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<!-- headline one : start --><TR>Total Defence
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->'The simulation of a terrorist strike was surreal.'
MR BENNIE CHEOK: 'Sunday's National Day Parade (NDP) was brilliant. Kudos to the participants, the organising committee and the creative artists who crafted it. I liked the Total Defence display. The simulation of a terrorist strike was surreal and profiled such an attack realistically.'
Missing mother tongue
'There were songs in three official languages - English, Malay and Mandarin - but Tamil, the fourth, was excluded.'
MS JAYAPRIYA KANAGASUNDRAM: 'Sunday's NDP show was an amazing spectacle. All 10 chapters were seamlessly stitched together and interwoven with our Pledge. But one multiracial element was missing. There were songs in three official languages - English, Malay and Mandarin - but Tamil, the fourth, was excluded. In previous shows, there was at least one Tamil song, Munnaeru Vaaliba. That tune may be old, but at least it represented the Indian Singaporean community. While there may have been dance items that incorporated Indian culture, it was disappointing to see songs in an official language left out. Even in other cultural segments, more prominence was given to Peranakan culture, which is a part of Chinese culture. While it is admirable that diverse cultures or sub-cultures were showcased, this should not be undertaken at the expense of another. Perhaps future NDP committees could find a new Tamil tune for National Day if Munnaeru Vaaliba is dated. After all, there is a Chinese version of one of the favourite NDP tunes, Home. While this may seem trivial, in the larger appreciation of an important annual national celebration, it is the attention given to such minor details that has made Singapore the harmonious multiracial society that it is today. I hope next year's NDP committee will bear this in mind.'
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<!-- headline one : start --><TR>Total Defence
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->'The simulation of a terrorist strike was surreal.'
MR BENNIE CHEOK: 'Sunday's National Day Parade (NDP) was brilliant. Kudos to the participants, the organising committee and the creative artists who crafted it. I liked the Total Defence display. The simulation of a terrorist strike was surreal and profiled such an attack realistically.'
Missing mother tongue
'There were songs in three official languages - English, Malay and Mandarin - but Tamil, the fourth, was excluded.'
MS JAYAPRIYA KANAGASUNDRAM: 'Sunday's NDP show was an amazing spectacle. All 10 chapters were seamlessly stitched together and interwoven with our Pledge. But one multiracial element was missing. There were songs in three official languages - English, Malay and Mandarin - but Tamil, the fourth, was excluded. In previous shows, there was at least one Tamil song, Munnaeru Vaaliba. That tune may be old, but at least it represented the Indian Singaporean community. While there may have been dance items that incorporated Indian culture, it was disappointing to see songs in an official language left out. Even in other cultural segments, more prominence was given to Peranakan culture, which is a part of Chinese culture. While it is admirable that diverse cultures or sub-cultures were showcased, this should not be undertaken at the expense of another. Perhaps future NDP committees could find a new Tamil tune for National Day if Munnaeru Vaaliba is dated. After all, there is a Chinese version of one of the favourite NDP tunes, Home. While this may seem trivial, in the larger appreciation of an important annual national celebration, it is the attention given to such minor details that has made Singapore the harmonious multiracial society that it is today. I hope next year's NDP committee will bear this in mind.'
