Little red dot goes big: Singapore to showcase ‘dreams’ in Japan’s ‘dream island’
The Expo 2025 Osaka is set to run from April 13 to Oct 13, 2025
The little red dot makes a scaled up 17-metre-tall transformation for the Singapore Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. Spanning almost two years of planning, Singapore is the first of 64 countries in the world to begin construction of our pavilion at the expo.
Aptly named the Dream Sphere, this installation is set to be the centrepiece of the Singapore Pavilion at next year's edition of the world expo. In a media preview held last Monday (April 8), Singapore Tourism Board's Executive Director for World Expo and Special Projects, Carrie Kwik outlines how the pavilion will "share the narrative of Singapore's very bold and contemporary spirit."
With Singapore's tagline being Where Dreams take Shape, the making of the dream sphere is a collaborative effort in visualising the nation's aspirations. Of which the pavilion tells the story of building a liveable sustainable city, that would take care of all who live on the island. The pavilion also aims to reach out to at least 1 million attendees by the end of the six-month-long event. Construction of the dream sphere is made with the principles of circular design as a prime focus.
The Reason Why Singapore Is Called the Little Red Dot
The nickname “Little Red Dot”, a reference to how Singapore is represented in the world map, was first coined by late President of Indonesia Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on August 4th, 1998. The region was then suffering from the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and late President Habibie was discontented with the lack of support from Singapore.
In the article, he mentioned: “It’s OK with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia].” He continued, “Look at that map. All the green is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore. Look at that.” Many have viewed the comment as a dismissal of Singapore which late President Habibie denied, stressing that he had meant to highlight Singapore’s ability to survive and thrive in spite of its small size and lack of natural resources.
Singaporeans have also come to embrace the term with a sense of achievement. In fact, it has become a badge of pride and was the inspiration behind the simple yet symbolic “SG50” red dot logo.
A little red dot in a sea of green
KISHORE MAHBUBANI’S MOST recent book was called “Can Singapore Survive?”. Singaporeans are never allowed to forget that their country is small and its future fragile. If it does not remain exceptional, said the prime minister in that May Day speech, Singaporeans will be “pushed around, shoved about, trampled upon”.
Fifty years ago the city state was born out of a row with one of its neighbours, Malaysia. The other, Indonesia, had been waging a campaign of konfrontasi—just short of open warfare—against Malaysia and Singapore. Those days seem long gone. The Association of South-East Asian Nations, formed in 1967, boasts of its success in lowering regional tensions. Singapore’s relations with Malaysia and Indonesia are excellent. But for how long?
The neighbours sometimes give Singapore reason to fret. In 1998 the then Indonesian president, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, was quoted in a newspaper article as saying he did not see Singapore as a friend. Pointing at a map, he went on: “It’s OK with me, but there are 211m people [in Indonesia]. All the green [area] is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore.” Mr Habibie denied saying this. But, with a characteristic mixture of pride and paranoia, Singapore adopted “little red dot” as a motto.
Former Indonesian president was first to call S'pore a 'Red Dot' in 1998
These days, Singapore is very frequently and affectionately referred to as the "Little Red Dot", by both Singaporeans and foreigners alike. This clear-cut description is a reference to how Singapore is often depicted as a tiny red dot on many world maps, due to its relatively small size. However, for the uninitiated or those who are too young, the term did not begin as a positive one. In fact, it was originally used to belittle Singapore's size and influence.
In 1997, the Asian Financial Crisis dealt a huge blow to Indonesia's economy. The rupiah plummeted in value and Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 15 percent. There were riots throughout the country, mainly targeting Chinese Indonesians, who bore the brunt of what has been likened to a pogrom. On the other hand, Singapore did not suffer as much from the crisis, though there was a downturn due to the loss of demand and confidence in the region.
The severe economic crisis forced then Indonesian President Muhammad Suharto to resign. But his successor, B.J. Habibie, felt that the Singapore government did not welcome his accession. The late Lee Kuan Yew even remarked at that time that markets would react negatively and the rupiah would crash if Habibie became vice-president. Singapore's apparent reluctance to support Habibie led him to criticise Singapore in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on Aug. 4, 1998. The Indonesian president then pointed at the map and said: 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. This was a controversial remark as it was seen as a dismissal of Singapore.
Why is Singapore a Little Red Dot?
We have always called Singapore the little red dot and it is one of those things we take for granted and forget to question. We know Singapore is a small country but why a red dot?
The “red dot” probably comes from the practice of using red dots to indicate the capital cities of countries. The reason for using red is likely to be a practical one as red, given that it is bright and easily noticeable, would be ideal as it stands out from blue, green and white, which are usually used to indicate water, forest and ice respectively. While Singapore is not the smallest country in the world, it is the smallest country in South East Asia at approximately 637 square kilometers (and growing because of land reclamation). However, Singapore is small relative to many other countries in the world. Even as an island, it is so small that without the red dot indicating the existence of a country at the tip of Peninsular Malaysia, most people would probably not even notice it on a world map.
Therefore, it is with the help of the red dot marker that people are able to identify the country of Singapore on the world map. Over time, Singapore became known as the red dot. The name of “red dot” came from comments from people such as former Indonesian President B.J. Habibie who said, “Look at that map. All the green (area) is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore.” As more and more people started to use the red dot to mean Singapore, the word took on the meaning and is even officially recognised in slang dictionaries to mean the island-state of Singapore.
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.
Defending Little Red Dot
Mindef’s budget for the coming financial year is projected to be $20.2 billion – a 2.5 per cent increase from FY 2023
Anyone following the news would not need convincing that the world has become a more dangerous place, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Feb 28 as he made clear the need for continued investment in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to deter aggression against Singapore. To keep the SAF strong, the Republic will keep military spending at about 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) over the next decade. This is barring any conflicts or wars, Dr Ng said during the debate on the Ministry of Defence’s budget. He announced several updates to the SAF’s platforms, including that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) would acquire eight F-35A fighter aircraft to complement the 12 F-35Bs that it previously bought.
In his speech, he noted that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is in its third year, while there are worries that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread beyond Gaza. A de facto trade war between the US and China has started, and there are worries that both countries could clash over Taiwan, he added. All this means that he has changed his assessment of the risk of regional and global conflicts from being unlikely to being “non-zero”, said Dr Ng. “I can assure this House that surprises and unintended consequences are in store – some linked, others completely out of the blue,” he added. “When the ambient temperature of geopolitics rises, sparks and fires will arise from multiple sources.”
Recounting the 1990 invasion of small and wealthy Kuwait by its neighbour Iraq, Dr Ng noted that the US went to the rescue, leading a 42-country force. If something similar were to happen here, the Government, Mindef and the SAF do not plan on the basis that another country will come to Singapore’s rescue, said Dr Ng. “If Singaporeans will not or cannot defend Singapore, there is no backstop. That is the simple truth,” he said.
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The Little Red Dot and the Red Dragon
Much chatter online & off has taken place on why Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong did not attend the inaugural Belt & Road Forum in Beijing last weekend
The event organised by China had heads of state & government from 29 countries attending, including 7 out of 10 from Asean. Singapore was represented by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong. 2 schools of thought prevailed: China snubbed Singapore. No, it was Singapore that didn't want to take part.
3 myths floating out there that merit being plucked from the ocean of misinformation & tossed into the incinerator:
- SINGAPORE HAS CHANGED ITS STANCE ON CHINA AND NOW ALIGNS ITSELF MORE OVERTLY WITH THE UNITED STATES
- SINGAPORE IS A CHINESE SOCIETY AND SHOULD BE MORE SYMPATHETIC TO CHINA
- CHINA IS OUT TO PUNISH SINGAPORE, AND SINGAPOREANS SHOULD FEEL WORRIED ABOUT THIS AND PRESSURE THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT TO BE MORE ACCOMMODATING OF CHINA
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