Will you die for Singapore? Video that has gone viral says no

SINGAPORE - Will you die for Singapore?

That is the question posed by campaign group 'We are Majulah' in a 8-minute video calling for Singaporeans to ponder what it means to be Singaporean.

The video was uploaded on the group's Facebook page on Feb 15, which was also Total Defence Day and the day that Singapore surrendered to the Japanese 74 years ago.

In the sombre video, TV host and director Divian Nair, talks about what 'majulah' means to the country.

"There is a glue that is missing in our society. A glue that solidifies us as a people, a glue that we can call a national identity," Divian says in the video.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/1191604004201804/videos/1220346147994256/[/embed]

As he draws parallels with the French concept of 'Liberte', the American principle of 'freedom', and Indonesia's 'Jakarta berani', Divian talks about the Singapore glue: 'majulah'.

The three underlying principles behind 'majulah' are ownership, courage, and compassion, Divian explained. He then gave examples of 'majulah' being exemplified by the unity displayed when the nation mourned the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's, and the graciousness that Singaporeans show foreign workers who contribute to the country.

"The only reason I will not die for Singapore is because I know that it is more important that I live for it," Divian said.

Within 20 hours of its release, the video garnered over 5,000 likes and 276,000 views.

Comments posted on the video link were mixed, with most lauding Divian for capturing what it means to be a Singaporean, while some cynics called the clip 'corny'.

grongloh@sph.com.sg