Singapore ceremony

Press, 29 November 1978, Page 14

Singapore ceremony

NZPA Singapore The New Zealand Force stationed at Singapore will hold a Trooping the Colour ceremony to celebrate Waitangi Day. ' It is believed .the occ&j sion will represent the first time a New Zealand Force has held a trooping the Colour ceremony overseas, and the decision to do so has received strong support from the Singaporean Government. In an unprecedented gesture, it has offered the Padang — a grassed area in front of Singapore’s City Hall and site of Singaporean National Day parades — for the occasion and made available the i City Hall for a post-par-

ade New Zealand recep- | tion. It is also likely that a senior member of the Singaporean Government i will review the parade by the Ist Battalion, Royal ; New Zealand Infantry Regiment. Brigadier J. L. Smith, the commanding officer of the New Zealand Force, said that the Singaporean Government had accorded a high honour to the unit in offering the Padang as the site for the ceremony The ceremony, to be j held on February 4. a I Sunday, will be open to ; the public and therefore a ' “highly visible” sign of the close relationship be- : tween the Governments of the two countries, accord- ; ing to diplomatic sources.