The Istana

President Halimah Hosted First Facebook Live Engagement At Virtual Deepavali Istana Open House

14 November 2020

President Halimah Yacob hosted the first virtual Deepavali Istana Open House (IOH) on Saturday, 14 November 2020. The virtual IOH was livestreamed on President Halimah’s Facebook.

The virtual event attracted more than 12,000 viewers. For the first time, Singaporeans were able to engage with President Halimah via Facebook Live on questions relating to the Istana. More than 90 visitors also took part in an online quiz contest about the Istana via Kahoot, a game-based learning platform.

To celebrate Deepavali, visitors were treated to an online festive dance performance by students from Admiralty Primary School and a song performance by local performing group, Team Fusion. Viewers were brought on a virtual ‘live’ guided tour of the Istana Main building. They visited the State Room, Reception Room and Banquet Hall – where State functions are held. Mock-ups of these State events were also presented during the tour. A virtual presentation by the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) also gave viewers an up-close look at the animals of WRS.

President Halimah said:

“I am delighted to join Singaporeans today at the virtual Deepavali Istana Open House (IOH). This is the third IOH we have hosted this year. I am glad that technology has allowed us to do so, even though COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging for us to hold physical IOHs. I hope that the virtual IOH will enable Singaporeans to learn more about the history of Istana, and encourage you to visit the Istana when the Open Houses resume next year.”

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

14 NOVEMBER 2020