[About this blog] Inspired by local soccer player Mike Lim during my rookie reporter days at Singapore Polytechnic, I set up this blog in August 2002. I feel that blogging is a novel platform to document interesting facets of my life and my thoughts on certain issues. [Email blogger] ephraim@singnet.com.sg

Sunday, February 26, 2006

[You mean you don't know the National Anthem]
This would have made a lot of sense during National Day or Racial Harmony Month (now, instead of day, we have a whole month dedicated to it okay).

I mean, you don't know how to sing the National Anthem correctly after all these years in school?

A disabled student and ex-NKF ambassador wrote that many Singaporeans do not know the national anthem and what the words mean. And so, the national anthem:

MAJULAH SINGAPURA
Mari kita rakyat Singapura
Sama-sama menuju bahagia
Cita-cita kita yang mulia
Berjaya Singapura
Marilah kita bersatu
Dengan semangat yang baru
Semua kita berseru
Majulah Singapura
Majulah Singapura

What I can tell you is the the title means: Onward Singapore. And I hope Jeremy is listening because this is what I learnt in school. The rest of the translation is as follows:

Come, fellow Singaporeans
Let us progress towards happiness together
May our noble aspiration bring
Singapore success

Come, let us unite
In a new spirit
Let our voices soar as one
Onward Singapore
Onward Singapore

Some background information was that the national anthem, together with the national flag and the state crest, reflect Singapore's identity as a nation. It echoes the enduring hope and spirit of Singaporeans to make progress. It rallies us together to succeed. Written in the wake of nationalism during 1956-57. Its composer, the late Encik Zubir Said, had written it on the basis of two words, "Majulah Singapura" which means "Onward Singapore". It was launched on 3 Dec 1959 together with the national flag and the state crest, at the installation of the new head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Negara. Upon Singapore's independence in 1965, "Majulah Singapura" was adopted as the republic's national anthem.

Now, it leads me to wonder what the school teaches these days.

Students film themselves having sex? Now didn't the IT lecturer discuss the wonders of technology?

I know it is not your fault that the phone got stolen. Please be more careful next time. Come on, they don't invent portable hard disks that can store the video. Better still, do you know that you can record it into a cd or dvd?

I bet you do. You are an IT student!

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