My first Chingay experience was certainly an eye-opening and amazing blast of a time for me. However, it was raining when I reached there and it was definitely an unpleasant trip for me in the beginning. Everything was soaked and uncomfortable and the rain did not stop until half-way through the show. Although there was much discomfort in it, I still enjoyed how I ate my Oreos in the rain, taking photos with my friends being drenched. The theme and purpose for the Chingay are "WeCare Singapore", to highlight Singaporeans' care for one another, regardless of race, language or religion. It was mooted as a way to compensate for the ban that had been placed on firecrackers, a customary New Year practice to drive away evil spirits. Thus, the People’s Association and the Singapore National Pugilistic Association jointly organised a Chingay parade similar to those held in Penang to bring back some cheer to the general public.
I felt that this “multicultural display“ parade has definitely attained its purpose. Why do I say so?
I have selected 3 pictures to highlight.
The first picture shows a float capturing the importance of National Defence to build a stronger Singapore. Different type of National Service- Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force was showcase. As they marched past, I felt very proud and secure as Singapore have a strong defence force to deter the country from war and terrorist attacks. However, as Singapore’s birth rate is depleting, I wondered whether Singapore would have enough servicemen to serve for National Service in the future. To answer this question, I researched online and discovered that if we assume current total fertility rates (TFRs) and no immigration - the same male NS-age cohort by 2065 will be less than half of its size today and there might be a chance that female might be enlisted for National Service. The float also displayed three multi-racial men placed in a tree trunk which represents Singapore’s green scenery. The float displayed 3 men from different races, to illustrate the importance for all different races in Singapore to unite so as to build a stronger and better Singapore, such that no matter what obstacles Singapore will face in the future, this multi-racial society will never be broken.
The next picture shows a car with a circle signage ‘Age Well Start Now’ with many senior citizens dancing beside it, with the background song,’麻雀衔竹枝’ composed by a very famous 新遥 Singaporean, ‘梁文福’. As they performed, I wondered what would be the projected number of the senior citizen in the future. I researched online and discovered that by 2030, the number of Singaporeans aged 65 and above is projected to double to 1 in 4 Singaporeans, up from 1 in 8 today. The future of Singapore will face the challenge of an ageing population. Hence, it is important that Singaporean stay healthy as they age. The signage ‘Age Well Starts Now’ displayed the important message that we should start early to stay healthy in order that we have a positive as we age. We have to plan early, for example, exercising and stay active so that we could enjoy our retirement life.
The third picture shows four performers- Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian in a large skirt walking along the parade, with dancers beside them. All of them were wearing their different traditional costume and performing such a breathtaking performance, showing multi-racial harmony among Singaporeans. As I watched the performance, I feel very proud to be living here where races are no barrier to Singaporeans. I wonder whether, in the future, Singapore will be able to continue the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew and be a ‘multi-racial’ society. Hard word must be put in to manage ethnic differences and divergent expectations. We must not take societal peace for granted and continue to increase collaboration and mutual respect in order for inter-religious peace.
In conclusion, I felt that Chingay allowed us to learn the traditions of different culture better, taught me the importance of a multi-racial society, strong defence force and the challenges of what Singapore might face in the future.
