2007: “The image of the floating platform on Marina Bay speaks a great deal of how we can never be on completely solid ground, and how Singapore has done very well despite the changeability of the conditions we’re in,” said geography professor Lily Kong of the National University of Singapore, on the festivities at the Marina Bay waterfront last year. Fewer spectators could be accommodated there, a contrast from 1976, when the parade moved from the Padang to the National Stadium so that more people could take part in the nation’s celebration.

 

Even as NDP evolves through the years, spirit of celebration is still at its heart

As torrential rain poured on Aug 9, 1968, then social affairs minister Othman Wok was leading a People’s Defence Force contingent on a route march from the Padang to Farrer Road.

It was the first National Day Parade (NDP) to get rained on. But the sun shone through later, and the starch from his uniform dissolved and hardened to form uncomfortable crusts on his skin.

Now 83, Mr Othman recalled: “I could hear the boys saying ‘So suay!’, but we pressed on. We had to march properly.” Suay is Hokkien for “unlucky”.

But stoic determination was to be a hallmark of the parade and the new nation.

Just like Singapore, much has changed in the NDP’s 43-year history. It has become more high-tech and sophisticated, but parade veterans agreed that, at its heart, it has not changed.

Mr Karim Namazie, 66, who did the parade’s TV commentary in English from 1968 to 1976, said: “It has become better; there’s been more money and thought put into it, but the spirit of celebration has always been the same.”

In the early days, military displays took precedence, as the NDP aimed to inspire confidence in the newly independent nation. The mood became more festive in the 1970s.

Mass dances and floats were key, with many incorporating images synonymous with Singapore’s work ethic, such as bees, cogs and hammers.

Filmmaker Tan Pin Pin, 38, has seen the parade evolve. In 2006, she studied all 40 years of parade footage to create a video installation for the National Museum of Singapore’s history exhibit. “It may seem didactic, but it reflected what was important to Singapore then and now,” she said.

Between 1975 and 1984, the parade was decentralised every other year to take the celebration out to the heartland.

In 1976, it moved to the National Stadium, creating a more collective experience. It was more interactive by
the mid 1980s, with flashcards and torchlights handed out to spectators.

By the 1990s and the 2000s, celebration had clearly become a priority, with the focus on high-tech entertainment put together by theatrically trained parade directors and awesome military spectacles.

It has become Mardi Gras-like, said interviewees.

The shift in mood reflects a maturing of the nation, said National University of Singapore geography professor Lily Kong.

Newly independent countries tend to have military displays to assert their might; those which have enjoyed sovereignty for a while have more relaxed, enjoyable affairs, she noted. “It’s more about us having fun now. We’re letting our hair down and showing we’re a confident nation coming of age."

1966: “I was very proud that I was able to participate, and able to restore confidence to the people of Singapore that we were prepared for any eventuality,” recalled former minister for social affairs Othman Wok (above), now 83, on his marching with the People’s Defence Force as an officer cadet in Singapore’s first National Day Parade in 1966. Mr Othman went on to lead the contingent in 1968, 1970 and 1973.

1974: “Floats back then were kitschy, yet heartfelt in the presentation of their messages. I am not sure if this earnest presentation will be bought by our youth these days,” reflected filmmaker Tan Pin Pin, on this float in the 1974 parade which depicted a man being punished for being lazy. She said it captured the way the parade heavily promoted the spirit of diligence and nation-building in its early years.

1997: Parade spectators whip out banner scarves from their goodie bags a part of an audience mass display. The parade began to have more audience participation by the mid-1980s, which fostered a greater sense of inclusiveness and unity. Items such as flashcards, torchlights, colour coordinated clothes, umbrellas and oversized foam hands have been used throughout the years for such displays.