<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>NDP still the party of the year
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Cynics may see the parade as excessive, but for most people, it's a special, unique tradition </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jermyn Chow
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Silat performers on the floating platform at the end of the parade, beaming as brightly as the 'stars' they carry, while fireworks and a light display brightne up the sky behind them. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Starbursts of red and gold fireworks thrilled the thousands congregated at Marina Bay last night for the three-hour celebration of the country's 43rd birthday.
Young and old present, many decked out in red, swelled with national pride.
'Aug 9 symbolises our togetherness and national pride,' said Mr Chee Chern Ai, 23, a brokerage firm management trainee.
The cheers from the 150,000-strong crowd at the annual National Day Parade (NDP) - spectators, revellers and performers - affirmed Mr Chee's sentiments.
Yet, going by a Sunday Times straw poll, some others felt less joy, given the backdrop of current global uncertainties and economic concerns at home.
Mr Jeff Tan was one. He was at home watching TV but skipped the NDP telecast. 'It's a waste of money that can be put to better use,' the 55-year-old, who is unemployed, said of the multimillion-dollar party.
His concerns were shared by 26 of the 100 people polled on the continuing relevance of the NDP.
Like Mr Tan, this minority questioned if there was a real need for the pomp and pageantry just to instil a sense of national pride and patriotism.
The harshest critics among those polled dismissed the parade as propaganda. But at least they had a viewpoint. Some simply saw Aug 9 as just another public holiday.
The sceptics among them pointed out that securing tickets to the event was not even about patriotism. Self-employed Chew Piak Leng, 46, said there were Singaporeans who showed up at the parade grounds just to claim the free goodies-filled funpack.
Perhaps, as 1965 recedes further into the background, the question should be: How should Singapore celebrate its independence, and remember?
Then-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, on the eve of the first NDP in 1966 when he was leading a newly independent nation with a large migrant population, had rallied Singaporeans. On each Aug 9, he said, Singaporeans should 'dedicate ourselves anew to consolidate ourselves to survive'.
Despite the detractors, many have used the annual parade to do just that, and wear their patriotism on their (red) sleeves.
The event's popularity is undeniable: Nearly 400,000 vied for 54,000 tickets on offer this year for the preview and actual day's show.
Some, unlucky in the balloting, even forked out up to $200 on sites like eBay. And there will always be scalpers out to make a quick buck.
Interestingly, Singapore's foreign residents have consistently been wowed by the country's birthday bash through the years.
Frenchman Cedric Bigot, 29, managed to get a ticket through a Singaporean friend. He caught last week's preview and did little to hide how impressed he was.
'I have never seen such a well thought-out and organised show in which everyone can rally together with the common cause to entertain, party and gel the nation,' said the designer from Paris.
Such imperatives, said National University of Singapore geography professor Lily Kong, who has studied the parade's 43-year history, are what all countries require.
'All societies and nations require traditions to generate a sense of identity and belonging and those without will invent them,' she said.
For many a post-colonial country, the song and dance routines and military displays are simply an expression of national pride.
On the other end of the spectrum are older nations like the United States and Australia, where independence day has become a more casual affair. Even then, fireworks are invariably a must-have.
'The difference is more in degree than kind,' said Prof Kong, adding that countries with longer histories may not feel the need to assert their might so aggressively with military displays as they are self-assured in their identity.
Such parades also bring people together, and they can be particularly crucial in times of tragedy, said Madam Halimah Yacob, an MP for Jurong GRC. She cited the 2003 parade when Singapore was still gripped by the Sars outbreak.
'We lifted the spirits of Singaporeans and showed the world that we did not just mope around but could overcome all obstacles,' she said.
Dr Bernard Loo, a defence analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, saw yet another purpose to the parades.
The Herculean task of organising such large events showcased the planning prowess of the Singapore Armed Forces, he said.
'The organisers have to deal with so many people and external agencies and their ability to do so reflects the military's ability to mount any complex operation,' he said.
Every year, about 3,000 men from the army, navy and air force start knuckling down one year ahead to execute the NDP with military precision.
This year's NDP, involving 7,300 participants, is organised by the Guards Formation under the Chief Guards Officer, Brigadier-General Tung Yui Fai.
He brought together over 23 military sub-committees and 50 external agencies to pull off the parade and thrill the crowd, both on stage and in the stands.
The three-hour extravaganza has become increasingly activity-filled, including daredevil parachuting by the Red Lions, the Black Knights aerial display, and powerboats skimming across Marina Bay.
It has come a long way since the 1960s and 1970s, when military displays took precedence, and when other items were largely grassroots-managed.
But that evolution into a more sophisticated show has been necessary since Singaporeans, too, have become more sophisticated, Prof Kong argued.
These days, they want a grander and glitzier show. Correspondingly, the call to take pride in the nation has become more subtle.
Each year then, the nation will showcase how it has progressed. This year's show, for instance, captures Singapore's rise on the global stage and how it is on the lookout for new opportunities.
'It's a time to celebrate and remind ourselves how well we have done since independence and how far we want to go,' said Mr Michael Palmer, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs.
The bottom line: Even as some detractors deem it excessive, a great number of Singaporeans view the parade as a 'must do' each Aug 9, whether it's down at Marina Bay, at home, or even somewhere overseas.
Driving instructor Soh Aik Meng, 57, said his family gathers to watch it on TV. 'My parents, my children, my wife and I would watch the parade while we eat dinner. It's like a family tradition.'
Technician Rajandran Singh, 55, said he makes it a point to catch it every year. 'I feel like it's the only time Singaporeans would stand together and sing the National Day songs.'
For parade performer Liang Shi Ling, 22, the sense of support and solidarity she felt coming from those cheering her on as she twirled her flags made the '100 hours of rehearsals and sprained ankles' worthwhile.
And as the lights went down on this year's revue last night, many a Singaporean certainly felt the Singapore spirit, like Ngee Ann Polytechnic student Geraldine Lim, 18, who caught the parade in the stands.
'There is no other event or show that gets all Singaporeans to stand up, wave their flags and sing so proudly together as one,' she said.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Daryl Tan, Arif Rahman and Tan Weizhao Do you actively try to get tickets for the NDP each year? Visit straitstimes.com to tell us.
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Cynics may see the parade as excessive, but for most people, it's a special, unique tradition </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jermyn Chow
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Silat performers on the floating platform at the end of the parade, beaming as brightly as the 'stars' they carry, while fireworks and a light display brightne up the sky behind them. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Starbursts of red and gold fireworks thrilled the thousands congregated at Marina Bay last night for the three-hour celebration of the country's 43rd birthday.
Young and old present, many decked out in red, swelled with national pride.
'Aug 9 symbolises our togetherness and national pride,' said Mr Chee Chern Ai, 23, a brokerage firm management trainee.
The cheers from the 150,000-strong crowd at the annual National Day Parade (NDP) - spectators, revellers and performers - affirmed Mr Chee's sentiments.
Yet, going by a Sunday Times straw poll, some others felt less joy, given the backdrop of current global uncertainties and economic concerns at home.
Mr Jeff Tan was one. He was at home watching TV but skipped the NDP telecast. 'It's a waste of money that can be put to better use,' the 55-year-old, who is unemployed, said of the multimillion-dollar party.
His concerns were shared by 26 of the 100 people polled on the continuing relevance of the NDP.
Like Mr Tan, this minority questioned if there was a real need for the pomp and pageantry just to instil a sense of national pride and patriotism.
The harshest critics among those polled dismissed the parade as propaganda. But at least they had a viewpoint. Some simply saw Aug 9 as just another public holiday.
The sceptics among them pointed out that securing tickets to the event was not even about patriotism. Self-employed Chew Piak Leng, 46, said there were Singaporeans who showed up at the parade grounds just to claim the free goodies-filled funpack.
Perhaps, as 1965 recedes further into the background, the question should be: How should Singapore celebrate its independence, and remember?
Then-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, on the eve of the first NDP in 1966 when he was leading a newly independent nation with a large migrant population, had rallied Singaporeans. On each Aug 9, he said, Singaporeans should 'dedicate ourselves anew to consolidate ourselves to survive'.
Despite the detractors, many have used the annual parade to do just that, and wear their patriotism on their (red) sleeves.
The event's popularity is undeniable: Nearly 400,000 vied for 54,000 tickets on offer this year for the preview and actual day's show.
Some, unlucky in the balloting, even forked out up to $200 on sites like eBay. And there will always be scalpers out to make a quick buck.
Interestingly, Singapore's foreign residents have consistently been wowed by the country's birthday bash through the years.
Frenchman Cedric Bigot, 29, managed to get a ticket through a Singaporean friend. He caught last week's preview and did little to hide how impressed he was.
'I have never seen such a well thought-out and organised show in which everyone can rally together with the common cause to entertain, party and gel the nation,' said the designer from Paris.
Such imperatives, said National University of Singapore geography professor Lily Kong, who has studied the parade's 43-year history, are what all countries require.
'All societies and nations require traditions to generate a sense of identity and belonging and those without will invent them,' she said.
For many a post-colonial country, the song and dance routines and military displays are simply an expression of national pride.
On the other end of the spectrum are older nations like the United States and Australia, where independence day has become a more casual affair. Even then, fireworks are invariably a must-have.
'The difference is more in degree than kind,' said Prof Kong, adding that countries with longer histories may not feel the need to assert their might so aggressively with military displays as they are self-assured in their identity.
Such parades also bring people together, and they can be particularly crucial in times of tragedy, said Madam Halimah Yacob, an MP for Jurong GRC. She cited the 2003 parade when Singapore was still gripped by the Sars outbreak.
'We lifted the spirits of Singaporeans and showed the world that we did not just mope around but could overcome all obstacles,' she said.
Dr Bernard Loo, a defence analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, saw yet another purpose to the parades.
The Herculean task of organising such large events showcased the planning prowess of the Singapore Armed Forces, he said.
'The organisers have to deal with so many people and external agencies and their ability to do so reflects the military's ability to mount any complex operation,' he said.
Every year, about 3,000 men from the army, navy and air force start knuckling down one year ahead to execute the NDP with military precision.
This year's NDP, involving 7,300 participants, is organised by the Guards Formation under the Chief Guards Officer, Brigadier-General Tung Yui Fai.
He brought together over 23 military sub-committees and 50 external agencies to pull off the parade and thrill the crowd, both on stage and in the stands.
The three-hour extravaganza has become increasingly activity-filled, including daredevil parachuting by the Red Lions, the Black Knights aerial display, and powerboats skimming across Marina Bay.
It has come a long way since the 1960s and 1970s, when military displays took precedence, and when other items were largely grassroots-managed.
But that evolution into a more sophisticated show has been necessary since Singaporeans, too, have become more sophisticated, Prof Kong argued.
These days, they want a grander and glitzier show. Correspondingly, the call to take pride in the nation has become more subtle.
Each year then, the nation will showcase how it has progressed. This year's show, for instance, captures Singapore's rise on the global stage and how it is on the lookout for new opportunities.
'It's a time to celebrate and remind ourselves how well we have done since independence and how far we want to go,' said Mr Michael Palmer, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs.
The bottom line: Even as some detractors deem it excessive, a great number of Singaporeans view the parade as a 'must do' each Aug 9, whether it's down at Marina Bay, at home, or even somewhere overseas.
Driving instructor Soh Aik Meng, 57, said his family gathers to watch it on TV. 'My parents, my children, my wife and I would watch the parade while we eat dinner. It's like a family tradition.'
Technician Rajandran Singh, 55, said he makes it a point to catch it every year. 'I feel like it's the only time Singaporeans would stand together and sing the National Day songs.'
For parade performer Liang Shi Ling, 22, the sense of support and solidarity she felt coming from those cheering her on as she twirled her flags made the '100 hours of rehearsals and sprained ankles' worthwhile.
And as the lights went down on this year's revue last night, many a Singaporean certainly felt the Singapore spirit, like Ngee Ann Polytechnic student Geraldine Lim, 18, who caught the parade in the stands.
'There is no other event or show that gets all Singaporeans to stand up, wave their flags and sing so proudly together as one,' she said.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Daryl Tan, Arif Rahman and Tan Weizhao Do you actively try to get tickets for the NDP each year? Visit straitstimes.com to tell us.
