<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4></TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>18808.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>MS CINDY TAN: 'My late grandfather and my father were patriotic. I was not. If not for my sickly mother, my husband and I would have chosen to live at a more leisurely pace in Australia. Our attitude changed this year when I saw my son, aged 21/2, dressed in red and white overalls for his playschool's National Day party and waving the Singapore flag excitedly. So the rest of the family, including our maid, decided to wear red overalls too.
In the past, I had regarded Singapore as my homeland, but I did not feel a sense of belonging because of the hectic pace of life. But as a mother, I realised how stable and secure Singapore is: no riots, no chaos, no racial discrimination, no natural disasters, no corruption.
This year, everyone in our family tuned in to the National Day Parade, which was the best ever. Mr Ivan Heng did an excellent job creating an artistic parade. The speeches by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong struck a chord in me. Never had I felt such pride to be Singaporean and I am grateful to be one. As my son joined us in taking the Pledge, I finally felt: This is where we belong.'
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Kojakbt: 'My late grandfather and my father were not so patriotic. I was very patriotic myself. Despite being encouraged by my relatives to emigrate to Australia, I continued to stay in Singapore as I had always considered Singapore home. My attitude changed this year when I saw my nephew, aged 21/2, dressed in red and white overalls for his playschool's National Day party and waving the Singapore flag excitedly. So the rest of the family, including our maid, decided to wear red overalls too. I felt silly dressing up like a sisi.
In the past, I had always regarded Singapore as my homeland and felt a strong sense of belonging despite the hectic pace of life. But now, I realised how openly corrupted the PAP Govt has become, paying themselves millions of dollars while many Singaporeans are still looking for jobs. The rich and poor divide has become the widest since Singapore's independence. Foreigners are everywhere crowding our buses and MRTs. Our infrastructure is bursting at the seams with the increase loads of foreigners. Unhappy citizens are now fire bombing our PAP MPs. Singaporeans are increasingly being discriminated in their own country in favour of "foreign talents". It is no wonder that more Singaporeans are jumping MRT tracks these days.
This year, everyone in our family tuned in to the National Day Parade, which was no different from before. Mr Ivan Heng did an excellent job creating a sparstic parade. The speeches by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong struck a chord in foreigners but certainly not me. Never had I felt such a shame to be Singaporean and a second class citizen in my own country. The foreigners who do not need to serve an NS must be very grateful to our PAP Govt. As I watched foreigners joining Singaporeans in taking the Pledge on TV, I finally asked: Is this still my country?'
In the past, I had regarded Singapore as my homeland, but I did not feel a sense of belonging because of the hectic pace of life. But as a mother, I realised how stable and secure Singapore is: no riots, no chaos, no racial discrimination, no natural disasters, no corruption.
This year, everyone in our family tuned in to the National Day Parade, which was the best ever. Mr Ivan Heng did an excellent job creating an artistic parade. The speeches by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong struck a chord in me. Never had I felt such pride to be Singaporean and I am grateful to be one. As my son joined us in taking the Pledge, I finally felt: This is where we belong.'
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Kojakbt: 'My late grandfather and my father were not so patriotic. I was very patriotic myself. Despite being encouraged by my relatives to emigrate to Australia, I continued to stay in Singapore as I had always considered Singapore home. My attitude changed this year when I saw my nephew, aged 21/2, dressed in red and white overalls for his playschool's National Day party and waving the Singapore flag excitedly. So the rest of the family, including our maid, decided to wear red overalls too. I felt silly dressing up like a sisi.
In the past, I had always regarded Singapore as my homeland and felt a strong sense of belonging despite the hectic pace of life. But now, I realised how openly corrupted the PAP Govt has become, paying themselves millions of dollars while many Singaporeans are still looking for jobs. The rich and poor divide has become the widest since Singapore's independence. Foreigners are everywhere crowding our buses and MRTs. Our infrastructure is bursting at the seams with the increase loads of foreigners. Unhappy citizens are now fire bombing our PAP MPs. Singaporeans are increasingly being discriminated in their own country in favour of "foreign talents". It is no wonder that more Singaporeans are jumping MRT tracks these days.
This year, everyone in our family tuned in to the National Day Parade, which was no different from before. Mr Ivan Heng did an excellent job creating a sparstic parade. The speeches by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong struck a chord in foreigners but certainly not me. Never had I felt such a shame to be Singaporean and a second class citizen in my own country. The foreigners who do not need to serve an NS must be very grateful to our PAP Govt. As I watched foreigners joining Singaporeans in taking the Pledge on TV, I finally asked: Is this still my country?'
