A National Day Parade (NDP) float depicting psychological defence will feature full-time national serviceman Arnaav Karan Chabria (right) who survived the 6.0 magnitude quake that hit Sabah, Malaysia, on June 5, 2015.
The 19-year-old will be donning the Singa The Kindness Lion costume as part of the Total Defence segment of NDP.
Third Sergeant Arnaav was one of the 29 Tanjong Katong Primary School pupils who were attending a leadership camp in Sabah when the quake struck.
Seven of them were killed, along with two teachers and a Singaporean adventure guide. The total death toll was 18.
The young Arnaav suffered multiple injuries, including a broken collarbone and shoulder.
The combat engineer said he hopes to inspire resilience among the thousands of NDP spectators with his participation.
“It was indeed very difficult to come out of that (quake aftermath). Now being a part of NDP gives me a sense of hope and happiness as I can encourage people,” 3rd Sgt Arnaav told tabla!.
“It was traumatising to be extremely affected both physically and emotionally. Being dependent on others for even basic daily activities, including eating and showering, was stressful.
“It was also quite difficult to accept that my friends and teachers were no more. Immobility made the recovery process even harder.”
He kept repeating “keep moving forward” like a mantra as he went through the recovery process.
“And with the strong support of my family, friends, school and teachers, I was able to bounce back.”
3rd Sgt Arnaav added: “Singa has always been an inspiration to every Singaporean child. I can recall watching NDP for the first time when I was in primary school. Years have passed and being part of it today makes me feel very proud.”
He pointed out that not many are aware of the effort and commitment that go into putting NDP together: “It is an admirable work by many people working together.”
In contrast to earlier parades, which included drive-past displays by the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force, this year’s parade will include six large floats, each representing the pillars of Total Defence.
The one representing psychological defence is designed to resemble a biscuit tin containing a grandmother’s priceless possessions.
