CELEBRATING THE SINGAPORE SPIRIT 2

You know someone important is celebrating her birthday when 27,000 people turn up to celebrate the occasion. On 9 Aug, Singapore marked her 46th year of independence with a rousing parade. Themed Majulah! The Singapore Spirit, this year's National Day Parade (NDP) was the first time the annual event was presented in an integrated musical format.

NDP 2011 opened on-cue with the spectacular descent of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Red Lions at 6:28pm. As each Red Lion came in for the landing, spectators held their breaths and the crowd's collective crescendo followed their paths through the skies before erupting in cheers as each jumper's feet touched the ground.

Following the parachutists' daring descent, NDP 2011 got into full swing as the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) warning chime sounded to warn of an impending "attack". Various land, air and sea assets from the SAF, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were mobilised in the Marina Bay area to tackle the "intruders" in the Defence Dynamic Display (D3) segment.

Singaporeans watched in rapture as a series of well-coordinated responses from the different agencies unfolded before their eyes. Some of the sights they saw included an S-70B naval helicopter as it soared across the Singapore skyline before lowering its dipping sonar into the waters of the marina to detect the exact location of sub-surface intruders. SAF Naval Divers in full combat gear then jumped off a Chinook helicopter. On the ground, the newly-acquired High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launched simulated rockets to deal with the threat as SAF forces closed in on the perpetrators with blazing gunfire from a pair of Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles.

"I can see that Singapore is well-prepared for any crisis. I am so proud to be a Singaporean!" said 25-year old Veni Rajesh, who was attending the parade for the first time.

In a departure from previous NDPs, the D3 segment was presented as a daydream of young Singaporean Zachary Pang, who plays the role of the grandson in the five-act musical, in which he is a task force commander from the SAF. As the 50-minute show segment carried on, spectators saw kaleidoscopic costumes and props backed by moving music. Threaded together by a simple but heartfelt narrative of a Singaporean family from independence to present-day, the show is produced by a star ensemble of local award-winning artistes which includes NDP 2011 Creative Director Beatrice Chia-Richmond.

In the five Acts, the Singapore story unfolded through the voices of four central characters played by local celebrities Sharon Au and Timothy Nga, and young talents Reuben Goh and Zachary. Together they formed the central family nucleus of mother (Sharon Au), son (Reuben Goh and Timothy Nga) and grandson (Zachary). Adding to all this was the seven-storey Cube structure which transformed its shape and form across the Acts. During the fourth Act titled Progress, spectators almost could not believe their eyes as an MRT train emerged from the cube in a show of the nation's remarkable growth over the past 46 years.

"When the army and police came in, I felt so proud as I saw the many things that Singapore has achieved over the years," spectator Ms Sarah Anne Barnett told cyberpioneer after the parade. "Everything about NDP 2011 was awesome and I liked it when our former Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew walked in as he's the one who brought the country to where we are today," said Ms Eliza Lee Le Ying.

"I've always loved my country but after coming to NDP 2011, I feel that I treasure the country more and I feel every single one has a part to play in making this a better place," said Mr Andy Tan, 32.

The elite Naval Divers emerge onto the stage to neutralise threats during the awe-inspiring D3 segment.

The Pledge moment: Singaporeans re-affirming their dedication to the nation at exactly 8.10pm.