SPEECH BY MR LEE HSIEN LOONG, PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE, AT NS45
COMMEMORATION DINNER, 22 OCTOBER 2012, 5:03 PM AT THE FLOAT @ MARINA BAY
“Defending Our Peace, Protecting Our Future”
Dr Ng Eng Hen
Defence Minister
Mr Masagos Zulkifli
Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs & Foreign Affairs
Chief of Defence Force LG Neo Kian Hong
Commissioner SCDF Eric Yap
Acting Commissioner of Police Raja Kumar
Regulars, NSmen and NSFs from the SAF and Home Team
Fellow Singaporeans, Ladies and Gentlemen
INTRODUCTION
1. I am delighted to celebrate the 45th anniversary of National Service
(NS) with you tonight.
2. Tonight’s venue – The Float@Marina Bay – is a particularly meaningful
setting for this occasion. 45 years ago, there was nothing here but the
sea. It was polluted and filthy, with tongkangs and bumboats ferrying
cargo and people across the waters. Today, Marina Bay is completely
transformed. We have the Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and our new
Marina Bay Financial Centre. Singapore has become a dynamic, global
metropolis. How did we achieve this? Singa¬poreans worked very hard and
connected ourselves to the world. But our SAF and Home Teams made vital
contributions. They protected us from danger, and provided the security
and confidence that enabled us to build our economy, educate our people,
attract foreign investments, and improve our lives. They still do so
today.
3. NS has been a big part of this story. Without NS, we could not have
built up the SAF and Home Team to protect ourselves from potential
aggressors and security threats. Tonight we celebrate NS’s many
contributions to Singapore.
LOOKING BACK – 45 YEARS OF NS
4. When Singapore became independent, the odds of survival were long. Our
strategic environment was fraught with danger. With virtually no armed
forces of our own, Singapore was defenceless and vulnerable. We realised
quickly that a nation that wanted to shape its own future first had to
protect its people and interests. Given our small population, the only
viable option was to build a defence force from citizen conscripts,
trained and led by a small cadre of regulars. NS soldiers would form the
backbone of the SAF. In an emergency, the entire nation would be
mobilised for Total Defence.
5. NS thus began in August 1967. 900 recruits were called up in the first
batch. Most went to the SAF. Some were deployed part-time to the Home
Team. 45 years on, more than 900,000 Singaporeans have served NS. Many
NSmen have become fathers, and have seen their sons serve NS in their
turn. This is a significant milestone. It bonds families together, and
strengthens our commitment to defend our home. That is why “From Fathers
to Sons” is the theme for the 45th anniversary of NS. I am happy to see
many fathers and their sons celebrating NS45 with us tonight.
6. The NS experience has improved significantly since 1967. When my wife
and I visited two of our sons doing their BMT on Pulau Tekong several
years ago, we were impressed with the facilities and equipment. It was so
much better than when I did my BMT training at 2 SIR in Holland Road Camp
back in 1971! BMTC, the Home Team Academy, and the National Service
Training Institute are impressive training institutions for our recruits,
with state-of-the-art amenities. Welfare has improved too. Recruits sleep
on 6-inch spring mattresses. Food is prepared by professional chefs.
Training methods and safety have also improved. NSFs learn to use the
latest weapons and equipment, whether it is the SAF’s Advanced Combat Man
System to enable our soldiers to fight as an integrated unit, the SCDF’s
Red Scorpion to help firefighters respond quickly to civil emergencies,
or the police’s Public Transport Security Command system to keep our
public transport system safe.
7. Other fathers share this view. Mr Chang Nguan Chua, whose son LTA (NS)
Chang Meng Yong is a Commando like him, puts it well: “Today, the signal
sets are lighter, the combat rations are better and the combat boots are
more comfortable and hardy. With such advancements in technology and
equipment, our soldiers can certainly perform better than before”. I am
happy that Mr Chang and Meng Yong are with us tonight.
8. We have invested in these improvements because every Singaporean Son
is precious. It is our duty to provide our servicemen with all the
equipment, training and support they need to fulfil their mission. But
newer weapons, better welfare or comfier amenities are only part of the
solution. What is most important is our Singapore spirit: the courage to
stand up and be counted when the going gets tough; the willingness to
fight for our family, friends and fellow Singaporeans; and the
determination to defend our home, if need be with our lives.
9. Our Singapore spirit is alive and well. We see it in NSmen who
volunteer for overseas deployments and put their lives on the line, like
MAJ (Dr) (NS) Mathew Cheng who went to Afghanistan even though he had a
four-month old daughter. We see it in NSmen who step up to assume command
responsibi¬lities under challenging circumstances, like LTC (NS) Abdul
Malik who was the first SCDF NSman to be deployed as Deputy Commander
when the SCDF went to Pakistan two years ago to help with flood relief
efforts. We see it in NSmen who keep our neighbourhoods safe, such as DSP
(NS) Mulyadi bin Ahmad who commands 84 other NSmen to maintain security
during the Geylang Serai Bazaar which 300,000 people visit each year. We
see it in NSmen who voluntarily extend their national service, like MWO
(NS) Frederick Seah who promises to “serve until (his) knees gave way”. I am also glad that MAJ Cheng, LTC Abdul Malik, DSP Mulyadi and MWO Seah
are also here tonight.
10. This is only possible because all Singaporeans continue to support NS
strongly. Parents prepare their sons for NS and encourage them to do
well. Wives take care of the family when husbands are away on NS duties.
Employers make special arrangements to cover their employees during ICT.
Singaporeans have posted nearly 170,000 messages of thanks on the NS45
Tribute Tree online. This unity of purpose is a tremendous strength. It
is critical to the SAF’s deterrence, and the Home Team’s effectiveness.
Any potential aggressor knows that if it takes on Singapore, it takes on
not only the SAF and Home Team but the whole population.
11. NS has become a universal rite of passage for every male Singaporean,
regardless of race, religion or social background. During NS, everyone
stands on an equal footing. We live, eat and train together. We overcome
challenges as one unit, and help one another along. We forge enduring
friendships and camaraderie through shared trials and tribulations. As Dr
Goh Keng Swee said in 1967, “Nothing creates loyalty and national
consciousness more speedily and more thoroughly than participation in
defence and membership of the armed forces. The nation-building aspect of
defence will be more significant if its participation is spread over all
strata of society.” Indeed we have made NS a national institution and a
defining part of the Singapore identity.
SALUTING OUR NSMEN
12. That is why we all owe a huge debt to our NSmen. You have served
faithfully, despite the demands of your careers and families. You embody
our never-say-die spirit and our resolve to protect Singapore at all
costs.
13. We will recognise the valuable contributions of NSmen. I was glad
that this year’s National Day Parade was commanded by an NSman – LTC (NS)
Clarence Tan, and included a special “Salute to NS45” tribute. We have
introduced fiscal schemes such as the NSman Tax Relief and the National
Service Recognition Award. We have built recreational facilities for you
and your families. There are currently five SAFRA and six HomeTeamNS
clubhouses across the island. A sixth SAFRA clubhouse will be completed
in Punggol by 2015, and the HomeTeamNS will have a new clubhouse in
Tampines the year after.
14. We are doing more. I am happy to announce that to commemorate the
45th anniversary of NS, all NSmen will receive vouchers to enjoy a movie
or meal with your family and friends. In addition, Operationally Ready
NSmen who are currently serving out their cycles, as well as those who
have completed their cycles, will also receive a year’s free membership
to SAFRA or HomeTeamNS. This hongbao will cost us $100 million, and
benefit more than 900,000 National Servicemen. These gestures will never
fully compensate for your personal sacrifices, but I hope they help to
express our appreciation for what you have done.
SECURING OUR FUTURE
15. Our commitment to protecting Singapore has won us 45 years of peace
and stability. Fortunately, we have not had to fight a war. But this is not a matter of luck. The SAF, by its very existence and capabilities,
has contributed to the stable and peaceful security environment in the
region, and helped us to maintain friendly relations with our neighbours.
Our Home Team has protected us against unconventional threats like
extremist terrorism, and put would-be perpetrators away before they could
do us harm.
16. Looking ahead, I am cautiously optimistic that the region will remain
peaceful. One key factor is relations between the US and China. We must
expect problems, frictions and tensions to arise from time to time
between the two countries. But both Chinese and American leaders
recognise how inter-dependent they have become, and I believe will strive
hard to manage relations and avoid jeopardising their major shared
interests.
17. In Asia, countries are trading, investing, and interacting more and
more with one another. But there are also tensions in the region. Some
ASEAN members have exchanged fire over territorial disputes. Tensions are
brewing in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, also because of
territorial disputes. North Korea remains a potential security
flashpoint. In addition, we must always be prepared for emerging and
unconventional threats, especially extremist terrorism, which remains a
real danger.
18. We therefore cannot take our present peace and stability for granted.
We must continue to build and maintain a committed, competent and
vigilant SAF and Home Team. We must upgrade our capabilities steadily
year by year, in a sustainable and affordable way. We must help younger
generations of Singaporeans who have grown up in a more stable and
affluent environment understand these strategic realities, and prepare
them for their part in defending Singapore. We must also strengthen Total
Defence. Every Singaporean must be committed to the defence of
Singapore, whether in the military, civil, economic, social or
psychological domains.
CONCLUSION
19. NS is ultimately about safeguarding our homes, our loved ones, and
our freedom to determine our own way of life. It is a personal duty which
generations of NSmen have fulfilled and which every new generation must
take up.
20. As we celebrate the first 45 years of NS, let us also reaffirm our
commitment to NS and a strong SAF and Home Team. Let every one of us
continue to do our duty, so that we can preserve the peace and prosperity
we enjoy today for many years to come.
The Straits Times Oct 22, 2012
