Speech by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the NDP 2022 Appreciation Function, at Gardens by the Bay

Chief of Defence Force,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

NDP 2022 is the 57th since the first in 1966. Rain or shine, good times or bad, even amid the pandemic, the NDP has carried on since our Independence. I think it is an important statement, both physically and symbolically, that we make each time we hold an NDP. Because it declares to ourselves and the World at large that Singapore and Singaporeans march onward – Majulah! - on our path of peace and progress; that we are resolved in unity as a nation.

As many of you have been involved in staging this year's NDP – each NDP requires hard work, involving the efforts of tens of thousands of Singaporeans from conceptualising, to all the rehearsals, many hours that you put in, many worries that you have. In the last three years, each time you plan the NDP, we are not quite sure it will go ahead. 2020 was a year of twists and turns, we had version A, version B, version 2A, 2B, 2C… Finally when it came, we had another version.

Each NDP is treasured, and I presume individual Singaporeans may have their own favourite. All of us grew up with NDPs and you probably have some in your recollection that you like better than others, but I think some NDPs will gain more historical prominence. Certainly the inaugural NDP in 1966 when we were newly declared independent; NDP 1969 when our AMX13 tanks rolled past the Padang, as memoralised by Mr. Lee's memoirs; and of course NDP 2015 when we celebrated 50 years of nationhood.

Significance of NDP 2022

I would add NDP 2022 for a few reasons. It was the first NDP after nearly three years of the pandemic, a pandemic which basically affected all corners of the world, not a single place was untouched, and indeed changed the world. NDP 2022, signalled a confidence because the participation this year was even higher than some pre-COVID NDPs. Crowds were at record numbers. At the Floating Platform and around the Bay – almost 125,000 combined and nearly three million viewers tuning in online or watching at home. Whether on site or across the island, I think Singaporeans were making a statement of their desire and confidence to return to normalcy, to claim back what the virus had robbed us of, these past years.

That confidence and enthusiasm in NDP 2022 was very different compared to the mood for NDP 2020 and 2021. In those two years, we had lockdowns and tight Safe Management Measures, and were still fighting fiercely against the virus. Some felt down and asked if we should hold NDP at all then. And even after we announced that we had scaled much smaller numbers participating – in 2020, only 150 audiences; in 2021, slightly more at about 1,000 people.

Today, all Singaporeans can celebrate the successful completion of NDP 2022 and much more. We can assure ourselves that our trust in each other and Government can see us through even the most difficult times. That as long as we are united – that is our statement, that we can surmount every challenge that comes our way. We can admire the tenacity of individual Singaporeans and their families in these past years; and appreciate the many small acts of generosity and kindness to help each other. This was captured in the filmlets in NDP and I think this resonated with many people who saw it, as it was reflected in the lived reality these past three years.

There is a saying that adversity brings out the best of us – that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Singaporeans demonstrated their grit and determination. From the NDPs of those two years which were more difficult, we learnt important lessons as we adjusted to the challenges of the pandemic. So in 2020 and 2021 when we could not have large crowds at the site, we decided to bring slices of the NDP to the Heartlands – and the Red Lions descended from the skies down to HDB estates, and we brought the SAF and Home Team hardware, firework shows and carnivals there. When we could not practice in large crowds, the organising committee was quick enough to learn how to tap hybrid methods – different schools practicing in different locations and then coming together in hybrid formations. These adaptations will now become standard features of future NDPs to be more inclusive and extend the reach to all households across our island. For NDP 2022, we had 12 heartland celebration sites reached out to more than 150,000 Singaporeans, one of the largest ever on record. Singaporeans wanted to celebrate National Day together.

Conclusion

For the organisers, it was the contributions from many groups of people that made NDP 2022 a success. Let me thank the creative efforts of the show producers and the enthusiastic performers who gave up a year of their life to make it a grand reality. When we started, we were not sure that there would be an NDP. Kudos to your confidence and your resilience. Let me also thank the administrative, technical and logistics teams who worked tirelessly to help this complex show run like clockwork. I also want to thank the sponsors, some long-standing ones who give each year, and I know you do so because you love our country and want it to succeed each year. And of course, the NDP 2022 Executive Committee (EXCO), whose leadership allowed the NDP to scale new heights.

What is NDP that we hold each year about, if we had to explain to our children or young relatives? Ultimately, the success of each NDP needs to be measured by the confidence it gives to Singaporeans and the unity it engenders. Two very simple KPIs – confidence and unity. On both these counts, I would give NDP 2022 A+. It was also because Singaporeans wanted to come out and be together. This fight with the virus is not yet over. No one knows if there will be twists and turns ahead. The World today is very different from the one we had in 2019 before the virus spread globally. The world today is a more unpredictable and dangerous place with war on the European continent, and rising tensions in Asia. But as we take this respite during NDP 2022, we comfort and reassure ourselves that at least we have done well against this global threat.

I am also particularly glad that we could hold a full scale NDP, including the Dynamic Display for the very last time before the Floating Platform before it closes for the permanent NS Square to be built over the next few years. Just like NDPs, there is another symbolic poignancy here. Just as in the past, life for Singapore and Singaporeans will be filled with challenges and changes ahead. But we look and move forward, from one chapter to the next. We face our future together as one people, and just like the NS square to replace the Floating Platform, we will build a Singapore that is even better.

Thank you.

More Resources

Minister for Defence Thanks NDP 2022's Organisers, Participating Organisations and Sponsors