There's one more year to the big Golden Jubilee bash, but the team behind Singapore's 49th birthday party is determined to make this year's celebration just as memorable for all Singaporeans. Themed Our People, Our Home, the 2014 National Day Parade (NDP) commemorates the can-do attitude and caring spirit of our people.
This year, the NDP committee is organising more activities than ever to get people actively involved. In the first-ever Junior Red Lions initiative, 18 Primary 4 and 5 students got the chance to skydive together with the Red Lions at iFly Singapore. They will also join the elite parachuting team on stage on 9 Aug. Another initiative, Skypark Share! - organised by over 20 Operationally-ready National Servicemen (NSmen) - will treat 49 children with special needs to a spectacular view of the NDP and fireworks from the Skypark at Marina Bay Sands.
Much of this year's celebrations centre around the idea of recognising Singaporeans who are united by a shared purpose to build a resilient, caring and inclusive society. The Parade and Ceremony (P&C) segment, themed A Parade with a Heart, commemorates 30 years of Total Defence and celebrates the commitment of Singaporeans to defend our home.
Here are five stories of Singaporeans who celebrate the nation's birthday in their own different ways.
Lending a hand to folks in need
Mr Lee Hui Quan, 31
Assistant Manager at KK Women's and Children's Hospital
They do not think of themselves as angels, but rather, companions and friends to the old folks.
Unlike most people who keep their weekends for themselves, Moral Angels members choose to spend their Saturdays volunteering at the Moral Home for the Aged Sick, an old folks' home. Besides chatting with the old folks, they spice things up by organising parties at least six times a year.
Bringing a slice of NDP to those at the Home has been an annual affair for them since 1996. "Our NDP celebrations started off very simply, with just the singing of NDP songs and an NDP birthday cake," said Mr Lee Hui Quan, who has been volunteering at the Home for 16 years.
The 31-year-old discovered his passion for volunteering after he joined the National Police Cadet Corps in secondary school. After a stint volunteering at an old folks' home, he found great meaning in bringing joy to the elderly and decided to do it on a long-term basis. He has never looked back since.
Every year, the Moral Angels vary the theme for their NDP celebrations. For example, in 2010 when Singapore was hosting the Youth Olympics, they set up booths for the elderly to play sports like basketball and golf.
This year, the Moral Angels plan to take the elderly back to the 1960s. Themed Rolling back to the 60s, the celebrations will showcase pictures of old Singapore such as the Padang and City Hall, and famous personalities like Wang Sa and Ye Fong, who were popular comedians then. In addition to the usual games and singing of NDP songs, there will be a mini fashion show where the volunteers will dress up as iconic characters from the 60s such as samsui women and coolies.
As National Day rolls by, Mr Lee's wish for Singapore is that Singaporeans can be more accommodating and caring towards the needy. "As much as we celebrate our achievements, we should also take a look around at those who need help."
On his own experiences working with the elderly, he said: "The moment you see the old folks smile, it makes your effort totally worth it. That is also what makes us come back every week."
Rekindling that Kampong Spirit
Mr James Suresh, 58
Director of Training Plus International
Singaporeans love food - so what better way to bond than by throwing a potluck party with your neighbours?
So thought Mr James Suresh and other residents of Jalan Bintang Tiga back in 2001, when they took advantage of a road closure on their street to celebrate National Day together. They were proven right. The street party is now in its 14th year and still going strong.
Through exchanging recipes, throwing water bombs at each other and cleaning up together at the end, the Opera Estate street party has fostered a sense of familiarity and care among neighbours.
One of the reasons for its continued success? The ground-up nature of the party. Potluck means neighbours try each other's home-made recipes, and everyone is involved in getting the party going, from sponsoring prizes to hanging lights along the road and, of course, National flags outside their gates.
Said Mr Suresh, who pioneered the party: "It's important for a small country to be united, to know that we have a common destiny. If we work together, chances are that if there's a challenge along the way, we ll be able to overcome it as a group." The 58-year-old has been living in Opera Estate since 1993.
True enough, the party has gone on every National Day regardless of the weather or logistics issues. In fact, the residents want to expand the party to be more inclusive. Apart from neighbours along other streets, Mr Suresh plans to invite the postman, cleaners and people working in the shops around Opera Estate.
With the busy pace of life in Singapore, talking to neighbours has become a thing of the past. But Mr Suresh has broken those barriers. For him, seeing children grow up together and bonding with each other at the parties has made it worth all the effort in organising the event.
"Can you imagine neighbours throwing water bombs at one other? You wouldn't do that to a neighbour unless you know each other well enough. So that's the part where you really break the ice. It's really fun!" he laughed.
At the end of the day, what this father of two hopes for is that his habit of reaching out to others will be passed on to his children.
"I hope that the kids will pick up this habit of talking to neighbours, reaching out to them. And hopefully, they will build lifelong friendships."
Displaying his flags with pride
Mr Abdul Rahman, 64
Taxi Driver
In a sea of blue Comfort taxis, Mr Abdul Rahman s is the only one decked in festive red to celebrate National Day. While most Singaporeans commemorate the day by hanging a flag outside their homes, he commemorates it by putting flags - 49 this year - on the inside and outside of his taxi.
From the miniature flags you receive in NDP funpacks to the huge ones we hang outside our homes, every bit of space on his taxi is fully utilised. Decorating usually starts one month before National Day and by late July, commuters would start seeing his masterpiece on the roads.
However, the decorations can be rather costly to maintain. Every day for the period that the flags are on display, Mr Rahman drives to the car wash just to clean the big Singapore flag sticker on his bonnet.
"As a Singaporean, you must respect the flag and cannot let it get dirty. When the flag is dirty, we must either wash or change it," explained Mr Rahman, who has been an employee of ComfortDelGro for five years.
When it comes to the decorations, Mr Rahman does them all by himself. And he takes great pride in his designs. In fact, his decorated taxi usually goes through his son's scrutiny first before being driven out.
The finished product is truly a sight to behold. His beautifully-adorned taxi has not only won praise from both local and foreign passengers, it has also become a conversation topic between him and his passengers. This is also when he explains to his passengers, especially foreigners, that NDP is coming up and that he is very proud to be a Singaporean.
It comes as no surprise that the father of four always gets photo requests from passengers, and gamely poses with them for their photos.
The 64-year-old is also no stranger to the NDP, having participated about seven times as part of the Ang Mo Kio Grassroots Club when he was younger.
Dynamic Defence Duo
2LT Amos Tan, 21
165 SQN, Air Warfare Officer
3SG Alenson Toh, 19
165 SQN, Air Defence Weapons Specialist
Would you spend your Saturdays baking under the hot sun, rehearsing for NDP week after week? Well, these two young men did.
Hailing from 165 Squadron (SQN), both 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Amos Tan and 3rd Sergeant (3SG) Alenson Toh from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) responded to a call for volunteers to take part in the Dynamic Defence Display (D3) segment. "Participating in NDP is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as not many NSFs (Full-time National Servicemen) get to be involved and I'm very blessed to be given such an opportunity," said team commander 2LT Tan.
The 21-year-old is leading a team of five, including 3SG Toh, in a mobile display of the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Surface-to-Air PYthon and DERby (SPYDER) ground-based air defence system. One of the latest assets to be acquired by the SAF, the SPYDER is a quick-reaction surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging aerial threats ranging from fighter aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to precision-guided missiles.
Apart from the SPYDER, the D3 will showcase defence assets such as the Unmanned Fire-Fighting Machine from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Tactical Response Vehicle from the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
"It's very interesting to team up with them. Through NDP, we can see the various platforms and their capabilities up close," said 3SG Toh, who was excited to participate in NDP together with the SCDF and SPF.
The19-year-old Air Defence Weapons Specialist, whose day-to-day roles involve the maintenance and pre-operations checks of the SPYDER, also felt that the D3 segment helped assure Singaporeans that the SAF is always vigilant and stands ready to protect the country.
While some may not understand their reasons for "burning" their weekends this way, the two NSFs never once regretted their decision. Said 3SG Toh: "To us, it's totally worth it as this is also part of serving our nation, doing something which not everyone gets to do."
Catching up with Dick Lee
As Creative Director for NDP 2014, what s new about the show?
"I'm a musician, so music is a very important part of my planning. The music has been carefully crafted and the soundtrack is really energetic. This ties in with the concept this year, which is pop art and culture. The whole show is designed to be like a pop concert. We have the biggest LED screen ever seen in Singapore, and great projections. It s very visual (and) can be enjoyed by any age and generation."
What is the show going to be about?
"Our focus is (on) highlighting the pioneer generation, everyday heroes, family and community - a tribute to the people who have made us what we are."
What are some of the challenges of staging the show?
"Working with thousands of people is a huge challenge in itself. And doing a show which the whole country has to love is a huge challenge as well. But you just have to do your best."
How do you normally celebrate National Day?
"For me, National Day is a very significant thing. I was in primary school when Independence happened. I remember the troubles during the riots, the curfew and the instability when I was young. With Independence, we had the idea that it was time to move forward. It's a tradition that we have created - watching NDP on TV together as a family."
Soaring aspirations
Dilshen Prakash Lalwani, 11
St Stephen's School
2WO William Chan, 38
SAF Red Lion
"It's really fun!" exclaimed Dilshen Prakash Lalwani. "You get to simulate what the Red Lions do in the air."
The Primary 5 boy from St Stephen's School had just completed two exhilarating flying sessions with his SAF Red Lion mentor in the iFly wind tunnel. Decked in his blue flight suit, the 11-year-old could not wait to enter the wind tunnel again for his third and fourth rounds.
Dilshen, together with 17 other Primary School students, was a winner of a contest to join the SAF Red Lions parachute team for a day of flying at iFly Singapore.
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Singapore Discovery Centre and the NDP 2014 Executive Committee, the contest called for all Primary 4 and 5 students in Singapore to submit an essay or a photo with a caption to pay tribute to Singapore s pioneer generation, or express what NDP meant to them and how they could play a part in the National Day celebrations. Termed the NDP 2014 Junior Red Lion Contest, it was one of several NDP 2014 initiatives for Singaporeans to join in the celebrations.
For young Dilshen, perhaps the best part of winning the contest was going into Hendon Camp on 23 Jun to train with the Red Lions.
As part of the treat, he was personally taught by his trainer and mentor, 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) William Chan, on the basic body posture he needed to assume during his indoor skydiving experience.
Dilshen also had to go through a 34-foot (10.4m) airborne tower jump in order to build his confidence and prepare him for the wind tunnel.
Said 2WO Chan: "Although Dilshen was nervous before the tower jump, I could tell he was also very excited to try it out."
Four days later, Dilshen was soaring his way with glee in the iFly wind tunnel, with 2WO Chan at his side to guide him along.
Children will always be children, especially when it comes to asking questions. During their training sessions, the Red Lions were frequently asked questions like "How does it feel to be a Red Lion? Can I be one?"
Responded 2WO Chan: "Well, you can try this stage first. And if you really have an interest it's just a matter of time - you'll grow up and you can go through the proper training. Then you're welcome to join us!"
The 38-year-old, who will be performing his third NDP jump this year, felt the Junior Red Lion initiative was a good move that allowed the younger generation to feel what it is like to skydive and also, to mentally prepare them for National Service.
So after this experience, does Dilshen want to be a Red Lion?
"Yes, I do!" gushed the enthusiastic boy. "I understand that you have to go through a lot of training but I'm... inspired to be a Red Lion."
NDP 2014 by the numbers
200 participants and
31 pieces of SAF and Home Team equipment in this year's Dynamic Defence Display (D3)
14 Largest number of civilian contingents on the floating platform
2,000 Largest number of participants for the Parade & Ceremony segment on the Marina Bay Floating Platform
7 minutes Duration of performance by the military band at the opening of the Parade and Ceremony segments
164 personnel performing in the Military Tattoo
18 assets from the SAF featured in D3
