, broken chairs and stench after spectators left NDP

SINGAPORE: A young Singaporean who had volunteered at this year’s National Day Parade wrote over social media that they received a “rude shock” after the parade ended, adding that they were “disappointed with the spectators at the padang.”

In an Aug 10 post on r/SingaporeRaw, the student wrote that not only was there “visible litter everywhere,” there were also broken chairs and “an awful stench on the stairs.”

To prove their point, they posted photos from the aftermath of the NDP showing many plastic bags strewn about, other types of trash, and chairs that no longer snapped back to their folded position when not in use.

The young volunteer added that since they did not personally pick up the litter the public left behind, they did not want “to stand on a moral high ground.” Nevertheless, they added that “surely we all can do better.”

The post has since received many comments, with numerous Reddit users expressing the same sentiments as the post author, saying they were disappointed by how the NDP spectators behaved.

One commenter wrote rather pessimistically that what the volunteer witnessed “is the true Singapore spirit. Not that curated performance you saw on the stage.”

Another quoted diplomat and professor Tommy Koh, who famously lamented in 2019 that “Singapore is a First World country with Third World citizens.”

“Thanks for showing the true ugly side of sinkies! No Japanese culture here to clean up after themselves and for others unlike all the wayang fake virtue signaling stuff that people repost for likes and followers on socials,” one pointed out.

Japanese spectators are well-known for cleaning up without being asked after sporting events are finished, whether they win or lose. This has won the admiration of many people across the globe.

The example that Japanese fans set during the 2022 World Cup is said to have sparked a worldwide trend of spectators cleaning after events, but maybe Singaporeans didn’t quite get the memo.

One Reddit user said they were sorry the young  volunteer was disappointed, but added that many in Singapore don’t appear to care about the mess they leave behind.

“Even with the possibility of a fine, there will still be cutlery left behind on the table at the hawker centre. This, is how stubborn these people are about leaving behind their mess as it is their right,” they wrote.

A commenter, however, who said that they had been present during this year’s NDP, commended all the volunteers, saying they had done a good job.

/TISG

Read also: Foreign family shows appreciation to Singapore by picking up litter on National Day