SG50 National Day Parade

While we get ready to celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday, let’s take a look at what happened 10 years ago.

2015 was the year they introduced the “Little Red Dot” logo for NDP. Also known as “The Red Dot”, it is a nickname often used in the media and in casual conversation to refer to Singapore, thanks in part to President Habibie of Indonesia¹. It refers to how the nation is depicted on many maps of Asia and the world as a red dot due to our small size.

Every year, there’s a National Day Parade (which we lovingly refer to as NDP) held in rotation between the Padang and the Floating Platform in Marina Bay. This year, the sequence was broken because of the 50th birthday celebration, so the parade is brought back to where it all started – The Padang.

Princess got tickets to watch the parade, so I waited for her at the clubhouse. Singapore Recreation Club flanks the Padang on the Nicoll Highway end, and provides a vantage point for looking at the start of the parade.

Floats and other vehicles (armoured tanks and other military vehicles) participating in NDP are usually lined up along Nicoll Highway while waiting for their turn in the parade.

One of the features of the NDP is the contingents representing Total Defence². Singapore Airlines and Post Office Saving Banks (POSB) were chosen as they were symbolic of the nation’s ambitions. POSB bank tellers were once young girls who represented a new generation of ladies that contributed to the economy. Singapore girls, a moniker given to stewardess of SQ, were a “great way to fly”³, and always a beautiful sight in the parade. Decked in their figure-hugging kebabs, they were always a happy sight for me, as it means that I am either going away or coming back to Singapore.

We always joke that police once wore shorts to refer to a long, long time ago. And at SG50, they came back in their shorts! These were the original uniforms of the Singapore Police Force, with veterans in the contingent. The Singapore Fire Brigade also took part in this first parade with its firetrucks included in the mobile column. And this year, the veterans came in their original uniforms.

In 1976, the NDP Guard of Honour, composed of officers and personnel of the Singapore Arm Forces and the Singapore Police Force, made its first appearance. The Singapore Civil Defence Force joined the Guard of Honour in 1980. These Guard of Honour contingents are usually made up of the best units of Army, Air Force, Navy, Police and SCDF. And highlight was the march past, we used to watch it as children to spot those out of steps.

In 1970, the Flypast of the State Flag and the Republic of Singapore Air Force Flypast were introduced. And I don’t know when the National Anthem started playing along with the flag flypast.

After the parade, there’s an hour of musical show where different groups would perform according to the theme of the year.

The finale is always a massive fireworks. Seeing my taxes going up in smoke was quite exhilarating.

I am looking forward to SG60 because Princess is in-charged of developing the animation for one of the segment.

Footnotes:

1. The term “little red dot” gained currency after the third Indonesian president, B. J. Habibie, was regarded as having criticized Singapore in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on 4 August 1998. It was reported that Habibie had remarked that he did not feel that Singapore was a friend and had pointed to a map, saying: “It’s O.K. with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]. Look at that map. All the green [area] is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore. Look at that.” “Singapore Strains Relations With Indonesia’s President”, The Wall Street Journal Asia, 4 August 1998, archived from the original on 14 August 2023, retrieved 28 June 2024 ↩︎
2. Total Defence in Singapore is a comprehensive national strategy involving all citizens and sectors to ensure the country’s security and well-being. It comprises six pillars: Military, Civil, Economic, Social, Digital, and Psychological Defence, each playing a vital role in strengthening Singapore’s resilience against various threats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Defence_(Singapore)#:~:text=Social%20defence%20stems%20from%20official,as%20part%20of%20social%20defence.  ↩︎
3. The phrase “A Great Way to Fly” is famously associated with Singapore Airlines. This slogan, along with the iconic “Singapore Girl” image, has been a key part of the airline’s branding for decades. The airline’s commitment to service excellence, including inflight dining and entertainment, has helped them maintain this reputation. https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-18/issue-2/jul-sep-2022/history-singapore-airlines/#:~:text=Singapore%20Airlines%20stewardess%20See%20Biew,cuisine%20and%20presentation%20of%20meals. ↩︎

PS: Early ads of SQ featuring Singapore girls and “A Great Way To Fly”