Latest news with #Singapore60th
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
Own car or reliable public transport? Photo of S'poreans holding up opposite wishes at NDP goes viral
TikTok screengrab/ CNA SINGAPORE: Many Singaporeans filled out placards where they expressed their wishes and hopes during last Saturday's National Day Parade (NDP) celebration for the city-state's 60th birthday. Some of them were caught on camera and featured in a video on Channel NewsAsia's ( CNA ) social media channels. A man and a woman seated near each other with seemingly opposite wishes caught the attention of a local Reddit user, who promptly shared a screenshot of them on the platform. While the woman's placard reads, 'I want to own a car,' the man wrote that he wants to 'have a reliable and affordable public transport system.' Between the two of them sits another young man. Below the screenshot are lyrics from Kit Chan's NDP song 'Home,' 'When there are troubles to go through.' @channelnewsasia Complete the sentence: I want to … #NDP2025 #SG60 ♬ Funny video 'Carmen Prelude' Arranging weakness(836530) – yo suzuki(akisai) Many Reddit users have since commented on the photo, with one simply writing, 'Absolutely perfect camera direction. ' ' Give this cameraman a raise!' another wrote. 'The irony lolol,' wrote a commenter, while another joked that 'the guy in the middle should get up so the two can be together.' A Reddit user quipped that the man between the two placards 'must represent' the Transport Ministry and the Land Transport Authority. 'Stuck between two opposing demands,' they added. ' Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow… slowly sinking into his seat…,' another joked. 'Honestly, no car nvm, but please ensure a reliable and proficient public transport system,' a commenter weighed in. 'This man is a hero,' observed another, while a commenter chimed in with, 'Shout out to this guy .' The woman had supporters of her own, with one writing, ' I mean she's not wrong.' Other commenters on the post also pointed out different placards from the CNA video that made them laugh. 'There's another person's card that read 'I want to not be on camera again' and the cheeky cameraman showed it for just like a few seconds and it made me LOL.' TikTok screengrab/ CNA 'The kid with the PSLE one is funny too, haha.' TikTok screengrab/ CNA 'I could only relate to the girl with the sign that said I want to eat mee siam,' wrote a Reddit user. TikTok screengrab/ CNA A commenter observed, 'This wish list is a new one for NDP, get to show it to the whole country,' but added that they 'hope the cameraman will not get reprimanded.' /TISG Read also: Walid Abdullah posts wish list for Singapore's 60th birthday, including less use of ChatGPT for younger S'poreans () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Walid Abdullah posts wish list for Singapore's 60th birthday, including less use of ChatGPT for younger S'poreans
FB screengrab/Walid J Abdullah SINGAPORE: With Singapore celebrating its 60th birthday on Saturday (Aug 9), Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University as well as a political analyst and podcaster, published a wide-ranging wish list for the city-state on his Facebook account. ' 6 wishes for Singapore's 60th. I wish: 1. That Singaporeans stop saying, 'If LKY was around, this wouldn't have happened.' 2. That no Ministry, Stat Board, organisation, or food establishment respond to a query with: 'you can download our app.' 3. That Singaporeans, especially younger ones, use ChatGPT less. Just because we wish to be a 'Smart Nation', doesn't mean that we have to embrace all technology at all times uncritically. 4. That Singaporeans stop complaining when kids are playing (football) in the neighbourhood. 5. That no one says 'I am manifesting' this. (That's just the secular version of prayers. Wanting to pray without believing in God) 6. That Singapore recognises a Palestinian state,' he wrote. See also Gerald Giam asked if WP has abandoned its 'core base' His post has gone on to receive a lot of attention from fellow users on the platform, some of whom responded with wishes of their own. 'That the standard solution to our problems isn't 'Hey, you know what? Let's form a committee. Let's form five of 'em! Yeah, that's sorted,'' wrote one netizen. 'Stop saying 'let's move forward' before properly proceeding with what happened,' added another. One chimed in with, 'Be a more thinking & independent nation, and avoid being a blind follower of certain deceptive narratives.' A commenter, meanwhile, took a lighter tone when he wrote, 'My wish is for Singaporeans to stop making fun of Manchester United!' Dr Walid's fourth wish about kids playing football in Singapore appeared to resonate with a number of netizens, one of whom wrote that 'if Singaporeans do that, then they have no right to complain about why our football team sucks!' Another wrote, 'This I agree to a tee!' As for the academic's point about ChatGPT, a Facebook user observed that 'the use of AI may not make us a smart nation. In fact, it could easily produce the opposite effect. What we really need to be smart is developing natural intelligence and not artificial intelligence. In fact, the term artificial intelligence is arguably an oxymoron to begin with, for intelligence must be natural since it is an attribute of sentient beings, not super-computers, no matter how complex their man-made algorithms may be.' /TISG Read also: Academic Walid J Abdullah calls Mdm Halimah a voice of 'moral clarity' in his new book () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Singapore's National Day Parade 2025
Singapore marked its 60th birthday today (Aug 9). Here's a recap of NDP 2025, through the lens of CNA's visual journalists. Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon Before the show started, a rainbow was seen above Singapore's skyline. Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long The show started with naval divers demonstrating a free-fall jump used in actual operations, before landing in the water in Marina Bay. Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long They were followed by the crowd-favourite Red Lions, who descended from about 10,000 ft and made their way to the Padang. Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman Prime Minister Lawrence Wong arriving at the Padang. Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon President Tharman Shanmugaratnam inspecting the guard of honour contingents. Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor The RSAF showcased special displays to mark SG60. Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long The feu-de-joie, also known as the 'fire of joy', which involves the sequential firing of blank rounds into the air. Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting The mobile column making its first appearance at the Padang since the 2019 bicentennial celebrations. Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor Veterans who have served Singapore over the years were honoured. They include Singapore's oldest veteran - 95-year-old Booi Seow Kiat from the SAF. Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting Singers Kit Chan and Charlie Lim performing this year's NDP theme song, Here We Are. Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting The first fireworks of the night. Photo: CNA/Faith Ho Dancers performing with lightbulbs. Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting Singer Dick Lee performing We Will Get There in a helium balloon. Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor The crowd singing along to the performances. Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari Fireworks lighting up the sky during the grand finale. Photo: CNA/Faith Ho The parade came to an end under a full moon. Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting Next Story
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NDP 2025: Hope and anticipation as Singapore's 60th birthday bash kicks off
SINGAPORE – A sense of anticipation thrummed at the Padang on Aug 9 as the crowd waited for the kick-off to the National Day Parade (NDP) celebrations. The slight drizzle and relentless heat had nothing on the audience, who sang along to familiar national favourites piped through speakers and thumped energetically to the beat with inflatable thunder sticks. It was, after all, Singapore's 60th birthday bash – and the 27,000 people in attendance were ready to celebrate. A segment in the pre-show of wishes penned by Singaporeans drew laughter, and some crowd favourites were 'I want to do well for Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)!' and 'I want to be on television!', and heartfelt ones like 'I want us to feel safe and welcomed!' and 'I want us to support each other!'. Several Padang waves later, the giant screens showed hosts Joakim Gomez, Sonia Chew, Ebi Shankara and Siti Khalijah 'teleporting' from the stage at the Padang to an MRT train. To the soundtrack Makin' Our Way, written and composed by home-grown artist Benjamin Kheng, a film showed the hosts riding the train to scenes in Singapore's history, before they hopped onto a Singapore Big Bus. There was a surprise appearance made by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in the film, who played a riff on an electric guitar at the back of that Singapore Big Bus – to loud cheers from the audience at the Padang. It was then when the hosts pulled up in person at the Padang. The atmosphere turned electric when it became clear that the show had started proper, with the four hosts breaking into song and dance on the Padang stage. Not a moment was wasted thereafter, as thrilling music drew eyes skywards to the impending arrival of the Red Lions parachutists. Phones were whipped out, necks craned, and breaths bated as the seven skydivers – leaping from the aircraft at 3,050m above ground and at first appearing as small dots in the sky – spiralled downwards. The Red Lions linked their arms together to form a circle, before dispersing in a 'bomb burst' manoeuvre complete with red smoke trails to resemble a flower opening. At about 1,220m above ground, the Red Lions deployed their parachutes for their descent onto the Padang to resounding cheers from the audience. The Red Lions' arrival was just half of the perennial crowd favourite. In the inaugural Jump of Unity at the 2025 parade, seven naval divers parachuted into Marina Bay from a helicopter at about 1,830m above ground. Their splashdown in Marina Bay was similarly met with thunderous roars from the massive crowd gathered at the promontory on the bay. After their dramatic jumps, the 14 Red Lions and naval divers performed a combined simultaneous salute from their separate landing sites. Audience members then turned their eyes to a video featuring Singaporeans from all walks of life talking about their wishes for their community and themselves. As night fell, the camera panned to members of the crowd holding up their wish placards, illuminating the idea of collective hope for the nation's future. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
CNA
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
NDP 2025: Heartland sites announced for Singapore's 60th birthday celebration
SINGAPORE: Heartland celebrations for this year's National Day, which marks the 60th anniversary of Singapore's independence, will take place at Bishan, Punggol, Yishun, Geylang and Bukit Gombak. On Aug 10, a day after National Day, members of the public can enjoy festivities in the heartlands, with a signature display jump from the Red Lions and a mobile column – last seen in the heartlands in 2020 – displaying vehicles from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force being part of the celebrations. There will also be a fighter jet flypast, as well as exhibits, community experiences, live performances, fireworks and a drone show, said the People's Association (PA) in a news release on Tuesday (Jul 8). The celebrations – organised by the PA and the National Day Parade (NDP) 2025 executive committee – will be held at the following locations, with each having a unique theme: Central district: "Nurturing Communities, Shaping Tomorrow" at the open field beside Junction 8 in Bishan North East district: "One HOPE" at the open field next to One Punggol North West district: "Heartbeat of our North West" at the open field next to FutsalArena @ Yishun South East district: "Bridging Generations, Stronger Together" at the open field beside Wisma Geylang Serai South West district: "Together We Shine and Spark" at Bukit Gombak Stadium The sites will be open from 4pm to 9pm on Aug 10. Singaporeans can now collect the tickets for the celebrations in their districts at their nearest community clubs on a first-come, first-served basis. Each person can collect up to two tickets. Ticket-holders will be able to access the respective heartland celebration sites and receive complimentary NDP packs. "In addition to expanding this year's NDP from the Padang to the Marina Bay area as a seamless canvas, it is our hope that we can bring the spirit of National Day to as many Singaporeans as possible, into their homes and neighbourhoods," said the co-chairman of the NDP 2025 heartland celebrations committee, Colonel David Kwek. Fellow co-chairman of the NDP 2025 heartland celebrations committee and PA group director of grassroots Pow Choon Ghee said that the PA has worked with grassroots organisations, volunteers and community partners to plan a "rich line-up" of heartland programmes to "bring people together in meaningful ways". "From immersive installations and community art projects to family-friendly activities and electrifying performances, there's something for everyone – young and old," he added. More details, such as the list of community clubs where tickets can be collected, can be found on the NDP website. "MAJULAH SINGAPURA" The theme for this year's NDP is "Majulah Singapura", which calls on Singaporeans to reflect on six decades of nationhood while looking forward with optimism and resilience, said the NDP executive committee in May. Speaking about the return of the mobile column to the heartlands, Lieutenant-Colonel Chek Wei Lun, the chairman of the committee overseeing the column, said that 60 vehicles from the SAF and Home Team will travel to the heartland sites via five routes so Singaporeans can "experience the mobile column up close". "To expand the reach of NDP celebrations this year, the mobile column will stop at designated pit stops along each route, which would be open to the public for the first time for them to view the vehicles," he said. "Singaporeans can also track the live location of the mobile column via the NDP website, allowing them to anticipate when their favourite vehicles would pass through their estates." After reaching the five heartland sites, the mobile column will form up for static displays at each site. In addition, the fighter jet flypast – named the Fighter Island Flypast – will see four F-16s flying in a diamond formation over Singapore's heartlands from 6pm to 6.30pm. It will also fly each loop twice to provide the public "more opportunities to catch a glimpse of them", said the PA. The Red Lions will be conducting their signature display jump at the Bishan heartland celebration site.
