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News18
3 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Singapore celebrates 60 years of independence
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Singapore, Aug 9 (PTI) Singapore celebrated 60 years of independence, SG60, with a National Day Parade (NDP) by the Armed Forces and civil units at the Padang on Saturday, marking the diamond jubilee of the city state. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam led the celebration, joined by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, his cabinet members and the members of parliament. Singaporeans, dressed in 'Red" being considered a lucky national colour, crowded around the Padang, a main field in the central business district facing the waterfront of the posh Marina Bay, for a first-hand view of the colourful parade. Leaders of three neighbouring countries were among the guests at the NDP. Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Zahid Hamidi joined the Singaporeans at the celebrations. Also present at the celebration was the Regent of Johor State of Malaysia, Tunku Ismail. The southernmost state, Johor, is linked to Singapore with two land bridges and is now part of the growing regional economic corridor with the city state. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has also congratulated Singapore on the 60th NDP. 'Congratulate FM Vivian Balakrishnan, the Government and people of Singapore on their 60th National Day. Cherish our enduring friendship and multifaceted cooperation," he said in a post on social media, shared by the High Commission of India here. Singaporeans also witnessed military hardware display and the follow-on display of State Flag Flypast by the Air Force, as well as 'drop-in" at the venue by the parachutists. The traditional gun salutes were fired to celebrate the prosperity of the island-turned-cosmopolitan city over the past six decades, which has hosted the best corporate and talent from around the world. Spectacular military formations, heartfelt anthems about Singapore and magnificent aerial displays by the Singapore Armed Forces Parachute Team or Red Lions were telecast live across the island of over six million people of multi-ethnicity. The celebration was lit up by fireworks over the Marina Bay after sunset over the lighted-up city centre towers, which host global multinational corporations, demonstrating the city-state's status as an Asian financial hub. In an interesting twist to the National Day celebration, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) shared an Instagram reel of a Tamil song from the movie 'Coolie", on Aug 8. The reel captioned 'Reporting for NDP 2025 duties" has taken social media by storm, racking up more than 4.3 million views in just over 20 hours, according to media reports here. The reel features a catchy Tamil track titled 'Powerhouse', composed by music director Anirudh Ravichander from India's Tamil film industry. Tamil is one of Singapore's four official languages – the other being English, Mandarin and Malay. PTI GS RD RD RD view comments First Published: August 09, 2025, 18:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
NDP 2025: Regional leaders join in Singapore's 60th birthday celebration at the Padang
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (Centre row, from left) Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Zahid Hamidi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and the Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail and his spouse in attendance at National Day Parade on Aug 9. SINGAPORE - Leaders from Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia were greeted warmly by the crowd at the Padang as they joined in celebrations for Singapore's 60th year of independence. The foreign dignitaries welcomed at the parade included Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Zahid Hamidi, who is representing Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail and his spouse also joined the celebrations at Singapore's National Day Parade (NDP), along with 27,000 other spectators. Each of them received cheers from the crowd when live footage of their entry to the VIP stand was flashed onto giant screens around the Padang as they took their seats. All four leaders were seated among Singapore's leaders, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as former prime minister Goh Chok Tong and former president Halimah Yacob. Before the parade, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam hosted Sultan Bolkiah and Datuk Seri Zahid for lunch at the Istana, where the trio conversed about various matters. Mr Tharman wrote in a Facebook post: 'Our ties with our special friends run deep. They are a blessing in a world of turmoil. And we must keep nurturing them, with each new generation.' Writing on Facebook on the morning of Aug 9, Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said he welcomed Mr Zahid at Changi Airport. 'Our two countries share deep historical and cultural ties, and a friendship that has stood the test of time,' added Dr Balakrishnan. Mr Zahid said he hoped his attendance would strengthen the longstanding relationship between Singapore and Malaysia, and that more doors of cooperation would be opened. He also paid a courtesy call on PM Wong and held a bilateral meeting with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. Mr Zahid said in a Facebook post on Aug 9: 'During this meeting (with DPM Gan), we agreed that the potential of Asean's large market should be fully utilised to boost bilateral trade.' DPM Gan, writing on Facebook on Aug 9, said the pair discussed ongoing initiatives and partnerships between the countries, including the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. 'We also talked about ways to develop closer bilateral ties between Singapore and Malaysia, as well as how to deepen integration within Asean, for the benefit of our region, businesses and people,' he added. A day earlier, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng had received Sultan Bolkiah and his wife, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, at Changi Airport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Aug 8: 'Singapore is honoured by the presence of dignitaries from our closest neighbours at our milestone celebration. 'Their attendance underscores our shared geographic and historical ties, and reflects the enduring strength of our friendships.' This is the first time since 2019 that foreign dignitaries have been invited to attend the NDP. Back in 2019, Sultan Bolkiah, then Indonesian President Joko Widodo and then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad attended the parade at the Padang to celebrate Singapore's bicentennial.
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid visits Singapore for 2025 National Day Parade
SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi arrived in Singapore on Saturday for a two-day working visit. He will represent the Malaysian government at the 2025 Singapore National Day Parade later today. Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and High Commissioner Vanu Gopala Menon welcomed him upon arrival. 'This visit is highly significant as this year marks the 60th anniversary of Malaysia–Singapore diplomatic relations,' Ahmad Zahid said in a Facebook post. 'God willing, I believe this visit will further strengthen the longstanding friendship between our two nations and open more doors for cooperation that will benefit our people and countries.' During his visit, Ahmad Zahid is scheduled to meet Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He will also hold a bilateral meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Malaysia's Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation. Singapore was Malaysia's second-largest global trading partner in 2024. It was also Malaysia's largest trading partner among ASEAN member states, with total trade reaching RM396.22 billion (US$86.69 billion). From January to March this year, bilateral trade grew by 12.2% to RM97.93 billion (US$22.00 billion). - Bernama
The Star
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Zahid arrives in Singapore for the 2025 Singapore National Day Parade
SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi arrived in Singapore on Saturday for a two-day working visit and to represent the Malaysian government at the 2025 Singapore National Day Parade on Saturday evening (Aug 9). He was received on arrival by Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, and Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon. "This visit is highly significant as this year marks the 60th anniversary of Malaysia-Singapore diplomatic relations. "I believe this visit will further strengthen the longstanding friendship between our two nations and open more doors for cooperation that will benefit our people and countries," Ahmad Zahid said in a post on Facebook. During the visit, he was scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and hold a bilateral meeting with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong. Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said discussions would focus on bilateral cooperation and matters of mutual interest to strengthen existing ties. In 2024, Singapore was Malaysia's second-largest trading partner globally and its largest among Asean member states, with total trade amounting to about RM396.22bil (US$86.69bil). For the period of January to March this year, bilateral trade increased by 12.2% to RM97.93bil (US$22.00bil). – Bernama
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
DPM Zahid to attend Singapore National Day Parade 2025
PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will visit Singapore from August 9 to 10. He will represent Malaysia at the Singapore National Day Parade 2025. The Malaysian Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit in a statement on Friday. The trip follows an official invitation from the Singaporean government. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, will meet Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He will also hold discussions with Deputy PM Gan Kim Yong, Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister. The meetings aim to review bilateral cooperation and explore mutual interests. The visit highlights the strong and enduring ties between Malaysia and Singapore. Both nations share close relations as immediate neighbours and key ASEAN members. This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In 2024, Singapore was Malaysia's second-largest global trading partner. It was also Malaysia's top trading partner within ASEAN. Total trade between the two nations reached RM396.22 billion (US$86.69 billion) last year. From January to March 2025, bilateral trade grew by 12.2 per cent to RM97.93 billion (US$22.00 billion). The discussions are expected to further strengthen economic and diplomatic collaboration. - Bernama
