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Aug 11, 2009
What pledge? This one is liam keng la!
By Jermyn Chow
As the 'attack' progressed on stage, it became clear that it was part of a Total Defence display, simulating a terrorist strike. -- ST PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR
THIS year's National Day Parade proved to be a hit with many people, with most citing the historic Pledge Moment at 8.22pm as the highlight.
Ms Sujatha Subramaniam, 34, who was at the parade with her family, said she was proud to have taken the Pledge with thousands of Singaporeans across the island.
'There was so much energy and you can feel the kinship and that everyone was very into it,' she said.
Even VIPs found the 30-second initiative moving and poignant.
Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, said: 'It brought people to reaffirm their commitment to Singapore. It was a spectacle that energised everyone and something that people can identify with.'
Many liked the mix of the familiar - the ceremonial segment with the marching contingents - and the creative recounting of the history of Singapore as a musical.
'It proves that Singaporeans are very creative, inventive. Very meaningful as we can look into the future with new eyes and a fresh perspective,' she said.
But some of those catching the parade on TV at home were startled when news presenter Cheryl Fox cut into the parade broadcast to report that explosions had rocked a housing estate in Singapore.
Adding to the confusion was a 'reporter' at the parade itself saying that the nation's 44th birthday celebrations had been disrupted, with the discovery of a bomb at the floating platform.
Some netizens even posted a news alert on their social networking website accounts like Facebook. But as the 'attack' progressed on stage, it became clear that it was part of a Total Defence display, simulating a terrorist strike.
Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
Latest comments
First of all, happy birthday Singapore!
But i think the "show" of the national parade was disrupted due to "terrorist attack" is overdone, confused people and in poor taste.
it underminds the authority's effort to get ordinary citizens to take seriously potential terrorist attack and the need for vigilance. After all, how is this less damaging from those prank calls?
by the way, we are over 40s now, are we not mature enough not to showoff our weapons every single birthday?
do we not know enough our true strength and feel compel to point weapons to audience or an imaginary enemy?
or that citizens always feel more reassured when they see their army's guns?
Posted by: dualapis at Tue Aug 11 16:25:51 SGT 2009
What pledge? this one is liam keng la. everyday we the citizen of singapore where got hope and prospect? Hongkan la PAPa.
Posted by: HongKan_GRC at Tue Aug 11 13:19:30 SGT 2009
My wish and hope for the Pledge to be revised into:
We, the citizens of Singapore
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build THIS democratic society on justice and equality,
to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation, AND BECOME THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT OF HOPE
TO HELP FILL THIS WORLD WITH MORE HAPPY
PEOPLE.
Posted by: DTLDTLDTL at Tue Aug 11 12:16:48 SGT 2009
We see spoilt brats young and old, rich and poor alike and no one can turn back the clock to 1965.
What will be MM Lee's final legacy for SG in his long illustrious political career?
More spoilt brats? Or more Brilliant Youths?
We wait?
Posted by: DTLDTLDTL at Tue Aug 11 11:22:34 SGT 2009
".... everyone feels the kinship...."
Don't mistaken me as a sceptic, but trust me, every time at the NDP, everyone feels so connected to each other and what-not. The moment the parade ends and the crowd spills in the streets, the kinship is abruptly dissolved and everyone's nasty to each other again. The crowd will start roughing each other up just to enter the MRT trains, and drivers start cutting lanes again, as with 364 days of every other year.
Mr Brown's parody of "What Do You See?" is more apt in describing this nation's level of maturity and responsibility as "don't count on me, Singapore".
Posted by: Milady76 at Tue Aug 11 11:19:31 SGT 2009
Aug 11, 2009
What pledge? This one is liam keng la!
By Jermyn Chow
As the 'attack' progressed on stage, it became clear that it was part of a Total Defence display, simulating a terrorist strike. -- ST PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR
THIS year's National Day Parade proved to be a hit with many people, with most citing the historic Pledge Moment at 8.22pm as the highlight.
Ms Sujatha Subramaniam, 34, who was at the parade with her family, said she was proud to have taken the Pledge with thousands of Singaporeans across the island.
'There was so much energy and you can feel the kinship and that everyone was very into it,' she said.
Even VIPs found the 30-second initiative moving and poignant.
Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, said: 'It brought people to reaffirm their commitment to Singapore. It was a spectacle that energised everyone and something that people can identify with.'
Many liked the mix of the familiar - the ceremonial segment with the marching contingents - and the creative recounting of the history of Singapore as a musical.
'It proves that Singaporeans are very creative, inventive. Very meaningful as we can look into the future with new eyes and a fresh perspective,' she said.
But some of those catching the parade on TV at home were startled when news presenter Cheryl Fox cut into the parade broadcast to report that explosions had rocked a housing estate in Singapore.
Adding to the confusion was a 'reporter' at the parade itself saying that the nation's 44th birthday celebrations had been disrupted, with the discovery of a bomb at the floating platform.
Some netizens even posted a news alert on their social networking website accounts like Facebook. But as the 'attack' progressed on stage, it became clear that it was part of a Total Defence display, simulating a terrorist strike.
Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
Latest comments
First of all, happy birthday Singapore!
But i think the "show" of the national parade was disrupted due to "terrorist attack" is overdone, confused people and in poor taste.
it underminds the authority's effort to get ordinary citizens to take seriously potential terrorist attack and the need for vigilance. After all, how is this less damaging from those prank calls?
by the way, we are over 40s now, are we not mature enough not to showoff our weapons every single birthday?
do we not know enough our true strength and feel compel to point weapons to audience or an imaginary enemy?
or that citizens always feel more reassured when they see their army's guns?
Posted by: dualapis at Tue Aug 11 16:25:51 SGT 2009
What pledge? this one is liam keng la. everyday we the citizen of singapore where got hope and prospect? Hongkan la PAPa.
Posted by: HongKan_GRC at Tue Aug 11 13:19:30 SGT 2009
My wish and hope for the Pledge to be revised into:
We, the citizens of Singapore
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build THIS democratic society on justice and equality,
to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation, AND BECOME THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT OF HOPE
TO HELP FILL THIS WORLD WITH MORE HAPPY
PEOPLE.
Posted by: DTLDTLDTL at Tue Aug 11 12:16:48 SGT 2009
We see spoilt brats young and old, rich and poor alike and no one can turn back the clock to 1965.
What will be MM Lee's final legacy for SG in his long illustrious political career?
More spoilt brats? Or more Brilliant Youths?
We wait?
Posted by: DTLDTLDTL at Tue Aug 11 11:22:34 SGT 2009
".... everyone feels the kinship...."
Don't mistaken me as a sceptic, but trust me, every time at the NDP, everyone feels so connected to each other and what-not. The moment the parade ends and the crowd spills in the streets, the kinship is abruptly dissolved and everyone's nasty to each other again. The crowd will start roughing each other up just to enter the MRT trains, and drivers start cutting lanes again, as with 364 days of every other year.
Mr Brown's parody of "What Do You See?" is more apt in describing this nation's level of maturity and responsibility as "don't count on me, Singapore".
Posted by: Milady76 at Tue Aug 11 11:19:31 SGT 2009
