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SINGAPORE: Time stood still in Singapore at exactly 8.22pm on Sunday when tens of thousands of Singaporeans at home and abroad took time out to recite the national pledge.
The "Pledge Moment" was a symbolic gesture to get the nation thinking about what it truly means to be a Singaporean on the country's 44th birthday.
Singapore's national public warning system sounded its chime signal at 8.22pm islandwide, signalling the start of the Pledge Moment.
With that, thousands of Singaporeans across the island joined the 150,000 people at downtown Marina Bay - where the National Day Parade was taking place - to recite the Pledge.
As the parade was being beamed live on giant screens from two of the newest malls along Orchard Road - Orchard Central and ION Orchard - Singaporeans stood at attention and with one hand on their heart, the words flowed...."We the citizens of Singapore......"
At train stations and heartland supermarkets, pockets of people dropped what they were doing and for 30 seconds renewed their commitment to a country they call home.
A supermarket at Bedok North, a suburb in the east, was one of the many retail outlets taking part in the Pledge Moment.
The supermarket staff got into the National Day mood by giving out flags to shoppers and encouraging them to stay back to recite the Pledge.
Sheng Siong Supermarket also took part in the Pledge Moment. "It's very meaningful to unite everyone together, especially in this downturn like now....it's more important that everyone stays united as one people, one nation," said Sheng Siong Supermarket's corporate affairs manager, Tan Ching Fern.
Words flowed easily for some, but for others it took some prompting to recall words that were probably last spoken when they were in school.
"To all Singaporeans, since primary school days they have been saying the Pledge. For me, I'm not schooling anymore. So in fact, this brings back some memories," said a member of the public.
"This is very good - because everyone celebrates with Singapore," said another.
"Singapore's birthday is actually our birthday..." said a third.
Truly, the pledge recital was a historic moment when Singaporeans were literally united in one voice.
- CNA/ir
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