SURPRISE: Comedian Mark Lee will be speaking English throughout alongside co-hosts Michelle Chong, Gurmit Singh, Suhaimi Yusof and Vernetta Lopez.

SURPRISE: Mark himself was shocked when his manager told him he had been selected as host for the National Day Parade (NDP).

SURPRISE: His friends' response: 'Huh? You?'

The 41-year-old, who is fluent in Mandarin and Hokkien, confessed that he speaks 'broken English' on a daily basis.

Indeed, his popularity hinges on precisely that - his Singlish jokes have struck a chord with TV viewers.

Mark said of his upcoming gig: 'I get nervous thinking of all the VIPs who will be present.

'But, at the same time, I am ecstatic about it as this is really such an honour.'

Mark said his warm and friendly image must have played a big part in the selection process.

His job is to appeal to the heartlanders and make them feel at home. Twice during the parade he will speak Hokkien phrases.

Colonel Desmond Tan, 39, chairman of the NDP show committee, explained why Mark was chosen.

He said that Mark is the ideal person to bring more laughter to the parade this year.

'And he connects with the audience effortlessly,' Col Tan said, adding that Mark's English language proficiency is 'really all right'.

This is the fifth time that Mark has participated in the NDP. The first two times, he was a soldier in the march-past. Twice after that, he was a performer and host of a small part of the show.

Rehearsals have already begun for the parade.

And so far, Singaporeans who have watched the previews have had mixed comments about Mark.

In blog posts on the rehearsals, netizens have praised him, calling him a 'nice change to the usual stuffy hosting'.

Further comments include, 'he's so funny!' and 'I really enjoyed the show because of him'.

But others have predictably picked up on his less-than-proficient English.

One post reads: 'He was his usual Ah Beng lame self... The epitome of Singlish'.

Surprise

The New Paper spoke to several Singaporeans who haven't watched the NDP preview and the overall reaction was of surprise.

Said Ms Lee Geok Chin, 35, a financial consultant: 'Why they would pick him is beyond me.

'I'll understand if it were a Chinese programme. His English is funny because it's not perfect, unless funny is what the organisers are looking for.'

Mr Kelvin Kwong, 42, a trader, echoed the same sentiment: 'I really like Mark because he's a fantastic comedian.

'I just don't know if it'd be appropriate for him to host in English in such a formal setting. What if he makes mistakes?'

But the two-time Best Variety Host award winner is confident that he'll silence his detractors on the big day.

Mark revealed that he is 'working very hard' and reads his script aloud whenever he has time.

Fellow hosts

Rehearsing with fellow hosts Michelle and Gurmit has been a 'great learning experience' as they would not hesitate to correct him whenever he trips up on his pronunciation.

Ironically, this is exactly what Mark does in the current Channel 8 variety show that he hosts, It's A Small World.

Foreigners are brought on the programme to speak Mandarin and he has the task of correcting them in a bid to make the audience laugh.

So now that the tables have been turned, is it tough being on the other side?

Mark says that the criticism has not affected him at all.

He said: 'I'm the type who (breaks into) tears when the national anthem is sung at the NDP.

'This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I believe I will be able to 'make' the audience enjoy the show.'

This article was first published in The New Paper.