no luck, just effort 🏠

Dragon playground made its appearance in this year's NDP. Proud to say I played in the dragon playground as a kid ☺️👍 Anyhoo, this is my patriotism write-up. In a nutshell, I don't think we are less patriotic. I just think the way we display or experience patriotism is very different in the modern era, and the older we get, the firmer our perception of national identity is. We're still growing and learning and experiencing so I wouldn't cast aside our patriotism that quickly.

Also, infrastructure: why current Singapore architecture isn't as conducive for fostering patriotism. 😢 1️⃣ Walking the streets of Singapore, one can observe that the number of flags hanging outside HDB blocks is decreasing. Is that because we're less patriotic? I posit that it is instead because the number of HDB blocks that have common corridors is decreasing as we optimise for space. 🇸🇬🏘 In my volunteering under PA, one of the major events is estate flag-decorations for National Day. Common corridors are among the only places we can hang up the Singapore flags. In the past, with more HDB blocks having common corridors, residents never had to put up any flags because the PA staff would do it for them. Now, with fewer common corridors, the onus to hang up flags outside the windows' of their HDB flats is on the residents. Given that we're mostly time- and energy-starved, we easily forget to hang up the flags. Even for those who do remember, the effort of hanging it up seems disproportionately more than any tangible or intangible rewards we gain from doing so. So, we just don't do it. There wasn't a need to mandate residents hang up flags for National Day in the past, because the PA could hang them up on behalf of everyone by accessing the common corridors. And now, because there never was an obligation to do so, and the physical infrastructure no longer allows PA to hang up as many flags, less flags are hung up. 2️⃣ The places holding our memories are disappearing. The Memories are Important (TMI) 😎 even if we didn't personally live the experiences. I don't mean places like Merlion Park that are catered more for the tourists' eyes. I mean places like our housing estates, heartland malls, our childhood playgrounds; the places we grew up in. Dakota Crescent refers to a series of low-rise residential blocks built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in 1958, representing the few estates built pre-Independence by HDB's predecessor. Only half of the 12 proposed blocks were eventually saved, though many consider the petition/project to save the estate a success particularly because the original landmarks like the courtyard and dove playground were preserved. Many Singaporeans rallied together to launch a project preserving the stories of residents who lived in Dakota Crescent, and the project is now available digitally for the public to view. The Petain Road shophouses refers to some 2-storey terrace shophouses with Chinese Baroque style front facades. Private developers tried to dismantle the front facades of 3 of the shophouses without obtaining a permit, despite resistance from residents. After newspapers published conservation appeals citing the shophouses as a case for preserving Singapore's built heritage, in 1991, they became an official part of the Jalan Besar Conservation Area as outlined by URA. More recently in 2021, the URA announced that the Golden Mile Complex would be conserved, because the building was deemed to have historical architectural value (Brutalism-inspired, stepped terrace design + one of the first mixed-use developments in SG and Asia). It was also announced that the redevelopers would be working with the original architects, DP Architects, and local conservation specialists. Yet, while the building itself was saved, the Thai communities within the complex were forced to vacate, and the purpose of the building after redevelopment will pivot towards office spaces (so the purpose of the building entirely changes, with little homage to the original Thai communities). Most unfortunately, the scarcity of horizontal space means optimising our land usage by relinquishing certain priorities. To build sufficient public housing and industrial spaces, we are forced to pick and choose which heritage buildings and green areas (like forests) to sacrifice. If the spaces that Singaporeans form shared memories in are no longer there, it becomes much more difficult for locals to find spaces to tether their shared experiences to.

Singapore, patriotism, and the modern manifestations of patriotism in Singapore ☺️🇸🇬 AKA: Are we actually less patriotic? https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbqMjP2Tiir/ When asked to assess their own level of patriotism, the younger the Singaporean, the less patriotic they assessed themselves to be. Statistics from the same 2022 YouGov survey show almost half of Singaporeans think patriotism has remained about the same, but around 1 in 3 Singaporeans think Singaporeans have become less patriotic. Let's just assume for now that this absolutely proves decreasing patriotism (I'll explain the caveat later) and attempt to explain why this is happening. 🕰 61 years after Independence in 1965, one would have thought that the Singaporean identity would have solidified. Yet, it seems our national identity takes more to firm up than before. Nationalistic fervour of the independence days, plus Lee Kuan Yew's strong personal branding as a figurehead of Singaporean independence, would have led to greater patriotic sentiment in the people of the time. The newer generation never had to fight for Merdeka like Singapore's pioneers did; rather, being born into an era of prosperity and relative domestic stability meant being anaesthetised to the work behind forming the Singapore identity. That could explain why we now see Singaporean society as less patriotic than before. 🌐📱The globalisation of foreign cultures and a high social media penetration rate could mean higher susceptibility to the influence of other cultures. The relative youth of Singapore as a nation also means we do not benefit from centuries of history (technically we do, just not as 'Singapore', but I rest my case). So, one could justify saying we are less patriotic now. ✊ Now, here's the caveat: we fail to account for the evolving means of displaying patriotism. Patriotism is defined as devotion to one's country. In conflicts, patriotism presents itself as a willingness to fight for the country. My dissonance arises from the fact that outside of war times, we still use this same yardstick to measure patriotism. I instead contend that for the modern patriot NOT fighting in the frontlines of a conflict, patriotism presents itself as sentiments of national pride, regardless of whether it is voiced or not. (difficult to measure, I know. I dabble in the unquantifiable.) 🏆 When you tell someone you are from Singapore, and they do not know where Singapore is / wrongly assume Singapore is in China or some other geographical location, you might think to yourself, wow, they're so bad at geography, how can they not know where Singapore is? If someone says, hey isn't Joseph Schooling / JJ Lin / Regina Song from your country, you would say yes, she/he's from Singapore! When you go overseas, speak Singlish, and someone asks you if you are from Singapore, you would say: yes, I am from Singapore! I'll do you one better: Chew Shou Zi in the US Senate hearing, saying "Senator, I'm Singaporean." That's national pride! (I think) Patriotism in current day Singapore might not mean screaming that you love Singapore at the top of your lungs from your HDB flat. It might not even mean watching the NDP livestream. For all I know, you were one of the thousands that flocked to JB during the National Day weekend. But it could show up as quiet appreciation for what the nation has and is, or simply as you acknowledging that Singapore is your home. #brainthings@nljeko

NTU will discontinue the use of its AI detector from 2027, calling such tools “fundamentally unreliable”. https://cna.asia/3UhreqB

Talked about the NUS introductory xAI course in a recent AQ (AI in education) and it was accepted so do with this information what you will

ChatGPT is coming to NUS for all students, faculty and staff from Aug 31 under a new partnership with OpenAI. All NUS students will get access to ChatGPT Edu, while incoming freshmen must complete a compulsory AI course: https://cna.asia/4qcinm6

Same day, MBS at sunset 🌆🫶 Happy birthday, Singapore ❤️ P.S: I swear the post on patriotism is coming. It's a difficult one.

Touristy things include walking Clarke Quay like I've never seen it before and wow-ing at ripples in the water and complimenting how clean it is

To our subscribers, It's been our pleasure to write for each and every one of you. Read our final statements here ⬆️ Stay curious, stay informed, and stay awake at 9 o'clock 🕘. Signing off, the 9OC team of 2025-2026 🌑 🖇️ Link to channel: https://t.me/your9oclocknews_gp

Write-up on patriotism coming out when? Stay tuned... 😮☺️👍

Cosplaying as a tourist today

Majulah Singapura 🥳 https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/08/08/holders-vietnam-and-singapore-advance-into-the-asean-hyundai-cup-2026-semifinals https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbwxyjglOfg/

The MOST ANNOYING comment on Singaporean social media: “65% of y'all voted for this.” Cost of living too high? 65% of y'all voted for this. Singapore getting too crowded? 65% of y'all voted for this. Government cutting down forests for BTO? 65% of y'all voted for this. WHATEVER issues arise with Singaporean politics, some people are so quick to jump on their moral high ground and mock the majority for “reaping what they’ve sown" for voting for the PAP government. 😠 At this point, it’s getting lowkey irritating… and if you REALLY think about it, these comments are actually harmful to political participation! 😱 1️⃣ First of all, this rhetoric reeks of insanely close-minded BINARY THINKING. Meaning, seeing things in strictly black and white: you're either with us, or against us. Of course, to preface, supporters of the ruling party are not immune to this kind of insults and binary thinking as well. 🥹 🤔 The question is, does voting for a political party mean unequivocally agreeing with every single policy that the party pushes out? Are Singaporeans not allowed to voice their displeasure at or challenge a party's policies, even if they support the party and voted for them? Whether you support the opposition or the ruling party, I can almost guarantee that you don't agree with 100% of their policies, so is it fair that some Singaporeans are expecting that of everyone else? The proliferation of this “us vs them” mentality is incredibly dangerous for social harmony; we're already seeing the discord that such a mentality can sow in countries like the United States. 😢 The danger lies in that if such comments become more and more common, we risk breeding a political environment in which political agenda is pushed through emotional arguments rather than factual debates, and we end up with a populace that becomes more emotionally charged yet less able to think critically. And for a society as diverse as ours, hatred and division becomes all the more dangerous… 🫠 2️⃣ Second of all, despite these commenters positioning themselves as “above the herd mentality”, they are ironically doing more to DISCOURAGE change than to encourage it! These comments are unfortunately even left under commentaries or posts aiming to encourage Singaporeans to take action and voice their opinions on certain policies. 😡 When you shoehorn every activist into the identity of a “PAP supporter” without even bothering to find out what their views are, and put down their efforts to enact change simply because you assume that they have voted for the ruling party, then what constructive change are you even making? If Singaporeans start to demonise everyone who has different viewpoints and concerns from them, then how can we even expect to have MEANINGFUL political discussion? 🥹 Instead of highlighting genuinely good ideas and policy suggestions (and there are plenty of these good ideas from the Opposition and Singaporeans! 😃), aren't we just pushing others FURTHER AWAY from understanding our own viewpoints? Once again, if such comments become commonplace in our political scene, then we end up with a country full of harsh critics and a divided population, but no one to fight for better alternatives. 🛏️ 🥰 Ultimately, we should aim to create a political environment where every Singaporean can bring their opinions to the table in a constructive manner to be fairly heard, instead of an emotionally-charged yet unproductive manner. TAGS 🏷️: #Politics #Singapore