12,000 people expected to attend Singapore Day in London
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 11 March 2009 1818 hrs

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SINGAPORE: The third Singapore Day will be celebrated in London’s palace grounds on April 25. And despite the economic downturn, organisers are not cutting back on the budget.

The previous Singapore Day in Melbourne attracted more than 11,000 people. And this year, organisers are expecting a turnout of 12,000 in London.

There are about 40,000 Singaporeans living in the UK, and some overseas Singaporeans from Croatia, Sweden, Czech Republic, and other parts of Europe have also signed up for the event, which will be held at Hampton Court Palace, a 45-minute train ride from central London.

The cost of the celebration is at least S$6 million, double that of last year's.

Director of the Overseas Singaporean Unit at the Prime Minister's Office, Quah Ley Hoon, said: "Even in the downturn, it is important that we continue our effort to engage overseas Singaporeans and connect them back home.

"We hope that through this day, they'll be able to get to play their part for the country, either (by volunteering their services) for the Youth Olympic Games or to the overseas Singaporean associations, who will also be there (at the event)."

There will also be performances by artistes such as the Dim Sum Dollies and Hossan Leong. Hosting the event is blogger Mr Brown, with film maker Eric Khoo as the show's creative director.

There will also be exhibitions on the latest developments in Singapore, such as the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, and something the boys are familiar with - National Service.

The Defence Ministry will showcase their soldier capabilities at the event.

Singapore Day is not just a government effort. More than 300 overseas Singaporeans have volunteered their time for the event and 28 corporate partners will also lend their support.

Despite the economic downturn, there are going to be 16 recruitment booths at Singapore Day, with a few thousand jobs on offer. The National Population Secretariat said that with the global recession, more Singaporeans overseas are enquiring about jobs back home.

More than 150,000 Singaporeans live overseas.

- CNA/yt