As a nation celebrates its bicentennial, it’s the ordinary S’poreans’ stories that shine

SINGAPORE — As the 27,000-strong crowd at the Padang finished singing the National Day classic, Home, Ms Loi Zhi Wei could not hold back her tears. 

“It’s a very familiar song that I grew up with,” said Ms Loi, 42, who was at the National Day Parade (NDP) on Friday (Aug 9) for the first time with her husband and three children.

Speaking to TODAY after the parade — which marked not only Singapore’s 54th birthday, but also its bicentennial year — Ms Loi said: “I felt very proud during the parade and I feel that our country can achieve more if we work together.”

Ms Loi’s sentiments were echoed by many spectators on Friday, who said they were inspired by the stories told by fellow Singaporeans who were featured in a special video segment — one of the parade’s highlights — about how they had overcome odds in their lives.

Read also

• Highlights from Singapore's 54th birthday bash at the Padang

Ms Linda Maarof, 46, who was also watching the parade for the first time, said she was particularly inspired by local rapper Danial Bawthan’s story. Mr Bawthan — who goes by the stage name Wheel Smith — suffers from muscular dystrophy and is wheelchair-bound, but that did not stop him conquering his fears and pursuing his passion for music.

Other attendees, such as Mr Tan Kim Hock, 82, were there for sentimental reasons.

“You know, I used to be part of the parade too,” said the spry man, who was part of a non-uniformed contingent in 1968. “This was a long time ago when Lee Hsien Loong was still in school.”

“I remember it. It was raining so heavily here at the Padang in 1968. But still, we marched on.”

Also marching on in Friday’s parade were 39 Merdeka Generation servicemen who received a standing ovation from the crowd as they pulled up, waving, in tanks at the tail end of the 171-strong mobile column.

Stretching an impressive 1.3km, the parade’s mobile column had some new additions, too — three of the Singapore Armed Forces’ Hunter armoured fighting vehicles (the Republic’s first fully digital military vehicle) and the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s surface-to-air Aster-30 Missile System.

Another new segment, “Our Bicentennial”, featured eight floats representing organisations such as Tanjong Pagar Dock Company, an early port operator, Singapore Post Office and Singapore General Hospital.

There were, of course, traditional crowd favourites, including the SAF’s Red Lions who free-fell from a height of about 3,000m. 

The commandos leapt off from a hovering helicopter, and left a trail of red and white smoke as they landed on the Padang grounds effortlessly.

There was also the much-anticipated aerial display, beginning with the traditional state flag flypast — a Chinook helicopter carrying the Singapore flag, supported by two escorting Apache helicopters.

This was followed by five F-15SG fighter aircraft that shot through the sky in a bomb-burst formation.

An A330 Tanker Transport aircraft, with a 60m-wingspan, also made its parade debut.

Some spectators told TODAY that they had queued up at the Padang as early as 1pm, with the first of them streaming in just after 3.30pm.

Ms Agnes Shew and her 12-year-old niece Nicole Kate Lee were one of the first to enter.

“This is my first time attending the parade on the actual day,” said Ms Shew, a manager in her 40s. The pair were so excited that they said they decided to queue early.

Also attending the parade for the first time was Ms Marie Law, 39, and her 83-year-old father, Law Kim Len.

“I brought him because he has never experienced such an activity before, and I just want him to experience it,” said Ms Law. “He retired two years ago so I felt it was good for him to feel the vibe by being present at the actual event.”

Mr Law said: “I wanted to see all the Singaporeans full of passion, respect, and love for the country.”

This year’s parade was also graced by leaders from Singapore’s neighbours — Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, dressed in a red jacket over a white shirt, and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad — and their respective spouses. 

The last time foreign dignitaries attended the NDP was in 2015, during the SG50 celebrations.

As the sun went down, spectators were given LED wristbands, which bathed the stands in a hue of colours.

And when it came to the singalong segment, they did not hold back, belting along enthusiastically to classic songs such as Stand Up For Singapore and this year’s theme song, Our Singapore.

Then, local rock legend Ramli Sarip delivered a rousing rendition of Majulah Singapura.

While Mr Ramli’s version of the national anthem had met with mixed reviews after Defence Minister Ng Eng Heng posted a video of it on his Facebook page on August 1, the crowd at the Padang appeared all but enthralled by his gravelly voice, standing in rapt attention as he crooned. And, as the show came to a close, spectators were wowed by several minutes of fireworks which drenched the sky in a rainbow of colours.

Read also

• Highlights from Singapore's 54th birthday bash at the Padang