A memorial service was held at the War Memorial Park in Beach Road to remember the thousands killed during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore in World War II.
Over at Suntec City, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean launched the Total Defence 25 campaign.
In its 25th year, the annual drive aims to familiarise people with the five aspects of total defence - psychological, social, economic, civil and military defence.
This year, the campaign 'gets personal' with the tag-line question: What will you defend?
Mr Teo, evoking the question, said the answers each person gives, ranging from a treasured toy to something abstract like one's way of life, will be different.
But ultimately, the answers will make a tapestry of 'collective dreams and hopes' that Singaporeans deem important enough to them to fight for, he said.
'At the core of these hopes and dreams are the shared values that make them possible...These do not change, and they inextricably link the defence of what is mine to that of yours and others.
'Defending the peace and security of Singapore is thus the foundation that allows for everything else that you and I build and cherish.'
Read the full story in today's edition of The Straits Times.
