The “BTO queue number” moment refers to a viral incident at Singapore’s National Day Parade (NDP) 2022, when content creator Nicole Liel was interviewed live and enthusiastically expressed gratitude to the Housing & Development Board (HDB) for giving her a “BTO queue number,” followed by a mention of “Ya Kun kaya toast.” The moment became widely shared on social media and was recognized as one of the memorable highlights of NDP 2022.
At NDP 2022, during the host-audience segment, the parade emcee asked members of the crowd what they were grateful for. When given the microphone, Nicole Liel, dressed in red to support the parade’s theme, responded that she was “very grateful to HDB for giving me a BTO queue number” and added “and Ya Kun kaya toast.”
Liel later revealed in interviews that she and her partner had unsuccessfully applied for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats multiple times before finally obtaining a queue number. She described the response as spontaneous, explaining that a broadcast crew had approached her at the event and informed her she might appear on television only minutes before she was asked to speak.
Videos of the moment circulated rapidly online. On TikTok especially, the “BTO queue number + Ya Kun” line became a meme and even a kind of badge of shared youth‑housing struggle. The wave of shares and laughs solidified the moment as a trending “feel‑Singaporean” clip.
Press outlets identified the moment as one of the standout segments of NDP 2022, and it was frequently included in lists of memorable moments from the parade.
On 10 August 2022, the day after the National Day Parade, Ya Kun Kaya Toast contacted Liel to thank her for the publicity. In a TikTok video, Liel revealed that Ya Kun offered her 57 free cups of kopi or teh. Liel expressed appreciation but requested that the gift include their signature Set A meal, which consists of kaya toast with butter and a drink. She also requested that Ya Kun provide 57 of these Set A meals to her followers.
By the afternoon of the same day, Liel shared on Instagram that Ya Kun had agreed to her request. She subsequently distributed promo codes for the 57 Set A meals in batches to her followers via her Instagram Story.
Following the attention from her NDP appearance, Liel shared details about her BTO application journey, including the number of times she had applied, compromises made during the process such as relinquishing top-floor preferences, and financial challenges including a credit card limit issue that nearly affected the downpayment process.
