Forum: Parade-goers should show greater appreciation for NDP
I was heartened to see Singaporeans immersed in celebration as I attended this year's National Day Parade (NDP) rehearsal. However, I also observed a disheartening trend.
I noticed some attendees leaving the venue right before the parade finale had concluded. Some simply collected the fun packs and left.
It was not a pretty sight to see pockets of empty seats at the spectator stand. The lack of appreciation for attending such a highly sought-after event is disappointing.
Many are eager to attend but unable to secure tickets due to high demand. Those among us who are lucky to obtain tickets should be mindful of the effort that goes into putting the parade together and appreciative of the chance to witness the event.
The NDP finale holds special meaning with fireworks, sing-along and recitation of the Pledge as a country. If one is unable or not keen to attend the parade in full, one should consider giving up the ticket to someone who wants to.
I hope the organisers can consider ways to encourage fuller participation, such as reinforcing the significance of staying for the entire parade. Organisers should also consider ways to discourage parade-goers from collecting fun packs without participating in the NDP.
David Lim Yeow Chuan
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
16 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Mexican mayor says 'I do' to caiman reptile in colorful tradition
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A woman caught in a fishing net during a symbolic marriage ritual of a female caiman named \"princess girl\" Miguelana Estela del Mar Zavaleta Ramirez, a reptile that closely resembles an alligator, and San Pedro Huamelula mayor Daniel Gutierrez Pena, which is rooted in more than 230 years of tradition and joins two of Oaxaca state's indigenous cultures, the Chontal and the Huave, to plead for nature's bounty, in San Pedro Huamelula, Mexico, June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha SAN PEDRO HUAMELULA, Mexico - In the southern Mexican town of San Pedro Huamelula, a unique celebration takes place each year: the symbolic marriage between the town's mayor and a live alligator-like reptile. This ritual, rooted in more than 230 years of tradition, represents the union of two of Oaxaca state's indigenous cultures - the Chontal and the Huave - and is believed to bring prosperity to the community. This year, Mayor Daniel Gutierrez took part in the ceremony, marrying "princess girl," a female caiman, a reptile that closely resembles the alligator. The caiman is known by the name given to her by the town: Miguelana Estela del Mar Zavaleta Ramirez. As part of the ritual, the reptile is adorned in a white wedding gown and paraded through the town, visiting homes as residents dance to festive music. Finally, Gutierrez seals the symbolic union with a ceremonial kiss, symbolizing his love and commitment to his ethnic group. The caiman symbolizes the Huave princess, while Gutierrez represents the Chontal king. As the legend goes, a royal marriage between the two groups centuries ago ended a long-standing conflict. Hundreds of years later, the ritual continues as a symbol of peace and unity. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Sport 'Pedal to the metal' for next 2 years, says Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub "For us, it's a ritual in which we ask mother earth and our creator for abundance in our harvests, fishing, and every product our region can offer," said Luis Manuel Lopez, a resident of the town. The celebration spans three days of music, dance and vibrant cultural displays. The reptile is dressed by a woman known as the godmother in three different traditional dresses, including a regional Zoque dress adorned with bright colors, a multicolored skirt and floral headpieces. The symbolic ceremony, held before a crowd of townspeople, marks the culmination of the patron saint festivities in honor of San Pedro Apostol. "Huamelula is so rich in tradition and culture that today, like every year, Huamelula is in the eyes of the world,' Gutierrez said. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
A true fans' player – Liverpool fans in Singapore pay tribute to the late Diogo Jota
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Diogo Jota and his brother died after the Lamborghini they were in had veered off a motorway and burst into flames on July 3. SINGAPORE – It was a regular work afternoon for Eddy Chua on July 3 when the Singaporean received a Telegram notification that read 'Diogo Jota died'. Stunned, he turned to Google to check if it was true and saw early reports from several outlets, including British tabloid The Sun, claiming the Liverpool footballer had passed away. Soon after, chatter picked up in a WhatsApp group comprising fellow Liverpool fans, and reports from more established sources – Liverpool Echo, Sky News and the BBC – confirmed the worst: the Portuguese forward and his brother Andre Silva, also a professional footballer, had died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain. The authorities said Jota, 28, and Andre, 25, died after the Lamborghini they were in had veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight on July 3. Chua, 29, found it difficult to return to work after reading the news. The content lead said: 'Throughout the late afternoon, I was just stoning in front of my screen, trying to take in the fact that one of our own just left like that. 'Some of the fans posted Jota's wedding photos to the chat too which made me even more emotional. He had just won the Premier League , gotten married, and Liverpool had also been making ambitious signings this summer. 'It was supposed to be like a start of something new for Jota, in his career and family. But he is just gone like that.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches new innovation centre here Like Chua, many Singaporean Reds fans were still coming to terms with the news hours after it broke. Real estate agent Eric Kwek recalled how a month ago, he was in Liverpool among hundreds of thousands of fans, as Jota and the rest of the squad marked the club's 20th top-flight league title with an open-top bus parade through the city. Earlier this week, he had come across clips of fans singing Jota's chant, which he noted was voted one of the most popular among Liverpool supporters. The 47-year-old also expressed his sympathy for Jota's family. Jota and his long-time partner Rute Cardoso, who have three children, had just tied the knot less than two weeks ago. One fond memory Kwek has of Jota is his last goal for Liverpool – the winner in a 1-0 Merseyside derby victory over rivals Everton in April. It was a crucial victory in the Reds' title charge as they returned from the international break, bouncing back from their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain and a League Cup final loss to Newcastle United . Kwek said: 'To lose two games in a week this season was not common for Liverpool so it was quite tough for them to pick up again, especially since they had not secured the title. 'He gave confidence back to the team to pursue the last trophy.' Despite injury setbacks last season, Jota played a key role in the Reds' Premier League title win, making 26 league appearances and contributing six goals and four assists. In all, he scored 65 goals and 26 assists in 182 Reds matches. Suren Daniel, who is self-employed as a hawker, remembers Jota for his work ethic and humility. The 38-year-old said: 'A true fans' player. Every time he was on the bench, or back from injury, and when he was called upon to perform, he was a player who never let us down and would always give his all without complaining.' Student Megan Foo, 22, shared the same sentiment, saying: 'What stood out most was how he never seemed to disappoint on the pitch... He had this quiet determination and came across as a genuinely humble and grounded guy. I'll always remember him as a clutch, consistent and committed player.' Flower tributes for Liverpool's Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota outside Anfield Stadium in Liverpool on July 3. PHOTO: REUTERS While many praised his abilities on the pitch, what left a lasting impression on Kwang Yu, who runs online sports platform Grandstand alongside his day job in marketing, was Jota's personality. When Liverpool visited Singapore as part of their pre-season tour in 2023, the 32-year-old recalled that Jota took the time to answer questions in the media mixed zone. He said: 'He was one of the players who stopped for a post-match interview by one of our media colleagues. It was very chill, nice chat, down-to-earth and very humble. 'One of the questions that was asked to him is which fantasy player would he pick for the new season, and cheekily he mentioned himself. Very, very nice guy, I would say. Not every player would stop for an interview, so kudos to him.' Benjamin Raj, 32, a senior executive at a statutory board, said the news was a sobering reminder of life's fragility. He said: 'The game has lost a true legend. It just shows you need to enjoy life whenever you can, because you just don't know what's going to happen next.' Fellow Liverpool fan Melvin Wong, who is self-employed, recalled Jota's standout performances against Arsenal – a team he often thrived against. Jota scored on his Premier League debut for the Reds in a 3-1 win over the Gunners in September 2020, and later netted a brace in a 2-0 League Cup semi-final victory during the 2021-22 season, helping Liverpool reach the final, which they eventually won. The 49-year-old said: 'He was a clinical striker, an outstanding header of the ball. I think I can say on behalf of every Liverpool fan that we will miss him and never forget him.'
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Train service resumes across Bukit Panjang LRT line after power fault led to 3-hour disruption
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SMRT said free regular or bridging buses were available outside the stations. SINGAPORE – Train service on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) line resumed at about 11.40am on July 3 about three hours after a power fault led to disruption at all stations. In a Facebook update at 9.13am, transport operator SMRT notified commuters about the fault spanning all 13 stations that happened at around 8.50am. It said that free regular or bridging buses were available outside the stations. In an update about five minutes later, SMRT said that its staff were on site working to resolve the issue and were a ssisting affected commuters. 'Train services are currently unavailable across the entire BPLRT system. In-train and station announcements have been made to keep commuters informed,' SMRT said. In an update at 11.37am, about three hours after the fault surfaced, SMRT said traction power on the BPLRT was restored and regular train service was progressively resuming. It added that free bus services were still available. A few minutes later, SMRT said that train service has fully resumed. Free bus services have also ended. When The Straits Times arrived at Bukit Panjang station at about 9.45am, about seven SMRT staff were seen informing commuters about the LRT disruption. Singapore Polytechnic student Darryl Teo, 18, was heading to his school's Dover campus from his home in Segar when his LRT train stopped just after Fajar station. He took one of the bridging buses to Bukit Panjang. 'I was supposed to be at school at 10.15am, but now it's already 10am. I'm either going to have to find a bus or take the MRT,' he said, adding that he would typically stop at Choa Chu Kang station before switching to the East-West Line to Dover. He said that what would have been a 45-minute journey would now take him double the time on an alternative route. Mr Mohammad Adamin, who lives in Segar, told ST that he was now late for his barista job in Lakeside. The 35-year-old had similarly intended to take the LRT to Choa Chu Kang before switching to the East-West Line, but decided to take bus service 180 from Bukit Panjang interchange instead. 'It takes me about 45 minutes by train. But with the bus, I don't know the traffic, so it may take me one hour,' he said. This was the second train disruption to occur this week, after a signalling fault at Orchard station on the Thomson-East Coast Line on July 1 led to delays between Napier and Great World stations. Train service resumed after two hours. The 8km long BPLRT network has had a long history of reliability issues, with the most recent disruption taking place on Oct 22, 2024, during the evening rush hour. Train service stalled between the Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang LRT stations and only resumed the next morning. Initial findings showed that the breakdown was in one of the wheel assemblies on a faulty train. Following this, the Land Transport Authority and SMRT said that it would end train services an hour earlier from Thursdays to Sundays between Nov 14, 2024, and Oct 31, 2025 to facilitate renewal works. These include the upgrading of the BPLRT's signalling system, and the testing of new and retrofitted light-rail vehicles. Works to upgrade the existing signalling system on the BPLRT to a new communications-based train control system that better controls train speeds – similar to that used on MRT lines – have been carried out progressively since 2022. LTA said it is targeting to complete the full renewal programme by the end of 2026. This was delayed by two years from 2024 due to a manpower shortage and supply chain disruptions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2024, the average daily ridership on the LRT network, which includes the Sengkang-Punggol LRT, stood at 210,000. This was an increase of 4 per cent over the 2023 figure.
