I was the co-organiser of the barbecue at my constituency, held in conjunction with the Australian High Commission (AHC) on Sunday ("Poor ticketing mars Aussie barbecue" by Mr Marc Lim Swee Keat; Wednesday, and "Event ticketing: PA replies"; yesterday).

The event, entitled SG50 BBQ Musical Night, was held in Telok Blangah Rise and attracted more than 300 residents, including people residing in other constituencies.

The event was ticketed, as the amount of food provided by the Australian High Commission was limited to 200 portions.

In order to ensure that residents were not denied the opportunity to enjoy themselves, my committee had arranged for an additional buffet spread.

The event was also publicised in the constituency Facebook page, posters and banners.

Given the short period of planning leading to the event, and to ensure that the food was not wasted, tickets were printed and distributed to the lower-income groups in the constituency; the public could also get tickets at our community club.

Preparing for and executing the event was not easy, but we were fortunate to have had help from the AHC and Australian telco Telstra.

I urge my fellow grassroots leaders who helped in organising the event at the 20 locations islandwide not to be disheartened by negative feedback on the event.

I thank all of them for their hard work in forging close ties between the Australian and Singapore communities.

Alex Wong
Chairman
Mount Faber Zone C Residents' Committee