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Discipline, determination and resilience — as seen in NDP 1968 — can help S’pore weather current crisis

This year’s National Day Parade (NDP) will be vastly different due to the evolving Covid-19 pandemic. The same discipline, determination and resilience that participants at Singapore’s NDP in 1968 had shown in prevailing over an unexpected and sudden turn of events may offer some important lessons on how we can navigate this unprecedented global crisis.

Participants of NDP 2018 held at the Marina Bay floating platform.

Participants of NDP 2018 held at the Marina Bay floating platform.

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Joachim Sim Khim Huang

This year’s National Day Parade (NDP) will be vastly different due to the evolving Covid-19 pandemic.

The same discipline, determination and resilience that participants at Singapore’s NDP in 1968 had shown in prevailing over an unexpected and sudden turn of events may offer some important lessons on how we can navigate this unprecedented global crisis. 

Aug 9, 1968 was a day to remember for the experience of a lifetime for the NDP participants, including my schoolmates and me, who was in Secondary 3 then.

We gathered in our school uniforms at the Padang to perform a mass drill display to celebrate Singapore as a rugged society, alongside other groups of performers who included a future prime minister in Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

Just before the parade began, dark clouds started to gather.

Then, suddenly, a heavy downpour came down on us, like no other we had experienced before. It was the first time many of us stood in stillness in such torrential rain without any shelter.

We were all drenched beyond our skin, but the show must go on. By the time it was our group’s turn to perform, we were thoroughly soaked in rain.

As we went through the display routine, our white uniforms turned muddy and brown.

In one sequence, we had to lie on our stomachs on puddles of water. Did we flinch? We did not. National pride had ignited the fire in our bellies.

Did we feel the cold? Yes, we did, but it did not stop us from completing our task.

We might be wet behind our ears and the spirit of nation-building was at its infancy, but we were determined to put up a good show for our fledgling nation and we did.

What a liberating moment for all of us that day, with the eyes of our young nation upon us.

Despite the torrential rain, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his team stood their ground on the steps of City Hall, watching us with pride. Most of the spectators did not move either. 

Fast forward to 2020, with Singaporeans set to celebrate National Day once again.

We can face an uncertain future posed by Covid-19 with the same discipline, determination and resilience that have taken us so far in our nation-building.

Have views on this issue or a news topic you care about? Send your letter to voices [at] mediacorp.com.sg with your full name, address and phone number. 

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NDP 2020 Covid-19 coronavirus resilience NDP

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