Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob has begged Singaporeans to remain in the country to celebrate National Day this year as the prospect of Singaporeans taking a vacation during the long break in August looms large.

This was a day after an extra public holiday was declared to celebrate the nation’s 50th birthday.

On March 14, 2015, the President declared Aug. 7 a public holiday as part of Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations.

The extra holiday falls on a Friday. As National Day falls on a Sunday this year, Monday will automatically be a holiday giving Singapore a four-day Golden Jubilee weekend from Aug. 7 to 10.

Public holiday-starved Singaporeans can look forward to a 10-day holiday if they take leave for the rest of the week.

Madam Halimah was quoted in The Straits Times on March 15:

“My appeal to Singaporeans is to please stay in Singapore during the long weekend. I understand that Singaporeans take the opportunity during periods of long weekends to chill out with their families overseas, and on other occasions that’s all right, but on this occasion, I hope that they will stay and really celebrate together as a nation.”

“It will be really sad if a quarter of Singapore goes overseas to celebrate.”

She also said she hopes that the travel industry will support her call:

“I know the travel business will be affected but I hope they will understand and see the reason why we are making this call. In Singapore, the government does not declare public holidays willingly, it is really something that they thought about carefully.”

Singapore has 11 public holidays in a typical year.

This is a shortfall of five days as there used to be 16 public holidays in 1968. However, excess days have cut in a belief that it can boost the country’s economic competitiveness.

Extra public holidays have rarely been declared, except for elections.

Supporting her call for staying put to prevent widespread absenteeism, The Straits Times put up an editorial on March 15 reminding Singaporeans of the need to observe Singapore's momentous celebrations this year as the parade will be bigger and more innovative:

These efforts to inject grandeur of scale into what already is Singapore's largest annual national celebration are welcome. This year's NDP must be memorable even by the increasingly high standards of innovation and performance that Singaporeans have seen at the parade every year. It must showcase what 50 years of nationhood mean to citizens individually and collectively.

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