COM353e Feature Writing – SUSS- National Day Rally held on 19 August 2018, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore

Question 1

At the National Day Rally held on 19 August 2018, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that an additional 500,000 Singaporeans would receive help from the Government with their medical expenses through a special programme known as the “Merdeka Generation Package.” While they would get less than the $8 billion package awarded to the Pioneer Generation, “a significant sum” would nonetheless be set aside to help those born between 1950 and 1959 with their medical expenses.

In his speech, the Prime Minister described the Merdeka generation using the following words:

“This group born in the 1950s are the Merdeka Generation. In Chinese, 立国一代, and in Malay, of course, Generasi Merdeka. There are 500,000 of the Merdeka Generation today. I am proud to be one of them.

Having lived through the battles and upheavals of the Merdeka struggle, and seen how their parents have scraped and slogged for them, when the Merdeka Generation grew up, they understood instinctively what was at stake. They accepted hardships, made sacrifices, answered the call of duty, and worked with their leaders to build a better tomorrow. The men were among the earliest batches called up for National Service. They were the first of the SAF – the Army, Navy and Air Force. Many, especially girls, did not complete their education. They came out to work early, to support the family and younger siblings. Some joined the workforce amidst economic uncertainty and high unemployment, as the British Forces withdrew from Singapore. All started working when wages were still low. Together with the Pioneer Generation, the Merdeka Generation contributed to building Singapore, to making Merdeka – Independence – a success.”

Your task:

You are a journalist with Today newspaper, and your editor has asked you to write a special human interest feature on the Merdeka generation. What was the Singapore of their growingup years like? What sacrifices did they make so that their family may have a better life than them? What are some of their favourite memories of the Singapore of their childhood? In their views, how has Singapore at 53 changed—for better or for worse? Humanise the Merdeka generation by telling their stories.

To gather content for your article, you will need to interview three Singaporeans belonging to the Merdeka generation. To give your article more diversity, ensure that your interviewees come from a mix of sexes and socio-economic backgrounds.

In addition, you need to demonstrate the ability to effectively use rich media elements to enrich your feature story. At a minimum, your feature story needs to be accompanied by one appropriate photograph which you have taken and hence have the right to use and publish.

Propose a suitable headline for your story, which will be published in The Big Read column of Today. Use a pen name for this task.