What is special about Singapore? Learn and Prepare For National Day August 9th

 

First the Singapore flag you will see everywhere in the days leading up to Singapore's national day, which is August 9th.

Red and white. You might think, that's confusing. It looks like the flags for Indonesia and Poland. On the other hand, you might think, that's great. I can remember three flags, and each one will remind me of the others. What is the difference? 

Red

First, in Singapore the red comes first. The red is above the white. 

White Moon

Second, you will notice that the Singapore flag has a white moon as well as five five pointed stars. The moon is featured, like many Moslem majority countries whose religions follows the lunar calendar. Singapore was originally part of Malaya, which became independent from Britain.

 The National Day which Singapore celebrates on August 9th commemorates does not recall that occasion. Nothing to do with Britain.

Freedom day (Merdeka, means freedom. Merdeka, in Bahasa Malay, language of Malay - the adjective coming second) features in street and square names in Malaysia and Indonesia. Those two countries, like the USA and UK, share a mostly same  or similar language. 

Singapore's celebration commemorates when Singapore split from Malaya. Malaya was then renamed Malaysia. Singapore was born, or reborn, using the old name Singapura.

Saving Flags

The Singapore flags are saved from year to year Each flag is carefully folded, and stored, following the official guidelines, to respect and protect the flag.

As a visitor, you are likely to fly into Changi airport. For many years it has been voted the world's best airport by various surveys. To  maintain or regain this status as other regional and rival airports are expended or redeveloped, Changi has had additions. Because of 

  Covid-19 the planned extra terminus building delayed, unusual for Singapore which normally fills building schedules ahead of the specified time.

 Useful Websites

Singapore flag with border from wikimedia

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a Singapore Resident.

News, Newspapers, Singapore's late President, S R Nathan, honoured

You can consult your country's newspapers whilst away from home - I read the BBC news online and the Daily Mail online. I can also read on line the news from Singapore Straitstimes.com ;

This week's news featured two main personalities. Singaporeans are celebrating the success of Jacob Schooling who won the 100 meter butterfly swimming event.

The other life being celebrated was the President.

The news from Singapore is about S R Nathan, former president, who died this week. I discussed this with a Singaporean Indian friend. As in many countries with minorities, a minority VIP is appointed as President when the Prime minister is from the majority group (in Singapore the Chinese are the majority and the Malays and Indians are minorities with English speaking groups).

The president has to be a Singaporean, I think a Chief Justice. As my Indian friend humorously said, "You have to to be a citizen and to have worked hard helping the government and the people for many years. You can't be The President if you're a recently arrived Filipino tap dancer or a tightrope walker!"

In Little India a picture of S R Nathan is in the street alongside a tented area with seats for speeches and homages.

I go back to the Singaporean newspapers with renewed interest. To my surprise I find that S R Nathan is a great example of the rags to riches story beloved of motivational speakers at Toastmasters International meetings all over America, England, Singapore and the world. S R Nathan lost his father at an early age, did badly at school, but in later life through hard work and determination rose to prominence.

(Photo to be added shortly.)
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and