SINGAPORE: The particular Singapore flag can be displayed more often, which includes potentially outside the National Day period, following a Bill was transferred in Parliament upon Tuesday (Sep 13).
It comes after feedback through the public to allow higher flexibility in the use of the national symbols during various consultation workouts conducted over the last 2 yrs.
The National Symbols Bill supercedes the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem (SAFNA) Act, which was enacted in 1959 in order to govern the use of Singapore’s state crest, national flag and nationwide anthem.
Speaking in Parliament, Ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) of State with regard to Culture, Community plus Youth Low Yen Ling said Singaporeans have increasingly wanted to use the flag and other national icons to show their nationwide pride and solidarity in ways not anticipated by the 1959 guidelines.
“Over days gone by two years since COVID-19, we have seen exactly how Singaporeans used national symbols like the flag as an expression in our solidarity in difficult times, ” she said, noting the Government had amended SAFNA Act guidelines to allow the flag to be displayed outside the regular National Day period , which is from July to Sept.
Under the brand new Bill, the Leader can make regulations over the use of national plus presidential symbols while a prescribed person such as the Minister designed for Culture, Community plus Youth can enable or prohibit the usage of national symbols in appropriate situations.
This will allow for better flexibility, said Ms Low.
“With these new rules, we can respond more nimbly to genuine requests to use the particular national symbols under pre-specified conditions, whilst also protecting the particular national symbols through indiscriminate or improper use, ” the lady said.
“We envisage that the brand new regulations could take a more permissive stance to allow greater creative and creative usage of an image of the Singapore flag, ” she added.
A LOT MORE NATIONAL SYMBOLS
The national promise, the national floral Vanda Miss Joaquim, the lion mind symbol and the general public seal – which is affixed to important documents of state – will also certainly be recognised as national symbols.
Additionally , three presidential symbols – the presidential standard, presidential crest and presidential close off – will be given statutory recognition and protection.
One of the four newly recognized national symbols, the national pledge plus public seal will come under statutory shields. No new rules are intended for the national flower or lion head symbol, stated Ms Low.
“We will continue our practice these days of allowing any individual, organisation or corporation to use the lion head symbol intended for purposes of identifying with all the nation, following prevailing guidelines.
“Individuals, organisations and companies are also free to make use of the image of the nationwide flower, ” said Ms Low.