Selected Jetstar flights will use Singlish to make in-flight service announcements on Aug 9 as part of the airline's National Day celebrations. When asked to share his views, SMU School of Social Sciences Associate Professor of English Literature Kirpal Singh noted that Singlish is a key component of the Singaporean identity. "Whenever Singaporeans are abroad, one of the clearest markers of identity is, in fact, hearing somebody speak Singlish," he said. He downplayed the possibility that delivering announcements in Singlish might give foreigners the impression that Singaporeans do not know how to speak accurate English, adding that the majority of Singaporeans who use Singlish are actually very at home with good, proper, formal English as well.