The National Pledge embodies the ideals for building a united Singapore. Written in August 1966 by S. Rajaratnam, who was then Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Pledge underwent several rounds of revisions before becoming the version that exists today.
History
The idea for a National Pledge was first proposed in October 1965 by William Cheng, Principal Assistant Secretary of Administration in the Ministry of Education, to Ong Pang Boon, Minister for Education, as a loyalty oath that could be recited in schools in place of the flag-raising ceremony. Accepting the suggestion, Ong tasked two of his deputies to produce drafts of the Pledge, which were then forwarded to Rajaratnam for comments. Influenced by his experience of the 1964 racial riots, Rajaratnam rewrote the Pledge with a new emphasis on overcoming the divisive barriers of race, language and religion. His version called for a sense of nationhood to be fostered despite these differences, and encouraged all Singaporeans to realise the dream of building a nation that they would be proud of. Following further revisions by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as well as other Ministry of Education officials, the final version of the pledge as we know it today was created.
On 25 August 1966, about 500,000 students from 529 government and aided schools recited the National Pledge, the first time the Pledge was recited in schools. Led by teachers, the recital was done at the instruction of the Ministry of Education (MOE) which then said that pupils were to observe this ceremony with solemnity and respect, and to face the National Flag with their right hands raised. From 27 June 1988 however, students have been reciting the Pledge with their right fists clenched to their chests, a change which according to MOE was to better reflect the emotional aspect of saying the Pledge. The Pledge has since been recited on occasions of national importance such as the National Day Parade. Unlike the National Anthem and the Flag, there had been hardly any early newspaper coverage of the Pledge.
Versions
The Pledge is available in the four official languages.
The Pledge in English
We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
The Pledge in Malay
Kami, warganegara Singapura, sebagai rakyat yang bersatu padu, tidak kira apa bangsa, bahasa, atau ugama, berikrar untok membina suatu masyarakat yang demokratik, berdasarkan kepada keadilan dan persamaan untok mencapai kebahagian, kemakmuran dan kemajuan bagi negara Kami.
Guidelines
Extracted from Guidelines on the use of the National Symbols (The National Pledge). (July 1999). Ministry of Information and the Arts.
Guidelines for Use
1. The National Pledge is recited during school assemblies, during SAF Day, during National Day Parade, and at National Day Observance Ceremonies.
2. Individuals reciting the Pledge shall clench their right fists to the left side of their chest as a gesture symbolizing loyalty to the nation.
3. The Pledge shall not be used for any commercial purposes. Organisations seeking to use the Pledge in print or in any other medium should obtain prior approval from the Prime Minister's Office.
Author
Zubaidah Mohamed
References
Air of determination when pledge was recited in '60s. (1996, June 12). The Straits Times, Life at Large.
Koh, B. P. (1996, June 12). The dream was about building "a Singapore we are proud of". The Straits Times, Life!, p. 2.
Kwa, C. G., Heng, D., & Tan, T. Y. (2009). Singapore: A 700-year history (pp. 194-195). Singapore: National Archives of Singapore.
(Call no.: RSING 959.5703 KWA)
Ministry of Education. Annual report [Microfilm: NL 9335). (1966). Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off.
(Call no.: RCLOS 370.95951 SIN year 1966)
Ministry of Information and the Arts. (1999). The national symbols kit, [kit]. Singapore: Author.
(Call No.: YRSING 320.54095957027 NAT)
Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts. (2002). National symbols: The pledge. Retrieved April 8, 2003, from http://www.sg/explore/symbols_pledge.htm
Singapore: The first 10 years of independence. (2007). Singapore: National Library Board and National Archives of Singapore.
(Call no.: RSING 959.5705 SIN)
SM thinks of Raja and chokes with emotion. (1996, June 9). The Straits Times, p.1.
10 years that shaped a nation (pp. 138-139). (2008). Singapore: National Archives of Singapore.
(Call no.: RSING 959.5705 TEN)
Further Readings
Singapore. Legislative Assembly. (1959). State arms and flag and national anthem of Singapore. Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off.
(Call No.: RSING 929.8 SIN)
The information in this article is valid as at 1998 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
