Before disruption
Before disruption
Before disruption
No, we do not want to meet with Roy Ngerng. That was the response of parents of the special needs children who had taken part in the performance at Hong Lim Park on Saturday.
The event was its annual Proms@ the Park, a carnival-cum-charity for the less privileged organised by YMCA Singapore. It was attended by the elderly and disabled children, besides those with special needs.
The guest-of-honour was Minister of State Teo Ser Luck.
Mr Ngerng, along with Ms Han Hui Hui, held the fourth edition of their “Return Our CPF” protest on the same day as the YMCA event. It included a protest march which the two, along with a few hundred supporters, conducted. The march disrupted the charity event, with the protesters waving flags and shouting slogans as they paraded into the area where the charity event was being held.
Protesters also heckled at Mr Teo.
“I’ve consulted the parents and all of them are not in favour,” Madam Regina Aun said to the Straits Times.
She is the manager of Y Stars, the group of special needs children which was about to perform on stage when the protesters disrupted them.
“I’ve read his interpretation of the sequence of events on his blog,” Mdm Aun said, referring to Mr Ngerng’s blog post which he wrote after the event. “I don’t agree with some of his explanations.”
She said that the performance had to be re-started because the children were “shocked by the rowdy crowd” and had “faltered before the protesters left”.
In a blog post on Sunday, Mr Ngerng said he would write to the YMCA to ask to meet with the parents and apologise to them.
He admitted, “What we did could have caused the children stress.”
However, he also said, “YMCA might have been retooled for a political purpose at the protest, but there are good people at the YMCA.”
The YMCA has confirmed that it has received the email request from Mr Ngerng and says that it will consult the parents about the request.
On Monday, Mr Teo called on Mr Ngerng to apologise to the children.
“What you have done frightened these children,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “You spoilt the day for these children with special needs who were looking forward to an enjoyable outing! For sure you have to apologise and more!”
Ms Han, in the meantime, has made no offer of apology or request to meet with the children or their parents.
Proms@the Park is held every year at various parks in Singapore. In 2010, the event was also held at Hong Lim Park.

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