Singapore Mint launches SG60 National Day collection
The SG60 National Day collection, created in collaboration with the National Day Parade, features commemorative medallions, multi-functional pins and a fine gold ingot.
It includes 24K gold-plated and 999 fine silver medallions, four-piece multi-functional pin set with a free cross-body strap and one gram fine gold ingot featuring the NDP mascot August the Merlion.
Each piece was 'thoughtfully designed to embody the spirit of celebration and iconic symbols of the National Day,' the Singapore Mint said.
'Drawing inspiration from key moments and symbols that have shaped the nation's journey, the collection resonates with generations of Singaporeans, capturing the pride and unity of the occasion.'
The new collection comes after the launch of other commemorative collections such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens medallions and the first SG60 collection featuring medallions representing five historic districts.
Raffles Mint Collectibles, a branch of the Singapore Mint, also launched its own SG60 collection with a pop-culture twist.
The collection features characters like Sanrio, Peanuts and Mr Merlion showcased on 24K gold-plated keychains, gold foil frames, figurines, lifestyle accessories and blind box medallions.
Each piece, presented in batik-inspired packaging, serves as a tribute to Singapore's iconic landmarks and nostalgic moments, the Singapore Mint said.
'From Changi Airport to the Dragon Playground, global characters bring local favourites to life in one-of-a-kind SG60 designs.'
Nine-in-one souvenir sets of the Singapore Bird Series currency notes are also available.
The notes, issued between 1976 to 1984, represent Singapore's second series of circulation currency.
The collectibles are limited to mintages of 1,888 gold sets and 6,888 silver sets.
'The birds featured on these notes symbolise strength, adaptability, and independence - qualities that mirrored the young Singapore as it soared towards greater progress,' the Singapore Mint said.
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CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
She dreamed of running away to join the circus – so this NUS graduate did exactly that
In 2014, 13-year-old Megan Lau sat wide-eyed in the audience of The House of Dancing Water, a water-based circus show in Macau. That evening, she climbed into the hotel bathtub and told her mum that she wanted to be a water princess. A decade on, she's living that dream – as a performer in the very same show. Nine times a week, she is suspended mid-air in a shimmering 15kg skirt and Swarovski-studded headpiece, hoisted above the audience like a human chandelier and across a stage pool holding about 15 million litres of water. When I met her earlier this month, Ms Lau, now 24, was eight months into her job as an aerialist and had taken all three days of her flexible leave to fly home to graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. Watching her warm up at an aerial studio tucked in the heart of Singapore's central business district, the setting seemed to reflect the playful contrast she herself recently noted on social media. She had observed that while her friends were busy climbing corporate ladders, her career involved a much more literal climb up ropes and acrobatics apparatuses. Earlier this year, Ms Lau decided to share snippets of her choice to "run away to the circus" on social media. Some of her videos have amassed more than 20 million views. Her videos offer glimpses of behind-the-scenes moments, ranging from her being dunked in a water cage to hanging upside-down from a lyra or a large, suspended aerial hoop. Ms Lau said she was inspired to film her life in the circus and share it on a public platform as way of savouring the moment. "It gives me a breath of fresh air, and a very good reminder that 'Megan, you're doing something really, really cool with your life'," she said. "It's brought me so much gratitude that I'm essentially doing what I love as a living, which is something that not many people can say they do." THE THRILL OF BEING SUSPENDED 20M IN THE AIR The show itself is a spectacle blending acrobatics, water effects, dance and special lighting, running for around 100 minutes per performance in a 2,000-seat theatre. Although The House of Dancing Water originally launched in 2010, it took a nearly five-year hiatus during the pandemic. Ms Lau is among the 90-strong cast performing in its 2025 revival. "It's quite tiring because we're doing nine shows in five days, so most days are two-show days," said Ms Lau. Her workday starts sometime around noon or 2pm. Rehearsals and strength training fill her afternoons, followed by a brief scramble to fix hair, makeup and costumes before stepping on stage. Each performance day means navigating six costume changes, some made trickier by requiring her to switch from dripping wet costumes to dry ones in mere minutes. When the show was relaunched this May, Ms Lau had already spent around eight months training in Macau. But even with her extensive dance background – beginning ballet at age five, teaching and performing regularly through her school years – Ms Lau had taken her first trial class in the aerial arts only two years ago. She had performed in only one outdoor aerial show, in Clarke Quay, which was on a portable aerial rig with a hoop choreography that lifted her only 2m off the ground. Even then, she was a bundle of nerves, so she was "definitely very scared" when she learnt that her new job involved flying almost 10 times that height on a daily basis. "One of the starting things we had to do was learning rope rescue, in case the rigging system stops and you need to climb down safely. So when they told me I had to climb down the rope (from 15m above the ground), my hands were so sweaty, so clammy," said Ms Lau with a laugh. "Now, every day, we're flying from like 20m down. But the more you do it, the more used to the height you are." Some of the most exciting parts of working for a water-based circus show include all the additional skills she has picked up, including learning how to scuba dive, due to the underwater segments some sequences. But it is not all glitz and glamour. Transitioning to being a full-time performer took a physical and mental toll, she said. "I think the most difficult part was going from university, being on the laptop a lot, and then completely jumping into something that's so physical, because now I need to work my body every day," she said. She showed me her hands, each palm thickly calloused, and then mentioned casually she had once twisted her foot – though the onsite physiotherapy team quickly treated it. Still, there's been at least one perk: Ms Lau laughed as she described how friends have been quick to point out how noticeably muscular she's become since starting the job. 'NO WAY THEY WILL TAKE ME, RIGHT?' Watching Ms Lau effortlessly swing herself upside down from an aerial hoop – and casually continuing our conversation mid-air – it was easy to be taken in by her movements, and the joy that seemed to radiate off her from having chosen the path less trodden. Years ago, I had entertained similar dreams of pursuing a degree in the performing arts, yet had chosen the somewhat safer, more conventional route of a regular office job. When asked, Ms Lau said she had not expected to find herself here either. She had opted to enroll in NUS as it was more practical to have a degree she could "fall back on". Instead of pursuing dance at the college level, she performed and taught dance as a freelancer while studying to help pay for her tuition fees. In May last year, she chanced upon a casting call for aerialists for The House of Dancing Water on social media and felt compelled to apply given it was "the best show (she'd) ever watched". "I (was) just trying my luck. But I was like, no way that they will take me, right?" But just a few days after submitting a show reel, she got a callback and was asked to send in a video of her performing some choreographed moves. Then came atwo-month-long casting process online that culminated in a job offer with the circus. As the contract began before her May 2025 graduation, Ms Lau had to balance training days in Macau with flying back and forth on days off to take the remaining NUS classes and exams for eight months. During that time, she was flying back to Singapore once a week, departing Macau on Monday nights, attending school on Tuesday and jetting back to Macau late on Tuesday nights, ready for work on Wednesday. She also attended classes throughout the week on Zoom and would wake up as early as 6am to get schoolwork done before 10am trainings. "Balancing training and school work was definitely a push. I usually came home from work pretty tired, so instead of doing school at night, I would wake up extra early to get my readings and assignments done," said Ms Lau. But given the four years spent at NUS, and the internship experience she had in banking and corporate roles, was a performing role as her first full-time job top of mind? Ms Lau said it was not: "I was applying for other corporate roles, and was ready to go into a corporate job with my degree. It came as a really, really big surprise. And when I got the offer, I was like, 'What's this?' "My heart said yes, immediately. My heart was like, oh my god, I have to do this, right?" But as the ever practical Singaporean, Ms Lau drew up a pros and cons list to help her with her decision. Despite the cons list being longer, she could not shake off the "biggest pro", which was achieving a childhood dream of getting to perform in a show she had loved. Beyond coming to terms with it herself, Ms Lau said it was a big shock for family and friends that she wanted to move overseas for such a non-conventional job. "My mum's always been very supportive with my entire dance journey. She was the full-on dance mum, following me to all the competitions, sending me for lessons, exams," she said. "But because this is an aerial job, she was naturally very nervous about how risky this job might be for my safety." But now, her family and friends are her biggest supporters. On premiere night, her family and friends, including one who came from Beijing to support her, filled up the seats. About 12 friends have made trips to watch the show so far, and her mother has visited Macau to help her settle in and watch the show twice. She is grateful that Singapore is around four hours by plane from Macau, as some of her cast mates have come from as far afield as France, Belgium and Australia. "I think I've been really lucky, compared to the other castmates, that Singapore is so close to Macau. I had many people to come watch, which was just such a blessing." DOCUMENTING THE DAYS With her mornings free and a day off on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Ms Lau has begun using the spare time editing videos for her Instagram account, where her posts offering glimpses of her daily life have attracted unexpected interest. Some videos, such as those capturing moments like bidding farewell to her mother and brother at the airport, began simply as personal keepsakes, but now she is determined to document the journey. "I wanted to remember this portion of life. I thought it was a very interesting job and a lot of my friends also wanted to know what I've been doing, what the day-to-day of a live performer looks like," said Ms Lau. Her filming setup is modest – just her phone and a water bottle to prop it up while recording training sessions – but the response she has received has been a pleasant surprise. Even strangers have come to watch her perform in the show after seeing her posts online. Despite all the stunts she is doing now, her favourite part of the show is the curtain call, when she is standing on stage and hearing and seeing the audience. "It always gets me a bit emotional every time I see how many people come to watch our shows every night," she said with a smile. For now, Ms Lau does not have a fixed timeline for how long she plans to remain as a full-time aerialist. She just hopes to cherish every second at the House of Dancing Water. "I love doing what I'm doing. I'm just trying to appreciate each day, appreciate each show as it comes," she said. Ms Lau is also the only Singaporean performer in the show in an international cast boasting very experienced acrobats – something she described as feeling surreal. "In Singapore we have metrics of success that we usually measure ourselves by, like our careers or what degree we study. But I think sometimes we really need to find a passion that we love. "Once you find something that you really love and it's a very viable career, I think you should really (hit) full gas and send it. Don't be afraid to take risks in your own life."
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy
Find out what's new on ST website and app. SINGAPORE – Just before 8pm on Aug 9, singer Benjamin Kheng would have just finished performing the National Day Parade (NDP) 2024 theme song Not Alone on a floating stage in Marina Bay, near Merlion Park. About 10 minutes later, he will enter the Padang for the 2025 show's finale, after traversing 800m over water, on wheels and by foot. Lieutenant-Colonel Shahreel Rajaratnam, 36, bay show management chairman, said that after Kheng performs a duet with singer Rahimah Rahim, who will be at the Padang, the singer will hop onto a small navy sea boat that will whisk him off to Queen Elizabeth Walk. From there, Kheng – who has a manually-activated flotation device incorporated into his costume for the bay performance – boards a buggy that is a short jog away, and appears at the Padang in time for NDP 2025's finale. Bringing Kheng to the Padang shows that he's 'not alone', LTC Shahreel said, and this closes the narrative arc of the show, where he 'returns home' to be with other performers at the Padang. Among them will be Kit Chan, who will sing Home – NDP 1998's theme – in the 2025 show's fourth and final act. While there is much to coordinate in the bay for NDP 2025, said LTC Shahreel, getting Kheng back to the Padang is the most exciting task, because there are many moving parts. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar 'Ben is popular. He's a hit with the crowd,' the infantry officer added. 'When people around the bay see him, cameras go crazy, people start screaming. So it's always exciting for us – the team working on this.' Chan, 52, said she thought her parade appearance at NDP 2015 would be her last. But she was convinced to return when NDP's music director Sydney Tan let her listen to 2025's theme Here We Are, written by Charlie Lim. Kit Chan and Charlie Lim performing Here We Are during the NDP 2025 preview at the Padang on July 26. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG 'I really liked it, and Charlie also is one of my favourite singer-songwriters from Singapore. So definitely it was easy to say yes,' said Chan, who will also perform Here We Are with Lim in the show's first act. Songs come and go, but Home feels special, as it has become 'owned by the people', she added. 'I may have given birth to it, but it totally belongs to everyone, every Singaporean, and you get the same feeling wherever I perform it, anywhere in the world where there is a Singaporean audience – it's always just a very different feeling, and it's a very joyful feeling.' The audience can also look forward to works by artists with disabilities, adapted into the designs of eight floats – four at the Padang and four floating in the bay. One land float was based on Busy In Spring by mouth painter Aaron Yeo, which features a bee buzzing around in a bed of flowers. A float inspired by mouth painter Aaron Yeo's work Busy In Spring. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Viewers may not notice the fuzziness of a bee atop the float, but set and props designer Quck Zhong Yi made it a point to include details from the artwork, such as the insect's hairs. At a show production tour for the media on July 25, Mr Quck, 45, said that after choosing the eight works, designers studied how to turn the two-dimensional pieces into three-dimensional objects, before running a workshop with the original artists to get their feedback. 'We missed it out, but Aaron told us that his bee was painted with very fine strokes to imitate the fuzziness of the hairs of the bee,' said Mr Quck, an architect. 'With that in mind, we tweaked the design of the props and made sure that the bee is really as fuzzy as he wanted it to be.' Despite the NDP stage at the Padang being around for only about two months, the creative team also took pains to make sure it blends in well with the city's roofscape, said Mr Quck. As such, a colour scheme that centred on terracotta orange was chosen, matching roof tiles on nearby buildings such as the former Supreme Court and Singapore Cricket Club. The NDP 2025 stage at the Padang, seen against other tiled roof buildings in the Civic District. PHOTO: NDP 2025 EXCO Mr Quck noted that inclusiveness was the main consideration in the design of NDP 2025's stage – the fourth he has designed for an NDP. 'We really wanted the audience to feel like they are part of the show,' he said, adding that this was why stages abutting the audience stands were built, to bring performers right in front of those watching at the Padang. Inclusiveness was the main consideration in the design of NDP 2025's stage. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI LTC Derek Tay, 36, the Padang show management chairman, said a team of about 200 people – mostly full-time national servicemen – operate the show's large props and help to coordinate performers' movements. He noted that the show's third and penultimate act requires the most coordination. A technical rehearsal of the show's third act on July 25. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This includes Kheng and Rahimah's duet, and the release of large balls into the stands while long cloth strips are unfurled from the stands towards the central stage. Ensuring all goes according to plan is a team that includes Ms Petrina Dawn Tan, 36, the show segment's technical cue caller, who gives cues for elements such as lighting, sound, music and videos. (From left) NDP 2025 set and props designer Quck Zhongyi; Padang show management chairman, Lieutenant-Colonel Derek Tay; technical cue caller Petrina Dawn Tan; and bay show management chairman, LTC Shahreel Rajaratnam. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Everything is planned to the second, said Ms Tan, and callers have just seconds to rectify any changes. 'If there is a mistake, as callers, we have to be quick to recover,' she said, adding that she works with a show caller to make contingency plans. 'We have to make a decision in the span of five seconds – otherwise it becomes awkward,' said Ms Tan. From a control room at the Padang where she will sit on Aug 9, callers cue action not just for the show's main stage, but also across Marina Bay. LTC Shahreel said this includes drummers at Marina Bay Sands and One Marina Boulevard, building projections and a water-based stage and floats. Referring to the 'expanded canvas' for NDP 2025 that includes the Padang and Marina Bay, LTC Shahreel said: 'Every element is designed to reach both locations, creating one seamless, singular experience for all, regardless of where you're at.'
AsiaOne
13 hours ago
- AsiaOne
This father-son duo shares a parade ground at NDP 2025 — and a 'mini RSAF' of parrots at home, Lifestyle News
Singapore will be turning 60 on Aug 9, 2025 — so we can expect nothing less than a big, big birthday bash. This year's National Day Parade at the Padang won't just be big on spectacle, it'll be straight-up massive. The Parade and Ceremony (P&C) segment alone will feature a record-breaking 40 marching contingents, around 2,100 participants, and history-making moments: the SCDF's first-ever Guard of Honour (GOH), the SAF Volunteer Corps' first full marching contingent, and enough precision footwork to make any drill sergeant proud. Amid all the pomp, pageantry and parade polish, we found a quieter, quirkier story that stands out — one that's about protocol, people and... parrots? Marching side by side in the GOH contingent from the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) are 48-year-old ME5 Jesper Quek Chin Peng (the GOH Contingent Commander for the DIS), and his son, 20-year-old ME4A Timothy Quek Jun Yu (an NDP first-timer in the same contingent). Not only is the pair serving Singapore together, the two also share command of an unexpected "unit" at home: 12 parrots they affectionately call their "mini RSAF". ME5 Jesper worked in the private sector for about 12 years before joining the DIS in 2022. Prior to that, he was a regular in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) for 10 years. ME4A Timothy has just started his journey as a Military Intelligence Expert in the DIS. We talk (and squawk) with the pair about discipline, who has the sharper march, and — with all the intensive NDP training — how their feathered friends even get any airtime with them! What's it like stepping onto the Padang together this year — not just as soldiers, but as father and son? ME5 Jesper: When [Timothy] was younger, we would watch the NDP together every year, but we didn't really think that we would one day be marching together at the Padang itself. ME4A Timothy: I'm very excited to be able to march at my first NDP together with my father. He's usually soft spoken. Now marching together and seeing him talking to the other GOH — it's cool to see my dad stepping up and being more open. On the parade ground, it's not just about being father-and-son but also about representing DIS. When you're not out there doing drills, what do you do to chill? ME4A Timothy: One of the main things we do together is take care of our parrots. We have quite a few at home — 12, in fact — and we bring them out for sunlight regularly. ME5 Jesper: They need a certain amount of time under the sun, so we'll bring them out at the same time. We spray them with water because that's how they "shower". Wait, what? Please explain how your living room became a parrot party. ME4A Timothy: We started with one parrot. Then, of course, we wanted to get another as a companion. Then we ended up adopting another parrot. We took over from another owner who was relocating. It led to us buying and adopting a few more birds. ME5 Jesper: Our mini "air force" at home. We know your friends are feathered — but have they given you any, um, hairy experiences? ME4A Timothy: Oh yes. One of our first parrots is quite cheeky. There was a time we left the window open — we didn't think he'd fly out, but he did. It took us almost four hours to find him. At one point, we spotted him on the ledge of a nearby building, just squawking loudly. We tried to calm him down, but I think he was scared. Eventually, my dad found him inside someone else's flat — stealing fruit! But when my dad called his name, he just walked over and jumped onto his hand. Very lucky! What was NDP training like? Any sunburns? Any drama? ME4A Timothy: Training started around end-April. The most challenging aspect was transitioning from an air-con office to standing under the hot sun for long hours! In the first few sessions, the hardest part was adapting to the heat. According to my dad, he said that, compared to last year, there's been less rain this time. ME5 Jesper: Even though I marched last year, your body still needs time to recondition each time. And every year's layout and ground set-up are different, so we have to adapt. Be honest — who's got the sharper march? ME4A Timothy: I will give it to him. When I started marching, other trainers corrected my arm swing quite a lot. Among other things, I had difficulty locking my elbow. When my dad marches, his arm is so straight! ME5 Jesper: I went through the same journey last year. The trainers will correct everyone — including the contingent commander. What's the one moment during NDP that always gives you the feels? ME4A Timothy: That proud moment when you can stand on the Padang ground, looking at the spectators all around you. Yeah. That is the moment! You won't get that feeling if you don't march in a contingent. ME5 Jesper: For me, I believe it's about the journey. All those hours of standing under the hot sun, all the effort, sweat, everything — all the training is just for that one NDP on the actual day. NDP training isn't exactly a walk in the park. What have you had to give up to be part of it? ME4A Timothy: My Saturday time! Which has been used for training. So I don't get to spend time with my mum, my sister, my brother. And during training on weekdays, I reach home around 9pm-plus. I usually just grab a bite, shower, then rest for the next day. ME5 Jesper: Same here. Like what Timothy mentioned, it's [a loss of] family time. On non-training days, I have to go back to the office to clear some emails. With all that marching, when do the parrots even get their, ahem, airtime? ME4A Timothy: We only get to bring them out on Sundays or public holidays now. That's when most of us are free. ME5 Jesper: Sometimes we use a cart, or we just carry them on our shoulders or hands. When it's nearby, like just downstairs, we can manage all 12. Last question — what does this year's NDP theme, "Majulah Singapore", mean to you? ME4A Timothy: It means continuing the legacy. Knowing the hardships the pioneer generations went through to get us to SG60 — and how my generation needs to step up and keep Singapore moving forward. ME5 Jesper: It's about unity. Not just about the parade, but how every Singaporean from different walks of life, come together to celebrate SG60. [[nid:720274]] This article was first published in .
