Singapore to sing anthem, recite pledge together on National Day

SINGAPORE — The three-day Golden Jubilee weekend will be peppered with more than 80 community activities each day in every corner of the island, culminating in Singaporeans coming together as one at 9am on Aug 9 to sing the national anthem and recite the pledge in unison.

From Aug 7 to 9, one million residents are expected to take part in the festivities, ranging from mass brisk-walks to fulfilling the wish lists of needy children in the community.

On National Day itself, the National Day Observance Ceremonies — which are usually held at different times across various constituencies — will be synchronised so that an estimated 500,000 Singaporeans can sing the national anthem and recite the pledge at the same time.  

More details about the various National Day celebrations within the community — which in previous years included dinners, block parties and carnivals — and the National Day Observance Ceremonies will be revealed at a later date.

“For the past month, we have been receiving requests from many organisations, clans and businesses asking us how to organise (National Day Observance Ceremonies),” said People’s Association (PA) chief executive director Ang Hak Seng at a media briefing today (June 19). “Since there is such strong demand from ground up, we said, ‘Why don’t we organise a synchronised one?’”

The Golden Jubilee weekend community celebrations include the residents of Radin Mas coming together to design and create tiles that represent some of the neighbourhood’s historical icons, which will then be displayed at the community garden beside Radin Mas Community Club. 

In Eunos, residents will come together to prepare and distribute food to the needy. In Kampong Glam, residents can design SG50 birthday cards on which they will pen their wishes for Singapore, and write commitments for “SG100”.

In Pasir Ris-Punggol, residents will be able to come together on Aug 9 and build SG100 artefacts out of Lego bricks. 

“Building the SG100 artefacts is a symbolic gesture that looks forward to what Singapore will look like in future,” said Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Zainal Sapari, in explaining the significance of the event. “Also, the use of multiple colours is to signify diversity.”

Moulmein-Kallang GRC MP Denise Phua, referring to the Kampong Glam celebrations, said she hoped the events will serve as “important reminders of our identity as a nation that overcomes tremendous challenges” as well as “a time to rejoice, reflect and recharge” for the next 50 years.

The PA is also planning to include additional items in the National Day SG Funpacks that will be given to every household, with said items based on the respective constituency residents’ feedback. For example, water-saving thimbles will be included to highlight Singapore’s past efforts in saving water, and the value of prudence.

Other residents wanted the state flag, and some will receive plant starter kits. The kits will symbolise the call to sow the seeds of growth to provide for future generations, as the pioneer generation did.  

“At the end of the day, we don’t want this SG Funpack to be just another goodie bag, but more importantly, we want this SG Funpack to capture who we are, what we stand for,” said Mr Ang.

Residents will receive a letter from their Grassroots Organisations before July 15 informing them how to collect their funpack. As for the various community celebrations, the public can visit the PA website (www.pa.gov.sg) for updates or check the notice boards in their neighbourhoods.

Paper cranes folded by residents will be strung together to form crane lanterns. Photo: Lynette Tan