WHAT'S YOUR NATIONAL DAY STORY?

PIONEER speaks to five different groups of National Day Parade (NDP) participants to find out about their NDP stories and what they love about celebrating our nation's birthday.

Every 9 Aug, Singaporeans would come together as one nation to celebrate the country's independence, regardless of race, language, religion or background. And in this vein, this year's National Day Parade (NDP) theme Many Stories... One Singapore encourages Singaporeans from all walks of life to share their personal accounts of what it means to live in Singapore and what they love about the country.

Held for the sixth time at The Float@Marina Bay, this year's NDP includes a thrilling Defence Dynamic Display (D3), the traditional Parade & Ceremony, and the Show which will be done in a new "variety show" format this year.

Here are the stories of some of the people on parade.

LTA Tay Weng Yew
Deputy Secretary of D3 Committee

The Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Mk II Light Strike Vehicle, the Singapore Police Force's (SPF's) Armoured Personnel Carrier and the Singapore Civil Defence Force s (SCDF's) Compressed Air Foam Fire Engine.

These are the new cool and sleek machines that will make their public debut during the D3, but they are not the only newcomers at this year's NDP.

Come 9 Aug, new citizen Lieutenant (LTA) Tay Weng Yew will be celebrating his new nation's 48th birthday with fellow Singaporeans from behind the scenes. The 22-year-old SAF Regular is involved in organising this year's D3, which will excite audiences with high-speed manoeuvres and thrilling displays.

Featuring seven displays, which include the SAF's Artillery firing display, the SPF's Anti-Swarming Tactics and the SCDF's fire-fighting, rescue and emergency, and hazmat operations, this year's D3 will involve the greatest number of military and Home Team hardware in NDP history.

On his role in the D3 Committee, LTA Tay said: "I find it extremely enjoyable to be able to plan for the display because as organisers, we have a great influence on deciding what we want to celebrate and how we want to celebrate."

He added: "Besides celebrating the nation's birthday, we are also celebrating its independence, peace, stability and economic prosperity. All this could not have been possible without the efforts of Singaporean citizens and soldiers."

Having lived in Singapore for his entire life, LTA Tay only thought of becoming a Singapore citizen recently. When asked why that thought only came after 20 years, he replied with a smile: "Because I wanted to sign on."

The Singapore Management University student, who became a citizen in August last year and signed on with the SAF two months later, elaborated: "The greatest appeal (of the military) to me was being able to lead and to influence the lives of my men.

"As an officer, I'm in a greater position to groom the next generation of Singaporean Sons, and more importantly, groom them to be Singaporean Fathers, who will pass down the values of what they have learnt in the SAF to their children."

"What I like most are the young kids (dressed in uniforms) in the Finale segment. It signifies that defence is not the sole responsibility of adults and Regulars; the future generation will play a part in the nation's defence when their time comes."
- LTA Tay on his favourite part of NDP

For Mr Sequeira, the vibrant atmosphere created by NDP spectators encourages participants to do their best.

Leo Sequeira
Retired Physical
Education Teacher

The date was 9 Aug 1966. Many Singaporeans woke up in the wee hours of the morning, excited to witness, for the first time, how a young nation celebrated her very first birthday. At 9am, both civilians and soldiers stood tall and smart with pride, waiting for the cue to march into the Padang.

With a single piercing command from the parade commander, the marching contingents trudged out to cheers of joy from the crowd.

"That was the proudest moment in my life," said Mr Sequeira, who was marching as part of the Singapore Teachers' Union (a civilian contingent) behind the military contingent on that day.

He fondly reminisced: "As soon as you heard the crunching of the army boots as the military started marching, you could feel your hair standing on end and your heart beating faster."

While most senior citizens would tend to shy away from strenuous physical activity, Mr Sequeira, who turns 69 and will be marching as part of the National Trades Union Congress contingent this year, does not mind enduring the blazing sun during rehearsals. In fact, this is the 40th time Mr Sequeira is taking part in NDP, which shows just how much he enjoys marching for the country.

Another reason he continues to participate in NDP is the chance to meet up with old friends. "We've been marching for more than 30 years together now. There's a strong sense of camaraderie; we're like a family."

The retired Montfort Junior School Physical Education teacher also noted that as Singapore evolved over the years, so had NDP, which had transformed from a purely military parade to an entertaining and thrilling spectacle for all Singaporeans to enjoy.

"NDP has come a long way. They have introduced musical sections, cultural sections, video shows, bands, and once in a while, showcased military hardware, and the people behind the machines."

"I'm looking forward to NDP 2015, because that s the year Singapore celebrates its 50th birthday!"
- Mr Sequeira on whether he will continue to take part in NDP

3WO Shirley Ng
Parachute Rigger

Soaring through the skies is every kid s childhood dream, but not everyone can grow up to fulfil that aspiration. 3rd Warrant Officer (3WO) Shirley Ng, however, was able to realise her dream when she became the first-ever female member of the exclusive SAF Parachuting Team - better known as the Red Lions.

Consisting mainly of Commandos, the Red Lions are all operationally-trained in military freefall. The six-member team this year will also feature 32-year-old 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) Eng Yew Kiang, the youngest-ever Red Lion.

Primarily a parachute rigger by vocation, 3WO Ng participates in jumps as part of her training experience, and has all the qualifications of a military skydiver. She did her first jump five years ago, and when the opportunity for her to train with the Red Lions arose last year, she pounced on it.

A first-time NDP participant, 3WO Ng said: "Initially, I felt very nervous and very excited. But as I was going to land, I could hear the crowd cheering from the stands and it was an amazing feeling."

For every first attempt, challenges are inevitable. There is a very tight drop zone, and so one slight mistake may cause you to drop into the sea or crash into the audience. You have to be extremely precise.

"It's also different from the solo jumps I ve been doing so far. It's a team effort: you have to synchronise your jump with the team, and you land as a team as well. As a junior jumper compared to the rest of them (the Red Lions), it's a little stressful," she admitted.

But what would the 35-year-old Regular rather do for NDP if she wasn't participating as part of the Red Lions?

"I would actually like to sing," she said with a smile, "because that's the part I love most about NDP. Everyone comes together to sing the National Day songs, and I can see the unity of Singaporeans as one people."

"To do something I love for NDP - skydiving - is a dream come true. I'm also proud and happy to be able to jump with the best team in Singapore, the Red Lions."
- 3WO Ng on performing for NDP in the sport she loves the most

For the Chiew family (clockwise from left: Mrs Chiew, Mr Chiew, Chern Faye and Raine), nothing beats doing your favourite activity with your loved ones.

Chiew Family
Team Chiewonit, Sing-A-Nation Participants

Ever wondered how it feels to sing for the country during National Day as millions of Singaporeans watch on? And what s more, to be joined by your loved ones to perform on stage?

This year, the chance fell on Mr Chiew Chun Wee and his family (his wife June, and his two daughters, Chern Faye and Raine) who were selected to be a part of Sing-A-Nation, a choir made up of 68 ordinary Singaporeans performing this year's NDP theme song One Singapore on stage.

The participants will also battle it out in the Sing-A-Nation contest. One singing group, out of 10, will emerge as the winner over four weeks of intense competition to be the centrepiece of the NDP choir.

Describing it as an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mr Chiew, Head of Policy, Asia Pacific, at The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, said: "This is the first time all of us are participating in NDP, and we re taking part as a family, so it's an exciting and eye-opening experience."

For the first time, 68 everyday Singaporeans will sing the NDP theme song as part of the Sing-A-Nation choir.

Nonetheless, this will not be the first time the Chiew family are singing together. At home, they would huddle around the piano and have their own singing sessions. "My wife would play the piano and the rest of us would sing. It s a great recreational activity for us," said Mr Chiew.

The family's love and passion for singing stem from their strong musical background. Mrs Chiew works as a freelance musician and piano teacher, and both Chern Faye and Raine were exposed to music at a very young age due to their mother"s influence.

As one of the NDP participants, Chern Faye, 11, would not have the chance to watch the NDP at the National Education shows like other Primary 5 students of her batch. But she is excited and happy to perform in front of her peers: "I hope to make my friends sing along with me on that day!"

Raine, 9, is also unfazed about performing live in front of thousands: "I'm not nervous because I've done a few performances and auditions before. I'm also fully prepared, so I'm ready to sing!"

Besides being able to sing as a family, Mrs Chiew also enjoys singing the new song: "It's upbeat and I like the part when the bridge goes into something melodious. I also like the music arrangement; it s energetic and catchy at the same time."

"When we sang the theme song for combined rehearsals, and the fireworks started crackling in the skies, I felt moved because it was such a breathtaking moment."
- Mrs Chiew on performing for this year's NDP

Mr Avaday (second from left) and Mr Suhaimi (far right) with the rest of the members of the Wheelchair Basketball Association team.

Wheelchair Basketball Association

They may be wheelchair-bound, but they certainly can play basketball better than most people. The Wheelchair Basketball Association team will be appearing on stage at this year s NDP Show segment during the section Represent.

But don't expect hoop-shooting action because these physically handicapped professional athletes will not be playing a competitive game. Instead, they will be performing with able-bodied basketballers on wheelchairs from the WheelPower Club from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

While tossing balls and moving in wheelchairs would not pose a problem to the disabled athletes, the team faces some challenges in doing the routine. Team leader Palanisamy Avaday, who has represented Singapore in other sports such as archery, tennis and table tennis for disabled athletes, said: "Because we're sportsmen, not performers, we do feel a bit shaky in terms of the choreography."

Fellow team member Suhaimi bin Pain agreed: "When we're out there, we sometimes get flustered about what to do and where to go on stage. We must also follow the music cues. Also, a lot of people are watching, so we tend to get nervous."

However, with lots of practice and rehearsals, the team feels confident of putting up a good show for the audience.

Mr Suhaimi also highlighted the importance of basketball as a team game: "In basketball, team members may fight, quarrel and argue with each other, but ultimately, we re still friends who want to improve together and fight for the same goal."

Afflicted by polio at a young age, the 55-year-old added: "The same applies for all Singaporeans. As long as we are one united people, we can overcome any challenges that we face."

"I'm very proud and happy to be on the stage performing. It also gives us the opportunity to show Singaporeans that even the disabled can play sports."
- Mr Avaday on the team's first NDP participation

A New Show for Singaporeans

Every year, Singaporeans look forward to the National Day Parade's Show segment, where they are dazzled by colourful costumes and huge displays. However, for this year, Show will be done in a completely new and unique way.

The conventional style - Prologue, Acts I, II, III, and Finale - which many Singaporeans are familiar with will be replaced with a new variety show concept anchored on nine themes: Play, Build, Reinvent, Express, Represent, Aspire, Embrace, Love and Party.

Each theme will be illustrated by different performances. For example, in Play, the mini-emcees (kid versions of the anchor emcees) and their fellow performers will tell Singapore's traditional folklores, like the stories of Bukit Merah and Sang Nila Utama. To make the storytelling livelier, a giant human LED screen will be formed to create images relevant to the story.

Other highlights of the show include bold stunts performed by extreme sportsmen, ranging from BMX bikers, skateboarders, inline skaters and parkour runners; the Merlion coming to life through light and multimedia effects and joining the celebrations at the floating platform; and the Sing-A-Nation choir performing this year's theme song One Singapore.

Take part in our NDP giveaway at www.mindef.gov.sg/pnr/contest by 15 Aug and stand a chance to win one of 20 NDP fun packs!