Biggest and boldest fireworks to date at National Day Parade 2015
The crowd watching the fireworks display during the finale of the SG50 NDP show from Marina Bay Sands on July 25, 2015
Spectators at this year's National Day Parade will enjoy Singapore's most extravagant fireworks display to date, as the nation goes all out to celebrate its 50th birthday.
There will be more than double the amount set off, according to the chairman of the fireworks committee, Military Expert 6 (ME6) Manimaran Ganesan.
"This year is special as we are celebrating our Golden Jubilee, therefore the fireworks committee has planned well ahead to have the largest ever fireworks display," said ME6 Manimaran, who is head of operations of the Singapore Armed Forces Ammunition Command.
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National Day Parade 2015
This momentous Golden Jubilee event will take place at the Padang, the site of many historically significant moments over the past 50 years, including the declaration of Singapore’s independence. The Parade will foster a deep sense of national pride and showcase our country’s defence capabilities and people on parade. Enjoy the Singapore story through a colourful display of sights and sounds, and partake in the mass engagement activities.
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Little Red Dot
The "SG50" logo celebrating the 50th anniversary of Singapore's independence
"Little red dot" (or "The Red Dot", or "Little Red Dot") is a nickname often used in the media, and in casual conversation, as a reference to Singapore. It refers to how the nation is depicted on many maps of the world and of Asia as a red dot. The sovereign country and city-state comprising the main island and all its islets – a total land area of approximately 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi; 190,000 acres) – is much smaller than its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Initially used as a pejorative by other countries to refer to Singapore, the term was quickly adopted and reappropriated by both Singaporean politicians and citizens alike with pride and a sense of the nation's prosperity and success despite its physical limitations. In 2015, Singapore celebrated its Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of its independence, with the term "SG50" depicted inside a red dot.
The term "little red dot" gained currency after the third Indonesian President B. J. Habibie was regarded as having criticized Singapore in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal of 4 August 1998. It was reported that Habibie had remarked that he did not have the feeling that Singapore was a friend, and had pointed to a map, saying: "It's O.K. with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]. All the green [area] is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore." The remark was seen as a dismissal of Singapore, having referred to the country in a disparaging manner.
