EDITORIAL: The Sunday Times says- Celebrate like every other National Day

This National Day is being observed in difficult times. But such times have come before. On the first National Day, the very survival of Singapore as a sovereign nation was not guaranteed yet, to say nothing of its success – although that has since become synonymous with the country’s independence. Yet, that day in 1966 showed that the nation had arrived, within a year of its departure from Malaysia. The inaugural parade at the Padang brought together citizens who did not look back at the travails of their recent past but looked ahead at the heady mix of challenges and opportunities that awaited them. Certainly, some might have wondered if the celebrations would prove to be premature. Yet the fear of the future did not paralyse their hopes for the future.

Today, the sentiment and sense of concern may, arguably, be little different. Covid-19 is a global attack on the economic and social fabric of Singapore. The duration of the outbreak and its economic after-effects will test the material, social and psychological reserves of this nation. However, it cannot pose a worse threat than the danger of being irrelevant to the world – the fate that Singapore faced in the mid-1960s if it could not get its economic and political act together.

The situation today is different. Singapore does not have to get to where others are on the ladder of globalisation – although it has to retain and improve on its achieved place. While the atmosphere pervading today’s celebrations may be subdued, it provides reason for reflection and hope. Bad times have come before and may come again. But Singapore overcame setbacks and challenges over the decades. It can continue to do so if the reserves of national spirit outlast the fear of attrition and change. The unity and public spiritedness that prevailed during the crisis have reflected the resilience of Singaporeans. And sentiments, like the flag, will still be high today.