Every Singaporean and PR household can now collect an NDP Funpack Singapore Together Pack if they wish to, from community centres/clubs (CCs) and residents' committee (RC) centres.
Residents must present their NRIC at the collection counter for verification and can do so between 10am to 6pm daily, except on public holidays. The packs will be available at all CCs from Jul 20 to Aug 2, and at all RCs from Jul 20 to Jul 26.
This year, the NDP Singapore Together Pack will contain:
- Handheld national flag
- Iron-on patches
- Pledge card
- Commemorative magnet
- Face tattoos
- Hand sanitisers
- Thermometer
- Face masks
- Snack
- Canned drink
- Red filter for phone torches
- E-discount booklet of vouchers
There will be 12 items in each pack, compared to 20 to 25 items in a typical NDP pack.
The NDP 2020 executive committee previously said that the pack would contain a full-sized national flag, but it will now be available only upon request at the collection centres.
Each bag will also feature one of 10 artworks done by artists with disabilities – in partnership with SG Enable – and 10 artworks from Primary 5 students who had participated in a competition held during the circuit breaker period. Here are some of the designs that local netizens have posted:
Previously in May the NDP 2020 executive committee announced that each household would receive a pack containing items that will allow them to interact with the parade and within their family.
There was some backlash and an online petition was started on Change.org to appeal to the committee for an option to opt out of receiving the pack, citing concerns about environmental wastage, and that resources that could be better spent addressing more urgent needs of the society due to Covid-19. Over 114,000 people have signed the online petition.
Responding to the concerns in Parliament, Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said that each pack will cost around $2.40 to produce, and the executive committee will only produce the packs for about 80 percent of households, taking into account those who said that they do not need a pack.
It seems like having the option to opt in or out of collecting the pack has bode well with citizens. Many said that this is much more accessible than in previous years, when packs were only given out to those attending the parade and the parade rehearsals.
Ms Esther Koh said a bag per family is the "perfect" way to go about distributing the NDP packs.
"It is usually quite unfair because only selected people get it and it's so difficult to bid for tickets. Now, I can get the bags without having to sit under the hot sun for the parade," the 62-year-old said.
"If people do not want it, they can choose not to collect it. I think it's a very nice gesture by the Government."