Singapore celebrates its 54th National Day

Singapore is celebrating its 54th National Day today and this year the celebration is a special one as it marks the nation’s bicentennial milestone, 200 years since Stamford Raffles came to Singapore.

According to the Singapore Bicentennial Office, which is part of the Prime Minister’s Office, the bicentennial marks the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the British in Singapore, a key turning point in its history.

“But our story did not start in 1819 – it started 700 years ago,” it said two days before the Singapore Bicentennial was launched on Jan 28 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

“The Singapore Bicentennial is an occasion for us to reflect on this history, before and after 1819; to understand our journey from a place with a geographically strategic location, to a people with a unique Singaporean DNA.

“The commemoration seeks to feature the huge cast of contributors who have led to our evolution, look at the regional and global developments that have influenced our place in the world, and more,” said the office.

Following the launch, an array of diverse and immersive events in 2019 were planned to spark interest amongst Singaporeans for the nation’s history.

Through these events, the office explored the ancient history of Singapore to provide context to the 200 years from 1819; and examined the impact and influence others from around the region and the world had on Singapore.

It also highlighted the contributions of the wide cast of characters and communities that have led to its evolution; and more.

Prior to the Bicentennial launch, on Jan 4, four new statues of Sang Nila Utama, Tan Tock Seng, Munshi Abdullah and Naraina Pillai joined the Sir Stamford Raffles statue at the Raffles’ Landing Site along the Singapore River.

Commissioned by the office, the sculptures represent a wider cast of characters that arrived on Singapore’s shores in 1819, and before.

“While the Singapore Bicentennial marks the arrival of Raffles in 1819 as a pivotal point in our history, it also recognises the diverse communities and people who have shaped Singapore over the years,” said the office.

Among others, the public will be familiar with Sang Nila Utama, the Palembang prince who first saw a vision of a lion and established the Singapura Kingdom in 1299.

“He provides a link to our longer history before 1819, which we hope to explore throughout the bicentennial year as well,” said the office.

Meanwhile, during the 9th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat in Putrajaya last April, Lee had invited his Malaysian counterpart Dr Mahathir Mohamad to attend this year’s National Day Parade.

Mahathir, who was in Singapore last November for the Asean Summit, is expected to arrive with his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali this afternoon for the parade which will be held at the Padang.

In announcing the selection of the Padang as the location for this year’s parade, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said last August that the recreational field near City Hall was chosen as the site "had been witness to so many key events in Singapore's history".

The Padang was where the first post-independence National Day Parade was held in 1966. It also witnessed the declarations of self-government in 1959 and the union with Malaysia in 1963.

Last year's National Day Parade was held at the Marina Bay floating platform.

Meanwhile, the republic’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore had to issue an additional two million pieces of S$20 commemorative note to meet strong public interest, just nine days after its launch by Singapore President Halimah Yacob on June 5.

- Bernama