NDP 2026: Orang Laut song pays tribute to S’pore’s coastal native communities in parade show
At the 2026 National Day Parade, singer Asnida Daud will perform a song in the Orang Laut dialect. This family-composed piece honors Singapore’s coastal native heritage and maritime history, aiming to preserve the community's stories and language for future generations during the parade's third act.
Sarah Koh
Published
SINGAPORE – For 53-year-old Asnida Daud, childhood was filled with days spent playing along the sand and in the waters near Pulau Sudong.
The island off the southern coast of Singapore – now used as a live-firing area by the army – was home to the Orang Laut community that Asnida is a part of.
Inspired by her early memories, she worked with her husband and son to compose, arrange and write a song in the Orang Laut dialect that affirms and celebrates the natives of Singapore.
“My son was playing some keys on the piano, and the tune brought me back to the time when I was playing on the islands,” said Asnida.
The family project that is Aok Diko, which translates into “Yes, of course”, will be a central piece tying together the National Day Parade 2026, which honours the spirit and resilience that shaped the nation’s past and that inspire the country to go beyond.
Alongside drummers and 700 performers, Asnida’s performance will feature in the parade’s third act. Titled Go Beyond Our Size, it pays tribute to Singapore’s maritime history and shows how the nation’s influence reached beyond its shores.
“I really hope Singaporeans will appreciate (the song), because if the language is gone, our stories will be gone too,” said Asnida.
“If they go back after the show learning (about the Orang Laut dialect), I think I’ve done my job.”
Come Aug 9, audiences can expect an immersive and inspiring show at the National Stadium, with six chapters that will take place on the most complex stage that has been constructed for the parade in years, said show committee chairman Wong Zeng Yu.
The set-up includes an aerial installation larger than four IMAX screens on which visuals will be projected, 300 synchronised drones, and an LED wristband system that will turn the audience into a moving canvas.
“We also seek to tell inspiring stories of everyday Singaporeans that go beyond – people who provide, protect, build, care, create and uphold justice,” said Wong, a colonel in the Singapore Armed Forces.
Performers, organisers and the creative team behind NDP 2026 during a media preview of the event at Downtown East on July 2.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Among the 34 individuals to be featured in the second act, Go Beyond The Ordinary, is muralist Yip Yew Chong, who is known for his outdoor murals in places such as Chinatown, Kampong Gelam and Tiong Bahru.
The fourth chapter, Go Beyond Time, will feature nostalgic renditions of songs such as xinyao classic Moonlight In The City and the theme song to Vasantham police drama Vettai, performed by the parade’s hosts Joakim Gomez, Hafidz Rahman, Gurmit Singh, Xixi Lim and Udaya Soundari.
The show will then shift gears to feature a futuristic set, where electronic music artist Jasmine Sokko will descend onto the stage alongside two aerialists and 300 drones, while performing You’ll Be Okay, one of three NDP 2026 songs.
Rounding up the parade, the sixth chapter, Go Beyond, Together, will open with a short documentary that explores the spirit of Singapore’s sporting community, as told through the stories of four sports coaches.
Over 60 coaches and athletes representing Singapore, including kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, will then take the stage as singer Iman Fandi and The People’s Choir perform Giants, another NDP 2026 song.
Wong Zeng Yu (left), a colonel in the army and chairman of the NDP 2026 show committee, and creative director Brian Gothong Tan.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Creative director Brian Gothong Tan, who is taking on the role for the NDP for the second time, said the goal is to win hearts and minds by making Singaporeans feel for the country.
“My fear is creating an empty spectacle. So it’s important to create meaning through highlighting people that we feel are important for Singaporeans to know... whether it’s talent like Jasmine Sokko, or dancers that are differently abled,” said Tan.
He added that Singapore’s strength lies in diversity and its multicultural heritage. “We should always remind ourselves that we’ve been a port city for 700 years, and we should always celebrate that.”
source: The Straits Times https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community/ndp-2026-orang-laut-song-pays-tribute-to-spores-coastal-communities-in-parade-show
