8.22pm this Sunday is Pledge Moment
More than 700 establishments will take part in recital
By Jermyn Chow & Grace Chua
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COMMUTERS, shoppers - even diners - will pause for a moment when the chime is sounded at 8.22pm this Sunday.
The signal - to be sounded over the national public warning system - will rally Singaporeans islandwide to say the National Pledge. This 'Pledge Moment' has attracted more than 700 establishments to take part.
The Coffee Connoisseur (TCC) cafe employee Abdul Kadil, 21, is planning to drop everything. He said: 'I'll do it because I'm very proud to be Singaporean.'
Volunteers for the 30-second initiative include at least nine food and beverage chains, 37 shopping malls, and transport operators, with more expected to sign up.
And as the finale of the National Day Parade (NDP) plays out at the floating platform at Marina Bay, SMRT will even stop its train services and allow commuters and staff to observe the moment.
Eight of CapitaLand Retail's 15 malls will be taking part. Some will screen the parade and Pledge while others, like Junction 8, are hosting various activities over the National Day weekend.
Its spokesman said: 'We just want to do our part for the nation. The public will come to our malls, and it's a good opportunity to rally all Singaporeans.'
More than 12,000 people gathered at NDP parties across eight heartland areas, including Pasir Ris-Punggol, Toa Payoh and Woodlands, will join the 150,000 people at the Marina Bay in the Pledge Moment.
Rousing the crowd ahead of the Aug 9 party will be 100 volunteers from non-profit group Heartware Network. These 'flash mobs' descended on shopping centres in Tampines yesterday, and will keep up the momentum at Vivocity today.
Efforts too have been made overseas to galvanise the Singaporean diaspora.
Many based in at least 12 countries are planning to take part in the Pledge Moment.
Some citizens based as far away as Afghanistan and Monterey, California, are planning to wake from sleep to say it. Others are based in time zones closer to home, like Hong Kong and Beijing in China, Myanmar and Australia.
More people are likely to commit to the Pledge Moment in the next two days, but organisers say the objective is not to break any record.
'We just want people to be part of this historic moment, when they can reflect on the Pledge and mean what they say,' said NDP's celebrations chairman Colonel Ang Heng.
Organisers said their initiative has been warmly received, with most operators of malls and F&B outlets even suggesting ways to observe the moment.
NDP's executive committee chairman, Brigadier-General Tan Chuan-Jin, said that in taking the Pledge this way, those who cannot be at the Marina Bay parade still 'can be part of the whole NDP experience'.
The pause may even convince the reluctant among us to join in. Mr Mark Tay, 29, says: 'If I were walking around a shopping centre and everyone was saying the Pledge, I might observe the moment too.'
More than 700 establishments will take part in recital
By Jermyn Chow & Grace Chua
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COMMUTERS, shoppers - even diners - will pause for a moment when the chime is sounded at 8.22pm this Sunday.
The signal - to be sounded over the national public warning system - will rally Singaporeans islandwide to say the National Pledge. This 'Pledge Moment' has attracted more than 700 establishments to take part.
The Coffee Connoisseur (TCC) cafe employee Abdul Kadil, 21, is planning to drop everything. He said: 'I'll do it because I'm very proud to be Singaporean.'
Volunteers for the 30-second initiative include at least nine food and beverage chains, 37 shopping malls, and transport operators, with more expected to sign up.
And as the finale of the National Day Parade (NDP) plays out at the floating platform at Marina Bay, SMRT will even stop its train services and allow commuters and staff to observe the moment.
Eight of CapitaLand Retail's 15 malls will be taking part. Some will screen the parade and Pledge while others, like Junction 8, are hosting various activities over the National Day weekend.
Its spokesman said: 'We just want to do our part for the nation. The public will come to our malls, and it's a good opportunity to rally all Singaporeans.'
More than 12,000 people gathered at NDP parties across eight heartland areas, including Pasir Ris-Punggol, Toa Payoh and Woodlands, will join the 150,000 people at the Marina Bay in the Pledge Moment.
Rousing the crowd ahead of the Aug 9 party will be 100 volunteers from non-profit group Heartware Network. These 'flash mobs' descended on shopping centres in Tampines yesterday, and will keep up the momentum at Vivocity today.
Efforts too have been made overseas to galvanise the Singaporean diaspora.
Many based in at least 12 countries are planning to take part in the Pledge Moment.
Some citizens based as far away as Afghanistan and Monterey, California, are planning to wake from sleep to say it. Others are based in time zones closer to home, like Hong Kong and Beijing in China, Myanmar and Australia.
More people are likely to commit to the Pledge Moment in the next two days, but organisers say the objective is not to break any record.
'We just want people to be part of this historic moment, when they can reflect on the Pledge and mean what they say,' said NDP's celebrations chairman Colonel Ang Heng.
Organisers said their initiative has been warmly received, with most operators of malls and F&B outlets even suggesting ways to observe the moment.
NDP's executive committee chairman, Brigadier-General Tan Chuan-Jin, said that in taking the Pledge this way, those who cannot be at the Marina Bay parade still 'can be part of the whole NDP experience'.
The pause may even convince the reluctant among us to join in. Mr Mark Tay, 29, says: 'If I were walking around a shopping centre and everyone was saying the Pledge, I might observe the moment too.'
