Ground-up ideas wanted for Singapore’s 50th birthday

SINGAPORE — Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Republic’s independence next year will kick off next month with a garden party at the Istana to pay tribute to the pioneer generation.

More details will be announced later on the event, which will usher in a series of celebratory projects led by citizens themselves — on top of grander occasions to mark the milestone such as next year’s National Day Parade and the Southeast Asian Games, which the Republic will be hosting.

In order to truly celebrate as one people — as Education Minister Heng Swee Keat put it yesterday — the SG50 steering committee headed by Mr Heng will be collecting ideas for Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations over the next two months.

Singaporeans can share their suggestions at http://www.Singapore50.sg. Collection boxes have also been set up at all community centres, public libraries and museums.

For ideas that need funding, an SG50 Celebration Fund Evaluation Panel will look into this, and provide up to S$50,000 or 90 per cent of the costs.

“We are looking for ideas that will inspire a sense of community or belonging to Singapore, and that will encourage Singaporeans to celebrate as one people,” said Mr Heng at an event to launch the SG50 logo and announce the call for ideas. “We would love to see Singaporeans take ownership of SG50 and organise your own celebrations and activities of all kinds.”

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong, who chairs the SG50 Programme Office, also urged the public to contribute ideas, in order to create a celebration owned by Singaporeans.

Schools will be given resource kits to encourage children to contribute ideas, for example, while the steering committee will work with the People’s Association to reach out — via the latter’s events — to the elderly for suggestions.

To apply for funding, at least one of the applicants in each group or organisation must be Singaporean.

The 12-member panel, which includes representatives from the people and private sectors, will evaluate the ideas based on considerations such as the ability to raise awareness of Singapore’s identity, the level of community engagement and whether they can be executed successfully.

Application forms, which can be downloaded from the Singapore50 website, requires applicants to state the details of projected expenditure, timeline of targeted events and relevant experience, among other things.

Mr Heng said the committee has received some proposals, such as an online platform for stories from individuals and families, as suggested by digital storyteller Angeline Koh.

Radio DJ William Xavier has proposed working with Singaporean musicians and songwriters to compose next year’s National Day songs.

Playwright Jonathan Lim pitched the idea of a round-island adventure game to help Singaporeans better understand the country’s history.

Sharing more about his idea, Mr Lim, who was at yesterday’s event, said he intends to design a mobile game where players will need to gather clues at places such as Fort Canning Park.

In August last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the setting up of the SG50 steering committee. Besides Mr Heng, the 29-member committee includes political officeholders such as Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob and Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing, as well as filmmaker Royston Tan and 77th Street founder Elim Chew.

Mr Heng reiterated that while the Golden Jubilee is an occasion to commemorate Singapore’s successes in overcoming various challenges, it is also an opportunity to look ahead to the next 50 years. “I hope that all Singaporeans will celebrate not just all that makes us one people today ... but also celebrate and build on the shared aspirations and common future that will keep us one people tomorrow,” he said.

The theme of an inclusive celebration extends to the SG50 logo, which can be customised to “reflect what each of us finds lovable and worth celebrating about life in Singapore”, Mr Heng said.

Since Jan 8, variations of the logo to depict facets of life here have appeared at bus stops, train stations, coffee shops and schools as part of a teaser campaign.