If you thought the "President" at this year'sNational Day Parade rehearsals looked just a little different from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, you weren't the only one.

Eagle-eyed spectators at the July 4 rehearsal are convinced that Captain Lam Hong Xiang, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) officer who unexpectedly became an internet heartthrob in 2024 after serving as President Tharman's stand-in, is back for another round.

In other words, he might just be serving a second (rehearsal) term.

While the NDP Executive Committee has yet to officially confirm whether Captain Lam has returned as the President's rehearsal stand-in, videos circulating online have convinced many Singaporeans that it's him once again.

8days.sg has reached out to the NDP committee but did not receive a response at press time.

And before you think he's just an RSAF officer, think again.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Captain Lam currently works as a Data Product Manager at Louis Vuitton, a role he's held for about three years. Before that, he was a data analyst at both Google and OCBC Bank.

The Republic Polytechnic alumnus also holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from RMIT University and an MBA from Murdoch University.

If Captain Lam really is back for another year, there don't seem to be many complaints.

A netizen declared that he looked like “some K-drama CEO oppa”.

Someone else even jokingly nominated him as “the future youngest President of Singapore”.

Some NDP traditions, it seems, are worth repeating. Don’t you think so?

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Photos: RSAF, oscareatwhat/IG