There is just something about the national anthem that gets me every time. Whether at the National Day Parade, at the SEA Games - or now at the Olympic Games - they are almost guaranteed to be slightly emotional moments for me.

I dare not declare myself a patriot, but I can say I love my country very much and I am immensely proud of how far Singapore has come.

And our national anthem is precisely that: a chorus about moving onwards.

In lifting the Singapore flag ahead of other more recognisable ones yesterday, Joseph Schooling has made the world take note of what this young, small nation is capable of.

For 11/2 minutes as the national anthem blared through the speakers, I was not a journalist trying to stay neutral in the press tribune.

I was simply a Singaporean, proud that one of our own has demonstrated - on the biggest stage - the country's progress.

You stand taller, sing louder, but you cannot stop the tears.

Majulah, Singapura.

Majulah, Singapura.