Hari Raya Istana Open House

President Halimah Yacob celebrates Hari Raya at the Istana with underprivileged children and youths

Singapore – To celebrate Hari Raya, the Istana Grounds will be open to the public on Friday, 15 June 2018 from 8.30am to 6.00pm. This is President Halimah Yacob’s first Hari Raya celebration as President, and she has invited underprivileged children and youths, as well as their caregivers, to the Istana to join in the festivities.

The children, aged between 7 and 18 years old, come from various social service organisations, including Boys’ Town and Muhammadiyah Welfare Home. They will be joined by the home representatives and their families. In addition to the visit of the Istana grounds, the children will be hosted to a magic show and tea at the West Drawing Room in the Istana, as well as meet with President Halimah and Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee.

"Hari Raya is a time for celebration, reflection and spending time with our families. It is also a time for us to practise generosity to those around us, so amidst the festivities, let us also not forget those who may be less fortunate within our community. I am happy that some children and youths from various social service organisations, some of whom I have met during my community visits, are able to join me at the Istana Open House today," said President Halimah.

Programme Highlights

Visitors can look forward to an array of activities planned. These include music performances by People’s Association, St Hilda’s Secondary School and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent). Visitors will also be able to catch a Malay Dance performance by Woodlands Secondary School.

The PC memorabilia series will be available to visitors who make a donation to President’s Challenge during the Istana Open Houses. The series includes leather key chains, luggage tags, notebooks, bookmarks, and magnets.

Other highlights of the day include a display of birds by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, a balloon sculpturing booth by SingTel, and a henna painting booth by Cognizant. Visitors can also look forward to a games booth that features long-time favourite carnival games such as the ring loop, tic tac toe, and archery. The programme line-up can be found in Annex A.

Exhibitions and Tours

Members of the public can sign up for the Nature Guided Walk at the Istana, a collaboration between the President’s Office and the National Parks Board (NParks) which showcases the Istana’s flora, fauna and biodiversity. Visitors can also take a guided tour of the Istana main building led by volunteers from the Preservation of Sites and Monuments division of the National Heritage Board and view some of the function rooms and a display of State Gifts presented by foreign dignitaries.

The Istana Heritage Gallery (IHG) at the Istana Park (located opposite the main gate of the Istana along Orchard Road) will also be open from 10am to 6pm. At the IHG, visitors can learn more about Singapore’s history and heritage. For a self-guided interactive tour of the IHG and the Istana Park, visitors can download the LocoMole mobile application to embark on the Istana Mobile Educational Trails and gain more insights to the heritage, flora and fauna of the Istana, as well as the lives of our past Presidents.

Admission Details

Entry to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents. All others visitors are required to pay an entrance fee of $2 per person. Entry to the Istana grounds is via the main gate at Orchard Road. The nearest MRT station is Dhoby Ghaut.

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

8 June 2018