Elderly residents rush to Ci Yuan Community Club: Chaos over tickets for S$1 items
Singapore’s Ci Yuan Community Club (CC) witnessed an unexpected crowd surge on April 17, when elderly residents turned out in large numbers to buy tickets for S$1 items. The chaos occurred during the ticket sales for the event organised for the Mo Kio-Hougang S$1 Marketplace on April 27. Ci Yuan CC was offering essential items to residents for just S$1.
What happened during the incident?
On April 17, the ticket sale time at the Ci Yuan Community Club was scheduled from 11 am to 12 noon. But before the event could start, a crowd of elderly residents gathered in the reception area of the community club. Videos showed that staff were trying to disperse residents, and a police officer was using a megaphone to control the crowd.
An unforeseen incident further escalated the chaos. According to Ci Yuan CC’s statement, a queue-pole belt was accidentally removed by someone, causing the crowd to surge. The police had to intervene in this situation and the staff also got busy controlling the crowd.
Ci Yuan CC’s Response and Commitment
On April 18, the Ci Yuan Community Club released an official statement. They expressed regret for this chaotic situation and thanked the police who came timely to manage the situation. The club said, “The situation became chaotic due to the queue-pole belt being accidentally removed, and the crowd began to surge.”
Ci Yuan CC has promised to review its crowd management procedures, so that such incidents do not occur in future events.
Popularity of SG60 Campaign and S$1 Marketplace
This event was a part of the SG60 campaign, which was launched in March. The main goal of the campaign was to get local residents to participate in active community participation. Ang Mo Kio-Hougang S$1 Marketplace is a popular initiative, which offers essential items to residents for just S$1. The event especially grabbed the attention of the elderly community due to its affordable pricing.
This campaign promoted community engagement on one hand, but on the other hand highlighted some loopholes in crowd management that need to be improved in upcoming events.
Future Preparation and Crowd Control Measures
The Ci Yuan Community Club has said that it will review its crowd control and management systems. Implementing safety protocols and advanced crowd management measures to deal with the overwhelming response to the events has become a priority for the club.
This incident makes us understand that when senior citizens show high participation, managing events becomes even more challenging. But by learning from such incidents, organizations can focus on better planning and execution.
Conclusion
The Mo Kio-Hougang S$1 Marketplace event organised by Ci Yuan Community Club launched an affordable and impactful initiative for the community on one hand, but faced unexpected challenges due to crowd surge on the other. The overwhelming turnout of elderly residents led to the realisation that affordable pricing and community involvement require even stronger crowd management.
Ci Yuan CC, on its part, has promised to formulate a strong strategy to avoid such incidents in the future. The main goal of the SG60 campaign is to encourage active participation and such events can further strengthen community bonding.