#trending: Notable moments from NDP 2023 you may have missed

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s annual National Day Parade (NDP) returned to the historic venue of the Padang this year, exciting audiences there in person and at home with crowd favourites such as the Red Lions parachutists, aerial displays from planes, sing-alongs and of course, fireworks.

The format of each NDP may be similar, but it is the spontaneous moments that seem to make each year’s celebration unique and memorable, just like the man caught on camera crying during the national anthem in 2022.

Here are some notable moments from Singapore’s 58th birthday bash on Wednesday (Aug 9) that set tongues wagging.

PRESIDENT HALIMAH PUSHED BY ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD

As she was taking her leave at the end of the show, President Halimah Yacob went to greet the show hosts and performers at the field.

After exchanging a few words with her, host Joakim Gomez whipped out his mobile phone for a group selfie.

This prompted the people around them to enthusiastically huddle together for the photo. However, Madam Halimah was inadvertently thrown off balance as more people pushed forward to join in for the shot.

A security officer next to her quickly stepped in to catch her and nudged the crowd back by placing his arm in between them.

Clips of the incident were later posted online, with many people asking, “Who pushed my president?”  

Madam Halimah, though, was a good sport and could be seen smiling widely in the final photo shared by Mr Gomez on his personal Instagram account.

PRESIDENT HALIMAH FORGETS WHERE TO STAND

It is customary for Singapore’s President to inspect the Guard of Honour contingents during every parade. 

However, there seemed to be a moment of confusion for Madam Halimah this year as she faced the wrong direction at the beginning of the inspection, with her back to a commando officer who was supposed to salute her.

She then seemed to mistake Vice-Admiral Aaron Beng, Chief of Defence Force, when he made a hand gesture as a signal for her to face the other direction.

While she did turn around, she instead started to walk past the commando officer, who pointed to her the right marking to position herself. She then took it up to receive the salute to kick off the parade inspection.

Many online users found that moment endearing, calling her “so cute” and “humble”.

Others joked that it was an example of why “it’s important to attend rehearsals”, possibly referring to the use of stand-ins during those pre-show runs.

PLACARDS FOR PARADE COMMANDER CAPTURED BEHIND-THE-SCENES

All eyes were on Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Ragumaran Davindran who was this year’s parade commander.

With so many steps, positions and commands to commit to memory, it is completely understandable if he may have needed some help to remember them all. 

A TikTok video by user “pintu_syurga1” captured two crew members dressed in red, working hard behind-the-scenes, lifting large white placards in turn during the Feu-de-Joie segment of the parade when celebratory gun shots were fired.

The user presumed that the placards were meant to assist the parade commander with remembering the next command.

In the video, one of the crew members can be seen lifting a card with the letters “TEM”. A few seconds later, LTC Ragumaran can be heard shouting “tembak” or “shoot” in Malay.

The placard is then switched to one that says “ISKL” and LTC Raguraman proceeds to give the command “Isikan peluru” (reload).

A handful of viewers deemed the use of placards as “embarrassing”, but most others in general were supportive of the move as a way to “ensure the smooth running of the show”.

A TikTok user wrote: “Commander probably knew all (the commands) by heart but this is a measure just in case. Performing in front of thousands in intense heat, I say kudos for this.”

One online user, however, reasoned that the placards may be meant for the Guard of Honour in the event that they are unable to hear the commands, rather than for the parade commander himself. 

OLIVIA ONG'S PERFORMANCE LIKENED TO TAYLOR SWIFT'S

Homegrown singer Olivia Ong performed the song Ru Yan from hit Mediacorp drama the Little Nyonya for one segment of the NDP show.

The 38-year-old, in a billowy dress, travelled on a boat-shaped float across the field. Other performers holding huge fan-like structures could be seen dancing around her.  

Some people have likened the segment to a performance by American pop star Taylor Swift from her ongoing concerts as part of The Eras Tour.

Similar fan-like structures had been spotted at Taylor’s performance for the song Cruel Summer in videos and images circulating on social media.

Olivia’s performance was dubbed an “Eras tour dupe” by a Singapore social media content creator named “Yeolo”.

MARCHING BAND PLAYING BTS' DYNAMITE

K-pop fans in Singapore and abroad have been gushing over Deyi Secondary School’s marching band, which played a rendition of the song Dynamite. It was originally performed by South Korean mega boyband BTS, and fans were excited to hear the song being played on a national stage.

One Twitter user wrote: “I am a super proud Singaporean Army! Happy birthday to this little red dot, my country, my home.”

“Army” is the nickname used to refer to fans of BTS.

Another said: “Performing BTS' Dynamite during a nationwide event where almost the entire country is tuned (in)? How amazing is that?”

Even non-Singaporeans were blown away by the students’ performance.

Someone commented: “This is so beautiful. It made me cry. Happy national day Singapore from (Argentina)”.

GUY WITH THE 'WAACKING' MOVES

Acapella group The Island Voices wowed the crowd with its perfect harmony as its members performed a medley of NDP songs including Singapore Town, We Are Singapore and We Will Get There.

One of the dancers, however, momentarily stole the show.

The dancer, who goes by the name “kingamirrr” on social media, launched into some eye-catching arm movements known as “waacking”. The dance style is said to have originated in the gay clubs of the 1970s in the United States, California specifically, and is characterised by striking arm movements, poses and footwork.

Online users praised the “passionate” performance by “kingamirrr”, although a few admitted that they were “stunned” at first. 

YOUNG MAN ASKS PEOPLE TO 'CALL HIM'

Every now and then, an audience member would be caught on national television doing something out of the ordinary.

Apart from educator Azuan Tan who made headlines as the man who cried while singing the national anthem last year, there was a young boy who was turned into a meme for flipping his middle finger in 2017’s NDP show.

This year, it seems that viewers were tickled by a man who made a “call me” gesture when the camera panned to him.

The man was seen pointing directly to the camera before placing his thumb near his ear and his little finger to his mouth to mimic a phone handset.

The question then was who he was trying to ask to call him.

One TikTok user wrote, “Call him to buy insurance”, while another quipped that he was asking the Ministry of Defence to “give him a call back for reservist”.

Another person concluded: “Ok, lah… better than the kid with the middle finger.”