Singapore's National Anthem "Majulah Singapura" which means Onward Singapore will be updated and the new version will be unveiled on Tuesday, December 3. This initiative was taken as a part of the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Republic's national symbols. It is a rendition by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth.
Grace Fu, Member of People's Action Party said on Sunday, December 1, that the new version of the National Anthem will be revealed as a part of a commemoration ceremony for the 60th anniversary of the Anthem, the national flag and the state crest.
History of "Majulah Singapura"
The National Anthem, originally written in Malay, is a musical expression of Singapore's identity as a nation. It was composed in 1958 by the late Zubir Said and after the island country accomplished self-governance in 1959 it became the National Anthem of Singapore on December 3 in the same year. It should be noted that this will be the first update to the song since the current version was recorded in January 2001.
"The difficulty is in such a short melody, I have to put in all the words in very simple... it must be very simple, understandable for all the races in Singapore. So that takes long. Not the music but the words take long. I got to be very careful. So I consulted also an author in language, in Malay language so that I can do it in proper Malay language but not too deep and not too difficult," said Zubir.
The 55-year-old politician, Fu, said that the adaptation of national symbols is important as it portrays national identity. She believes that right now Singaporeans, including the athletes are wearing the flag and sing the anthem also with extreme pride.
The new version of the National Anthem
While talking about Singapore team, participating in Philippines SEA Games, Fu also mentioned that currently the athletes are wearing the flag on their arms and after winning a medal they will be on the podium and the National Anthem will be played. The new rendition is based on the 2001 musical arrangement, re-arranged by composer and Cultural Medallion winner, Phoon Yew Tien.
