'Ah, National Day has arrived': Uncle Ong's 11-year flag tradition in Toa Payoh, Singapore News
Every single one of those flags was tied by Uncle Ong, 63, a familiar face in the neighbourhood who has been quietly flying the flag for Singapore for more than a decade.
The retired provision shop owner's story was recently told on kaya, a Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth website that profiles ordinary Singaporeans leading the charge in arts, heritage, community, youth and sports.
Uncle Ong has been putting up elaborate National Day flag displays for the past 11 years, in an annual labour of love. "The flags used to be faded and worn, and hung on ground level," he said.
"So for SG50, I thought, why not do something special?"
That idea led to his very first large-scale flag formation in 2015. He used aluminium tabs from soda cans and fishing rope to string dozens of flags together, forming the number '50' to mark Singapore's golden jubilee.
Since then, it has become a yearly tradition, with each year's design more ambitious than the last.
"The first time we took a full three to four months to craft the display, and we only hung it up at the end of July," he recalled.
"Now we use plastic rope and aluminium ring washers instead, and it takes just about 10 days. We reuse materials too, so it costs less than $150."
This year's design features the number '60', with the Chinese characters for sixty, '六十', in the centre of the zero. Rooted in the community
Uncle Ong has lived in Toa Payoh since the 1970s. His family moved from a kampung in Ang Mo Kio, and his father opened a provision shop there in 1972.
It was later run by the Ong Brothers and recently closed down after Uncle Ong's retirement.
The shop became more than a place to buy groceries — it was where residents reported broken lifts, fires, and neighbourhood news.
Many turned to Uncle Ong, a 27-year grassroots leader with the Toa Payoh North Zone 2 Residents' Network Council, for help with errands and community issues.
He hopes to continue hanging the flags even after retirement. "If I stop, it might be a few years before someone else like me steps up to do it again." A quiet patriot
Uncle Ong told kaya that his commitment to community service was inspired by his late father, also a grassroots volunteer.
"My father always said, 'It's not just about making money. If we can't give much, we can still give our time.'"
Uncle Ong has won decoration awards, been featured in the news, and even had a shoutout from then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during National Day celebrations in 2020.
"When people pass by and see the display, I just hope they think 'Ah, National Day has arrived,'" he said.
[[nid:720908]]
This article was first published in The New Paper . Permission required for reproduction.
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