Secretary-General of Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Dr Chee Soon Juan has invited a group of cardboard collectors to his café Orange & Teal to serve them lunch on Monday (23 Aug) in conjunction with National Day celebration.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Chee said that they were served Poulet Roti and pizza with ice lemon tea, along with chiffon cake for dessert.
“Just done serving lunch to our VIPs this afternoon. They were our cardboard collectors who came as guests at Orange & Teal. On the menu: Poulet Roti and pizza with ice lemon tea and chiffon cake for dessert,” he wrote.
“I hope that it was a welcome change for our guests as they dined in comfort, away from the sun on their backs and rain on the heads.”
Besides lunch, the guests were also given ang pows and packets of takeaway of basmati rice, chicken, and prawns as parting gift, said Dr Chee.
“In return, they left me a lifetime of memories and an experience I will not soon forget,” he added.
Along with Dr Chee, other members of SDP such as Prof Paul Tambyah, Alfred Tan, Bryan Lim, Gerald Sng, Matthew Tan, Tan Jee Say, and John Tan were also seen serving, chatting, and handing out gifts to the guests.
“This National Day – and hopefully many more to come – we elevate the vulnerable among us and provide them what many of us enjoy as a matter-of-course,” said Dr Chee.
He added that this is what being a people is all about, with everyone looking out for one another and having each other’s back.
Dr Chee concluded his post saying, “Thank you, aunties and uncles, it was an honour having you over. A shout out to the volunteers and my party mates for their help.”
In an earlier Facebook post on 13 August, Dr Chee revealed that Orange & Teal will open its doors for cardboard collectors and elderly poor this National Day.
“Rather than indulge in self-glorifying parades and making grandiloquent rally speeches, society should commemorate our independence by lifting up the poorest among us,” he wrote.
“For years, I’ve spoken up against a system that continues to pay scant attention to our weak and vulnerable. Well, now I have an opportunity to do something about it, albeit in a small way. I’m inviting them for lunch at our café.”
