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AsiaOne
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
NDP 2025 marks SG60 with expanded celebrations from Padang to Marina Bay, Singapore News
More Singaporeans will be able to partake in this year's National Day Parade (NDP) festivities as the NDP live show will extend from the Padang to Marina Bay for the first time, on National Day (Aug 9). The festivities will also continue over the weekend into the heartlands at five community sites across the island on Aug 10. Details of NDP 2025 were revealed at a media event on Monday (May 26) morning, including the theme song and music video that tie in with the theme Majulah Singapura that commemorates Singapore's 60th year of independence. A nod to the national anthem, this year's theme honours Singapore's 60-year nation-building journey, and calls on Singaporeans to celebrate their past while building a collective future together. The theme song for the 2025 parade — Here We Are — will be performed by local singers Kit Chan and Charlie Lim, as well as The Island Voices. Chairman of the NDP 2025 executive committee, Colonel Chong Shi Hao, also highlighted the "changed world" and "unchartered waters" that Singapore currently faces, adding that this year's NDP theme also acts as a "rallying call for Singaporeans that we're all in it together". NDP 2025's expanded festivities The scale of NDP 2025 will surpass previous parades, given that it will commemorate the SG60 milestone. Beyond the typical celebrations held at the Padang, the festivities will take place over an "expanded canvas" that reaches Marina Bay for the first time in history, said Col Chong. According to Col Chong, the live show at the Bay will feature water floats, performances on a new mobile floating stage and the lighting up of the city skyline through fireworks and light projections. Live NDP screenings will also be held with LED screens and audio systems at the Bay, complemented by interactive booths and activities. By expanding the live show to the surrounding Marina Bay area, this year's NDP executive committee hopes that this "immersive experience" will dazzle some 227,000 spectators at both sites. In the lead-up to National Day, Singaporeans will also be able to participate in expanded Bay Celebrations at five locations: The Promontory, Bayfront Event Space, The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage, and Singapore Sports Hub. Another event unique to NDP 2025 is the Uncasing of Colours ceremony — a precise military ceremony where the State Colours and Regimental Colours are paraded — that will take place at Marina Square before the parade on August 9. Similar to 2024, the NDP celebrations will continue on August 10 across five community sites across the island thanks to a joint effort by the parade's executive committee and People's Association. There, Singaporeans can look forward to a multitude of displays by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Home Team, in addition to fireworks, drone shows and family carnival activities. "We want to give Singaporeans an opportunity to demonstrate [the] national spirit as well as give back to society," said Col Chong, who is the commander of the 3rd Singapore Division. Mobile column Come August 9, Singaporeans watching the inaugural parade will be able to catch the highly-anticipated Jump of Unity, where the Red Lions and the Republic of Singapore Navy's naval divers will parachute onto the Padang and into Marina Bay respectively. NDP 2025 will also feature the largest number of contingents, in addition to a special aerial tribute by the Republic of Singapore Air Force to conclude the Parade and Ceremony segment. The mobile column, a "core favourite" that Singaporeans "know and love" according to Col Chong, will also be brought back to the parade for the first time since 2019. This will showcase assets from the SAF, Home Team and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. "Through our celebrations, we want to reflect on how far we have come together. We want to use it as a way to unite Singaporeans, to highlight the shared values that bind us together, and also hope will inspire future generations of Singaporeans. "It is in this spirit that we invite all Singaporeans to come together to celebrate our nation's birthday," Col Chong said. Here We Are: NDP 2025 theme song Written by local singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, this year's parade theme song song echoes the theme of Majulah Singapura and draws on the idea of home, belonging and the progress Singapore has made over the past 60 years. The music video, directed by He Shuming, is set in the familiar environment of a school hall, meant to embody the shared experiences of Singaporeans, young and old. The theme of community is further enhanced by bringing the likes of Lim, NDP veteran Kit Chan, The Island Voices and around 100 Singaporeans together, representing how everyone's voices can be seen, heard and known. [[nid:715398]]
Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Forum: Screen ACL Two final match at CCs for free
I hope the People's Association will organise free live screenings and watch parties in community centres for Singaporeans to support our Lion City Sailors in their AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) final match on Sunday, May 18 (Lion City Sailors reach historic Asian Champions League Two final despite 1-0 defeat by Sydney FC, April 16). After all, this is the very first time that a local club has managed to go all the way to a cup final in a regional competition. We Singaporeans want to witness this piece of history and be part of this moment as one Singapore. Since tickets for the match, being held at Bishan Stadium, have sold out, it would be nice to cheer the Sailors together with our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues in community centres. And if our Lion City Sailors do manage to emerge as champions, this would be the perfect gift for Singapore as we celebrate SG60 this year. I am sure a win will also help generate Singaporeans' passion and interest to support the Singapore Premier League clubs and bring back the crowds to the stadiums to watch matches. Wishing the Sailors all the best for their match on Sunday. Ng Yong Da More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GE2025: Pritam Singh says WP does not engage in negative politics
Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE – WP chief Pritam Singh has rejected Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's statement that the opposition party engages in 'negative politics', saying it was the PAP that had done so for years. Speaking at a rally on April 29, he listed as examples the PAP's initial treatment of residents in opposition wards, and the lack of access for opposition MPs to People's Association resources. Noting that Hougang and Potong Pasir voters were told in the past that their wards would be last in line for estate upgrades if they voted for the opposition, he said this had left a bad taste in his mouth during his youth. 'My peers and I didn't feel like this was a Singapore we can be proud of. We didn't feel such affinity to a country ruled by people with such small hearts,' he said at the rally in Bedok Stadium, located in East Coast GRC. For the fifth time, WP is going head-to-head with the PAP in the constituency. It lost narrowly to the ruling party in 2020, with 46.61 per cent of the vote. At the rally on the seventh day of hustings, the Leader of the Opposition laid out what he considers examples of negative politics by the PAP. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the People's Association had given grassroots advisers – including unelected ones – information on which residents were recovering from the infection, so that they could deliver care packs. But WP MPs did not get such access, he noted. Elected opposition MPs were also kept away when new citizens were welcomed to the community at citizenship ceremonies, while losing PAP candidates presided over them, Mr Singh said. 'With immigration and integration being such a big part of our social landscape in Singapore, I am taken aback by how the PAP does not walk the talk when it speaks of a united Singapore to deal with the challenges of tomorrow,' he said. Calling on PM Wong to change this policy, Mr Singh said: 'In the long run, Singapore will lose with such a mentality from PAP political leaders. Even if the PAP cannot, Singapore can do much better than that.' The Prime Minister earlier rebuked WP for its negative tone and attacks on Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and his team. 'Let's reject this kind of negative politics. You should be better than this,' said PM Wong. During his 20-minute speech, Mr Singh asked the PAP if it would allow elected WP MPs to use community clubs for food donation or distribution drives for low-income households. 'Please say yes or no before Polling Day. Let me know, so I can go and debate with PM Lawrence Wong in Parliament what is the real meaning of negative politics,' said Mr Singh. 'But if you say 'no, cannot – you cannot come into the CCs, let things be the way they are', it is okay. The spirit of Hougang lives in our people, and the Workers' Party will find a way to help those people in need.' Mr Singh said WP MPs have not been given access to use community clubs since 1981. He also invited PAP's East Coast GRC candidates to clarify which programmes they would halt, should they lose the electoral contest. 'Be upfront with our people, so voters can decide if the PAP really cares about East Coast or if there is no 'together' in their East Coast Plan,' he said. Mr Singh argued that the PAP changed strategy over the years by allowing opposition-held estates to get public housing upgrades at the same time as, or in some cases earlier than, PAP-run estates, because the ruling party realised that its 'bullying sticks and disrespectful carrots' did not work. He said this changed because the policy lost votes for the PAP, and that the ruling party 'only listens when it loses vote share and parliamentary seats to the Workers' Party'. 'Why do you think Lee Hsien Loong and Lawrence Wong are going to Tampines, going to Punggol?' he asked. On April 29, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong joined the party's Tampines GRC team on a walkabout in the town, while PM Wong did the same with the PAP's team in Punggol GRC. The WP is contesting these constituencies. Added Mr Singh: 'No political pressure in Parliament against the PAP, no results on the ground, no fairness, no justice on the ground.' Mr Singh also said: 'A previous prime minister said that he would have to spend his time fixing the opposition if it gains five, 10 or 20 seats. And he said this when the opposition only had two seats in Parliament. 'This is the PAP DNA. I wonder what Prime Minister Lawrence Wong would say about this – is this negative politics?' Mr Singh, meanwhile, said that if WP wins East Coast GRC, it will not label its banners with words like 'WP-run town council' – what the PAP has done with its town council banners in the last few years. 'Communities and towns are about the people who live in them,' he said, adding that the green ratings of WP town councils speak for themselves. Town councils here are rated green, amber or red based on their estate cleanliness, estate maintenance, lift performance, management of service and conservancy charge arrears, and corporate governance. Green is the highest score. Ultimately, Mr Singh appealed to East Coast GRC residents to vote with this in mind: 'Our little red dot will shine bright when our hearts are large.' Several speakers at the rally also spoke about how East Coast voters have been let down by the PAP. Mr Yee Jenn Jong, who helms the WP's East Coast GRC team, and incumbent Hougang MP Dennis Tan pointed to how constituencies had disappeared whenever the PAP did not do well. Describing the boundary changes in East Coast as repeated instances of gerrymandering, Mr Tan urged voters to put a stop to them by voting in the WP. Echoing the sentiment, Mr Sufyan Mikhail Putra, an East Coast GRC candidate, said: 'Maybe this is our final chance to turn East Coast blue.' Meanwhile, his teammate Nathaniel Koh reminded voters of the 'promise' made in the 2020 General Election when Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat was moved from Tampines GRC to helm East Coast GRC. 'Five years ago, you were promised a future prime minister. Some of you might have voted for them because of that promise. But what happened? It became an empty promise,' said Mr Koh, asking voters to 'choose another way forward'. The WP East Coast GRC candidates also took aim at their PAP opponents, led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong. Noting that Mr Tong had called for policy suggestions to go beyond rhetoric and sound bites at a rally, Mr Yee said: 'Mr Edwin Tong must have a very practical and sensible plan to bring Singapore to the World Cup finals in 2034.' He was referring to the goal for the Lions to play in the 2034 World Cup, which has drawn comparisons with the original aim to do so by 2010. 'After all, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin... said that we are so lucky to have (Mr Tong) because he is like the Lionel Messi of Singapore,' he added. Mr Sitoh, the incumbent MP for Potong Pasir who is retiring from politics, had said at a rally that Mr Tong was as important to Singapore as the Argentinian footballer is to his national team. Mr Sufyan, meanwhile, noted that PAP East Coast GRC candidate Hazlina Abdul Halim had apologised at an April 26 rally about life having become tougher for some young people. Citing this, he said: 'Do you want your MP to apologise to you because your lives are tougher or do you want your MP to find solutions to make your lives better?' Ms Paris V. Parameswari, also on WP's East Coast slate, spoke about how the Government had 'lost touch', citing the mishandling of private data when NRIC data was leaked on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority website, among other things. She also called for Thaipusam to be reinstated as a public holiday, noting that the festival has become a 'spiritually significant affair for many Hindus in Singapore'. Promising to do her best if elected, she said: 'I can be caring and passionate, like Mother Teresa. But if the need arises to be a voice in Parliament, to ask questions fearlessly, I can be like Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady.'
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: Pritam Singh says WP does not engage in negative politics
WP chief Pritam Singh speaking during the party's rally at the Bedok Stadium, on April 29. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE – WP chief Pritam Singh has rejected Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's statement that the opposition party engages in 'negative politics', saying it was the PAP that had done so for years. Speaking at a rally on April 29, he listed as examples the PAP's initial treatment of residents in opposition wards, and the lack of access for opposition MPs to People's Association resources. Noting that Hougang and Potong Pasir voters were told in the past that their wards would be last in line for estate upgrades if they voted for the opposition, he said this had left a bad taste in his mouth during his youth. 'My peers and I didn't feel like this was a Singapore we can be proud of. We didn't feel such affinity to a country ruled by people with such small hearts,' he said at the rally in Bedok Stadium, located in East Coast GRC. For the fifth time, WP is going head-to-head with the PAP in the constituency. It lost narrowly to the ruling party in 2020, with 46.61 per cent of the vote. At the rally on the seventh day of hustings, the Leader of the Opposition laid out what he considers examples of negative politics by the PAP. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the People's Association had given grassroots advisers – including unelected ones – information on which residents were recovering from the infection, so that they could deliver care packs. But WP MPs did not get such access, he noted. Elected opposition MPs were also kept away when new citizens were welcomed to the community at citizenship ceremonies, while losing PAP candidates presided over them, Mr Singh said. 'With immigration and integration being such a big part of our social landscape in Singapore, I am taken aback by how the PAP does not walk the talk when it speaks of a united Singapore to deal with the challenges of tomorrow,' he said. Calling on PM Wong to change this policy, Mr Singh said: 'In the long run, Singapore will lose with such a mentality from PAP political leaders. Even if the PAP cannot, Singapore can do much better than that.' The Prime Minister earlier rebuked WP for its negative tone and attacks on Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and his team. 'Let's reject this kind of negative politics. You should be better than this,' said PM Wong. During his 20-minute speech, Mr Singh asked the PAP if it would allow elected WP MPs to use community clubs for food donation or distribution drives for low-income households. 'Please say yes or no before Polling Day. Let me know, so I can go and debate with PM Lawrence Wong in Parliament what is the real meaning of negative politics,' said Mr Singh. 'But if you say 'no, cannot – you cannot come into the CCs, let things be the way they are', it is OK. The spirit of Hougang lives in our people, and the Workers' Party will find a way to help those people in need.' Mr Singh said WP MPs have not been given access to use community clubs since 1981. He also invited PAP's East Coast GRC candidates to clarify which programmes they would halt, should they lose the electoral contest. 'Be upfront with our people, so voters can decide if the PAP really cares about East Coast or if there is no 'together' in their East Coast Plan,' he said. Mr Singh argued that the PAP changed strategy over the years by allowing opposition-held estates to get public housing upgrades at the same time as, or in some cases earlier than, PAP-run estates, because the ruling party realised that its 'bullying sticks and disrespectful carrots' did not work. He said this changed because the policy lost votes for the PAP, and that the ruling party 'only listens when it loses vote share and parliamentary seats to the Workers' Party'. 'Why do you think Lee Hsien Loong and Lawrence Wong are going to Tampines, going to Punggol?' he asked. On April 29, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong joined the party's Tampines GRC team on a walkabout in the town, while PM Wong did the same with the PAP's team in Punggol GRC. The WP is contesting these constituencies. Added Mr Singh: 'No political pressure in Parliament against the PAP, no results on the ground, no fairness, no justice on the ground.' Mr Singh also said: 'A previous prime minister said that he would have to spend his time fixing the opposition if it gains five, 10 or 20 seats. And he said this when the opposition only had two seats in Parliament. 'This is the PAP DNA. I wonder what Prime Minister Lawrence Wong would say about this – is this negative politics?' Mr Singh, meanwhile, said that if WP wins East Coast GRC, it will not label its banners with words like 'WP-run town council' – what the PAP has done with its town council banners in the last few years. 'Communities and towns are about the people who live in them,' he said, adding that the green ratings of WP town councils speak for themselves. Town councils here are rated green, amber or red based on their estate cleanliness, estate maintenance, lift performance, management of service and conservancy charge arrears, and corporate governance. Green is the highest score. Ultimately, Mr Singh appealed to East Coast GRC residents to vote with this in mind: 'Our little red dot will shine bright when our hearts are large.' New way forward for East Coast Several speakers at the rally also spoke about how East Coast voters have been let down by the PAP. Mr Yee Jenn Jong, who helms the WP's East Coast GRC team, and incumbent Hougang MP Dennis Tan pointed to how constituencies had disappeared whenever the PAP did not do well. Describing the boundary changes in East Coast as repeated instances of gerrymandering, Mr Tan urged voters to put a stop to them by voting in the WP. Echoing the sentiment, Mr Sufyan Mikhail Putra, an East Coast GRC candidate, said: 'Maybe this is our final chance to turn East Coast blue.' Meanwhile, his teammate Nathaniel Koh reminded voters of the 'promise' made in the 2020 General Election when Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat was moved from Tampines GRC to helm East Coast GRC. 'Five years ago, you were promised a future prime minister. Some of you might have voted for them because of that promise. But what happened? It became an empty promise,' said Mr Koh, asking voters to 'choose another way forward'. The WP East Coast GRC candidates also took aim at their PAP opponents, led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong. Noting that Mr Tong had called for policy suggestions to go beyond rhetoric and sound bites at a rally, Mr Yee said: 'Mr Edwin Tong must have a very practical and sensible plan to bring Singapore to the World Cup finals in 2034.' He was referring to the goal for the Lions to play in the 2034 World Cup, which has drawn comparisons with the original aim to do so by 2010. 'Afterall, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin... said that we are so lucky to have (Mr Tong) because he's like the Lionel Messi of Singapore,' he added. Mr Sitoh, the incumbent MP for Potong Pasir who is retiring from politics, had said at a rally that Mr Tong was as important to Singapore as the Argentinian footballer is to his national team. Mr Sufyan, meanwhile, noted that PAP East Coast GRC candidate Hazlina Abdul Halim had apologised at an April 26 rally about life having become tougher for some young people. Citing this, he said: 'Do you want your MP to apologise to you because your lives are tougher or do you want your MP to find solutions to make your lives better?' Ms Paris V. Parameswari, also on the East Coast slate, spoke about how the Government had 'lost touch', citing the mishandling of private data when NRIC data was leaked on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority website, among other things. She also called for Thaipusam to be reinstated as a public holiday, noting that the festival has become a 'spiritually significant affair for many Hindus in Singapore'. Promising to do her best if elected, she said: 'I can be caring and passionate, like Mother Teresa. But if the need arises to be a voice in Parliament, to ask questions fearlessly, I can be like Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
26-04-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Chingay Parade picture wins photography competition promoting multiculturalism
SINGAPORE - He spent several hours across multiple rehearsals at the Chingay Parade 2025 in February at the F1 Pit Building waiting for the right shot. Then, dancers of various cultural backgrounds got into formation against a vibrant backdrop, and he asked them to form heart shapes with their hands. The photograph helped hobbyist photographer Goh Ngan Pin, 48, clinch the top prize in the open category of the fourth Heartstrings of Singapore photography competition. Mr Goh Ngan Pin is a hobbyist photographer, he is also a voluntary photographer for the People's Association for the past three years. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MR MARK CHONG It was jointly organised by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA). On April 26, Mr Goh was one of 46 winners presented awards at SCCC near Shenton Way by guest-of-honour Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Second Minister for Law, Edwin Tong. About 100 representatives from clan associations, cultural groups and government agencies attended the ceremony. Mr Goh, who has been a voluntary photographer with the People's Association (PA) for the past three years, said: 'I am often quite thick-skinned when it comes to asking people to pose or trying to get the right shot.' The event also marked SFCCA's 40th anniversary and the unveiling of its commemorative logo – a design blending clean English typography with bold Chinese brushstrokes to symbolise the harmony of tradition and modernity. In his speech, Mr Tong praised the federation's efforts in rallying over 200 clan associations to preserve heritage and foster a strong Singaporean Chinese identity through events over the years. These included organising the River Hongbao, and working with the National Integration Council, government feedback unit Reach, and the PA to organise events and dialogues to promote nation-building. Mr Edwin Tong (second left) unveiling the commemorative logo that marks Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations' (SFCCA) 40th anniversary with SFCCA chairman Mr Thomas Chua (second right) and representatives. PHOTO: SINGAPORE FEDRATION OF CHINESE CLAN ASSOCIATIONS Mr Tong said: 'We have to treasure and nurture our special Singaporean Chinese practices, our special rituals, our customs and our deep heritage. 'I think when we celebrate SG60, we should look back at the special role that SFCCA and the Chinese clans have played in building Singapore all these years.' Another winner was Victoria Junior College student Namasya Holla, 17, who took second place for a panoramic image of Gardens by the Bay and also received a merit award for a photograph submitted under the multiculturalism theme. She had captured four girls from different uniformed groups during the National Day Parade at her alma mater, Cedar Girls' School. She said: 'I wanted to capture them all looking at the national flag together. I hope my photo inspires others to appreciate multiculturalism.' Ms Namasya Holla and her photo 'Stronger Together', which won the student category of Theme 2: Singapore's Multicultural Diversity of the Heartstrings Singapore photo competition. ST PHOTO: HAZEL TANG All winning photographs, and 100 shortlisted entries, will be on display at SCCC's multipurpose hall on April 26 and 27. The exhibition will move to Ang Mo Kio Public Library from April 28 to May 26. Also announced was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the SFCCA and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, to deepen cultural development and strengthen community bonds. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
