5 Highlights of 2021 – Singapore Edition

It has been yet another eventful year for Singapore. No doubt, much has happened in the past 12 months. Let’s take some time to revisit 5 highlights (amongst many) of 2021 – Singapore edition.

National Day Parade Postponed for the First Time in History

Singapore’s National Day Parade (NDP) takes place annually on August 9. This year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the parade was rescheduled to August 21. Many of us watched the NDP this year via livestream, and although the atmosphere is completely different, it brought about a sense of unity and gave deeper meaning to this year’s NDP theme – Together, Our Singapore Spirit.

The NOC Saga

Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) is a Singaporean production company that was known for the videos they produce on their YouTube channel. In the past couple of months, allegations surrounding workplace harassment and misappropriation of company funds by the co-founder, Sylvia Chan, had cast a spotlight on NOC. With some brands halting collaborations with NOC, it seems like the saying “any press is good press” doesn’t quite fit here.

KAWS: HOLIDAY on The Float @ Marina Bay

A 42-metre-long KAWS sculpture was featured in the exhibition by the internationally-renowned artist and designer. Fans of his art were excited to head on over to the exhibition to take photographs and also buy KAWS merchandise. There was a temporary halt to the exhibition due to a legal case that led to a temporary injunction. Soon after, it was lifted and the exhibition reopened.

First Singaporean Badminton World Champion

This year, for the first time ever, a Singaporean has won the Badminton World Federation World Championships. Loh Kean Yew, a 24 year old, achieved that feat. That’s one for the history books.

Raeesha Khan Lying in Parliament

Telling a lie in Parliament has serious consequences. After admitting to the lie, Raeesha Khan, formerly a member of the opposition Workers’ Party, stepped down from her role. However, it’s not over. As investigations continue, Worker’s Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh and Ms Khan are sharing different versions of how matters unfolded after the lie was told in Parliament. Full videos of their testimonies are made available to the public, here are short snippets of them: