President Tharman, PM Wong attend their first NDP in new roles
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – It was certainly not their first National Day Parade, but the 2024 celebration at the Padang
They were greeted with cheers and applause as they arrived at the Padang.
PM Wong took office as Singapore’s fourth prime minister
President Tharman, who was elected in September 2023, was the reviewing officer for the 2024 NDP. As he inspected the five guard of honour contingents, he was seen stopping to speak with some of the uniformed servicemen and women.
In a Facebook post on Aug 8 about National Day, the President highlighted some of the achievements of Singapore’s athletes at the Paris Olympics and said the country’s future lies in its unbreakable Singapore spirit.
“Through the highs and the lows, never let go of that Singapore spirit. Each of us too being able to say ‘I gave my all’,” he added.
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong was also at the parade on Aug 9, arriving to cheers from the audience.
In a video tribute played shortly after his arrival, Singaporeans thanked SM Lee for his contributions as prime minister – a role he had served in for 20 years.
SM Lee was Singapore’s prime minister from August 2004 to May 2024. He had announced in April that he would step down as the country’s leader and hand over the reins to PM Wong. Mr Lee was appointed as senior minister after stepping down as PM.
