AUGUST 11 — Happy Birthday, Singapore. 

Singapore is celebrating its 54th National Day.

Another year in our collective journey has rolled by and we mark its passing with a moment of reflection, celebration, and fireworks.  

I think we can confidently say Singapore has exceeded the dreams and expectations of those who celebrated our first National Day back in 1966. 

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There was a time when our very survival was in doubt.  The reality is that Singapore is not a natural nation. At the point of independence, we didn’t have the history, geography or even a trajectory that would have suggested we could really strike out on our own. 

But that was our path and over the last 54 years, we have forged our own destiny among the community of nations.  

And as we went along, we started to adopt and embrace national symbols. The flag, our anthem Majulah Singapura, the Merlion, our iconic skyline, our powerful military – our spectacular National Day parades. This is crucial because to make the transition from a city/entrepôt to a nation, symbols are essential. 

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A lot of the credit for the public’s adoption of these symbols must go to policy makers who moved deliberately, from the moment of our independence, to emphasize both symbols (including our colours red and white) and actions (National Service, the Pledge) as part of Singapore’s identity.  This is basic nation building: the idea that nations don’t just exist on maps but in the minds of their people.  

As a schoolgirl, I remember dressing up in red and white on the eve of National Day. The teachers and parents did the same and the tradition continues to this day.  While some of these attempts at fostering unity may seem cheesy, I understand that this had to be done; symbols are important. 

Today as Singapore celebrates its 54th National Day,  it is worth giving some thought to the state of our symbols. For example, at this year’s national parade rocker Ramli Sarip aka Papa Rock delivered a soulful, rock inspired version of the national anthem. The general response to his rendition was extremely positive but there were those who asked if this didn’t constitute desecrating/demeaning the national anthem – which is illegal under Singapore’s Arms, Flag and Anthem Act.  

Given how heartfelt his version was, the critical comments were probably little more than trolling but there is a valid question here. How far can we go? Is it ok to have an electronic version? What about a reggae or dangdut versions? 

Recently the police began investigating reports of a PRC China flag being displayed outside an apartment – it is illegal to display the flags/ symbols of another nation in public. To some, this may seem a little draconian – but there’s a logic. If people start to put out PRC flags, will we see others put up Hong Kong flags in sympathy with protestors there? 

But where and how do we continue to draw these lines? People do need to innovate,and they need to take risks in order to create new symbols. 

We also shouldn’t rely solely on the government but as a people should work to develop our own touchpoints – what resonates with us as a people? I look forward to seeing the next generation of symbols that capture Singapore and the Singaporean experience. 

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.