PAP in NDP

From the NDP website:

People’s Action Party (PAP)

The People's Action Party has participated in every National Day Parade since the nation's first birthday in 1966. The party will be providing a 91-strong contingent led by Ms Penny Low, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. Founded in 1954, PAP's mission is to create a fair and just society where the benefits of progress are spread widely to all Singaporeans under a clean and honest government. Guided by its four core values of honesty, multiracialism, meritocracy, and self-reliance, the Party has won every General Election since 1959.

This has always bothered me. Why is PAP marching in the National Day Parade? Who gave them the honour and privilege of marching in the NDP? Which part of Total Defence do they represent?

I don't think the PAP should be in the National Day Parade at all. A case can be made for NTUC in that they represent the everyman (true or not is another matter and definitely worth a blog entry). The other civilian contigents tend to represent industry and thus Economic Defence.

But who does PAP represent? As a political party they cannot but represent themselves. To be in the National Day Parade, what does that say, especially when no other political body has a contingent? As idealistic as it may be, NDP should be politic-free, or at least politic-neutral.