NDP 09 no cheap show? get your priorities right.

NDP 09 no cheap show? get your priorities right.

Apparently, NDP’s organisers have to go all out to assure people that we are not stinging or cutting back on our NDP’s budget.

SINGAPORE may be going through its deepest recession, but its birthday bash will be no ‘cheap show’. To reporters during a media briefing at the floating platform at Marina Bay, Brigadier-General Tan Chuan-Jin, chairman of this year’s organising committee said said costs would be managed, but that ‘the bells and whistles will still be there’.

I’m sorry but there seems to be some misplaced priorities here. I cannot seem to find the budget for NDP 09, or other years for that matter(any heads up for this?) but I will try to hazard a guess and put the bill at around $10million? Either way, why is the Government spending so much money on showcase events to ahem, instill national pride? Will my national pride and loyalty be increased because I just watched a multi-million dollar show on TV or in real life? Will my love for Singapore be increased because I participated in a NDP? I don’t think so. So why are we spending so much money on such lavish celebrations in such trying times?

In fact, the government should exercise empathy and cut lavish celebrations to the minimum to reflect the prevailing sombre mood around the country. Every dollar less spent is a dollar saved and a dollar channelled to more worthy causes such as charitable events or to help people in dire straits.

I am also staunchly against the use of “SAF volunteers” for any form of NDP event. Firstly, its an insult to the word “volunteer”. Do SAF parade personnel have any opt-out option from NDP? No. The lack of existence of such an option proves clearly that the NDP is not made up of volunteers but instead co-erced personnel. This is further proof that NS liability can be cut even more, since participation in NDPs(wrapping goodie bags, crowd control, parade personnel etc) is definitely unrelated to the defence of Singapore, something that NSFs are supposed to do originally. Just because they are paid low wages does not mean that SAF have every right to use them for the glorification of the nation and the SAF, for that is a contravention of the original aims of NS and pure exploitation of cheap labour.

‘Every voice matters and we are going out in a big way to get everyone to play their part to make the celebrations meaningful,’ said Brig-Gen Tan.

Really BG Tan? Every voice matters? Here’s one: Cut the celebrations budget by 50%, and donate the excess to charities or funds for the needy. That will make the celebrations inclusive and really meaningful for people who need such help, instead of some useless pomp and fireworks that will be forgotten quickly by others who do not, in the least, feel inspired by your celebrations and love Singapore more.

And yes, spending at least 6 million on Singapore Day OVERSEAS is sheer wastage too. Singaporeans who want to return will return not because you spent 6 million on catering Singaporean food for them overseas, and Singaporeans who do not want to return will not return, regardless of whether you spent 6 dollars, 6 million dollars or 60 million dollars entertaining them.

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