National Day merchandise should ‘reflect the S’pore we claim to be’ instead of presenting ‘incomplete image’: Stomper
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Should National Day merchandise do more to reflect Singapore’s multicultural identity? One reader thinks so.
After coming across National Day T-shirts featuring English and Chinese text, Stomper Sugiman says the designs raised broader questions about how Singapore is represented through merchandise associated with national pride.
“The Chinese words themselves are not offensive,” he said. “They simply refer to Singapore and the date of independence.”
However, Sugiman feels merchandise marketed specifically for National Day carries greater significance than ordinary commercial clothing.
“It is not simply selling a design; it is selling an image of Singapore,” he said.
He added that Singapore’s four official languages — English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil — together reflect the country’s multicultural and multiracial identity, while Malay remains the national language.
“These are not merely administrative arrangements,” he said. “They reflect the historical and social foundation of Singapore as a shared home for different communities.”
Sugiman stressed that his concern was not the use of Mandarin itself.
“When a National Day product gives prominence to English and Chinese while excluding Malay and Tamil, the concern is not that Chinese should not be used,” he said.
“Mandarin is part of Singapore’s identity and should certainly be represented. The concern is whether a product claiming to celebrate the nation is presenting an incomplete image of that nation.”
He believes representation matters because national symbols and celebrations help shape the public’s understanding of who belongs.
“If some languages and communities are repeatedly made more visible than others, even unintentionally, it may create the impression that certain groups occupy a more central place in Singapore’s national identity,” he said.
How to ensure national pride merchandise speaks equally to all Singaporeans
Sugiman also suggested that clearer guidelines could be considered for merchandise officially promoted, licensed or marketed as National Day products.
He said such guidelines need not dictate every artistic decision but could establish broad principles that reflect Singapore’s multicultural identity.
Among his suggestions were encouraging or requiring National Day merchandise to:
- recognise Singapore’s multicultural character;
- avoid presenting one community as the default face of the nation;
- use inclusive national phrases such as “Majulah Singapura”;
- include all four official languages where language is a major design feature; and
- incorporate national symbols and messages that speak equally to all Singaporeans.
“This is not a call to remove Chinese words, nor is it an accusation against any particular community,” he said.
“It is a call for greater awareness and responsibility when national identity is used for commercial purposes.”
Sugiman’s views come amid a broader discussion about inclusivity in National Day merchandise.
On July 20, Stomp reported on online discussions after some netizens questioned why National Day T-shirts sold at FairPrice featured mainly English and Chinese text, with no Tamil.
“National Day merchandise should reflect the Singapore we claim to be,” Sugiman said.
He added that Singapore’s multiculturalism should not only be reflected in official speeches, school textbooks and National Day performances, but also in products, advertisements and public imagery created in the name of the nation.
“When something is sold as a celebration of Singapore, it should make Singaporeans of every race and language feel that they are part of the picture — not merely observers standing outside it.”
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