Heartlanders celebrate
THEY may not have been lucky enough to snag tickets to the
Padang celebrations, but they were still part of the biggest
birthday bash of the year.
More than 80,000 residents figured in high-octane celebrations
kicking off simultaneously on Monday in the five heartland
districts of Bishan, Choa Chu Kang, Sengkang, Woodlands and
Eunos.
Their voices were heard along with some 26,000 people at the
Padang, singing the National Anthem and reciting the National
Pledge via a two-way video telecast.
As early as 2.30pm, people from all walks of life, with friends
and family in tow, came dressed in the national colours of red and
white to revel in the heartland festivities. Not to be outdone by
events in town, each of the five districts marked the occasion with
record-breaking feats, in line with the NDP theme of Live Our
Dreams, Fly Our Flag.
Choa Chu Kang residents proudly displayed their flag, the size
of 5.5m by 4.5m, made up of 45,000 red and white heart-shaped
origami hearts stapled onto a board making up the backdrop of the
stage. More than 90 per cent of the paper hearts were already stuck
on beforehand by 10,000 people but the guests-of-honour Mr Gan Kim
Yong, Mayor Amy Khor and three other MPs, together with
representatives from the district, laid the finishing touches on
Monday.
At Woodlands, some 5,500 residents set the record for most
number of people holding heart-shaped balloons with the Singapore
flag printed on it. The red balloons had 'I love SG' printed on one
side, and the five stars and crescent printed on the other.
In the heart of the central district, it was a multicoloured
spectacular as 2,750 spectators in Bishan drummed up the buzz by
shaking multi-coloured clappers while performing a specially
choreographed cheer - the largest group in Singapore to do so.
Over at Sengkang where celebrations for residents from the North
East district were held, 5,000 residents popped confetti at the
same moment at 5.49pm, setting a new record.
South East district residents meanwhile, celebrated in Eunos by
coming together to form the largest human map of Singapore. A
record-breaking 3,000 residents gathered on the open field outside
the Eunos MRT station to form the shape of the Singapore
island.
-- ST