The Singapore Spirit under close inspection...

So it seems that the theme for this year's National Day Parade is "Majulah! The Singapore Spirit." And whether you think it is ironic or not, I personally feel that the logo actually looks pretty cool, especially when it is animated. Take a look! 

Okay but besides that, with such a slogan of "The Singapore Spirit". It wasn't unexpected for netizens to start questioning. "What do you mean by the Singapore Spirit?" "For heavens sake, Singapore doesn't even have an identity at all!" Now lets take the issue into our hands and look at it from an objective point of view. Personally I can understand what these netizens mean when asking such questions and there is actually logic behind their claims. With Singapore having foreigners comprising of at least half of our total population, it has indeed diluted the true Singaporea identity. Now where ever we go, it is unsurprising to at least see foreign talent at every corner of the street, every single MRT train carriage, every single bus. What Singaporeans promised to strive for when the pledge was crafted out, to unite as one and work together as one people, are these the same group of Singaporeans any longer? And without a proper Singapore identity, can the Singapore Spirit even exist at all? I guess after asking oneself these questions, you will start to understand the thoughts running through the minds of not only these netizens, but also of many other Singaporeans. That was why such a slogan was ironic to what Singapore is today.

However, at the same time, we cannot forget the fact that Singapore takes pride in its diversity. Singapore has been time and time again branded as "a multi-cultural society" and the fact that we have so many races and religions in our country is because we house a diverse mix of people with different cultures and different backgrounds. The Singapore Identity is this diversity that Singapore is so proud to have. In fact, we are one of the very few countries in the whole world, if not the only country, where so many people of different races and religions are able to live together in harmony! And with this diverse and unique Singapore identity, also comes the Singapore Spirit, which is that regardless of race, language or religion, we will work as one to achieve our goals. Perhaps this was the reason behind why such a slogan was chosen. Maybe it was also the reason why this year's NDP song is titled "In A Heartbeat". Check it out here!

However, no matter what the reason is, the most important thing is that Singaporeans unite together and not find fault with other Singaporeans of different races or religions. As a country, we should stick together and strive to achieve greater heights. Whether or not it is possible is a question. And it ultimately falls back on whether Singaporeans are willing to do so. This might be too early, but well, Happy National Day! Wishing Singapore another year of peace and progress!