The visit to the Istana yesterday was quite an eye-opening. My reporting station was at the Environment Building along Scotts Road and I was to report there between 4pm and 5pm. I reached the place at around 4.40pm.
Once I reached there, I had to queue up at the registration counter to verify my identification and obtain a security pass to enter the Istana. After I got my pass, I needed to join another queue for the security check. We were like entering the airport security checkpoint as we needed to declare all metal objects and any form of liquid that we carried. That was quite a long queue but the police officers were quite efficient and I was cleared within fifteen minutes. I then boarded a mini-bus and I was on my way to the Istana. The journey was pretty smooth and short. I entered the Istana through another gate - not the one I expected. I thought I would enter the Istana through the main gate next to Plaza Singapura. That's along Orchard Road if you do not know.
There was a number of trees in the Istana compound. There was also a good view of the city skyscrapers within the compound. It was unfortunate that no photography was allowed in the Istana, so I did not manage to take any picture. The Garden in the Istana was round in shape and was quite big. There were a few huge tents set up within the Garden to house the buffet tables. There was a big spread of buffet in the tents and some high tables around the Garden. Most of the guests at the Garden were grouped according to their respective forces. I was surprised to meet one of my old classmates from my primary and secondary schools. He was Martin, an officer in the Navy before he left the service. We had a good chat and ate good food at the Garden Reception.
The President arrived shortly after the arrival of a few ministers and senior officers. The minister who came to our tent first was Mr Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Education. He was friendly and he mingled with the guests at the tent. He shook hands and chatted with them. A few minutes later, he was ushered to the other tents by his accompanying officers. Another minister then came to the tent. The last person to come was the President himself. When he arrived, many guests swarmed towards him to shake hands with him. I was holding on to my BIG plate of food so I did not manage to shake hands with him. The plate was really heavy as it was made of porcelain. The food was definitely wonderful and I ate to my fill.
About an hour later, it was time for the President to take his leave. The National Anthem was played before he left. Shortly after he left, it was our turn to leave the Istana. An announcement was made for the guests to board the bus at the drop-off points. This time, we took the large buses from SBS and SMRT. The bus I took left the Istana through the main gate along Orchard Road. We were dropped off at the bus-stop opposite Newton MRT Station, which was near the Environment Building.
