Speech by Minister of State for Defence Associate Professor at the Committee of Supply Debate 2010

05 Mar 2010

Recognition for NSmen

Mr Chairman Sir, on behalf of the Minister for Defence, Ms Ellen Lee asked for an update on the implementation of the recommendations of RECORD V. The Government had accepted all the 18 recommendations and I am pleased to inform this House that we have already implemented about half of the recommendations.

The recommendations to increase the rank and combat allowances of our NSmen were implemented in October last year. From 1st April this year, Sir, the rank allowance increments for NSmen will also be increased. NSmen will also get their increments earlier after one work year instead of after 40 days of National Service. In addition, key command appointment holders will receive the new Command Appointment add-on allowance. This will better recognise the heavy responsibilities of our NS commanders.

Sir, another recommendation was to help NSmen balance their military training and work demands during In-Camp Training. To facilitate this, we are enhancing the business centres in the three largest training institutes where NSmen have their In-Camp Training. These are the Infantry Training Institute in Jurong Camp II, the Armour Training Institute in Sungei Gedong Camp, and the Army Logistics Training Institute in Kranji Camp. NSmen can bring in their laptops and PDAs to use them at these business centres after training hours. These business centres will be equipped with wireless internet access to enable our NSmen to connect to their workplaces. We have received very positive feedback from our NSmen regarding this initiative and they are looking forward to the implementation next month.

SAFRA has also begun work with the Town Councils to incorporate the "IPPT-In-Your- Community" training facilities into the fitness corners in the Town Council neighbourhoods. This will be an added convenience for our NSmen to train for their IPPT. The first IPPT training facility in Hillock Park at Bukit Purmei estate is already ready for use and another nine facilities in areas such as Bishan-Toa Payoh, West Coast, Tampines, Yishun and Tanjong Pagar will be ready over the next few months. I am heartened by the warm responses from the various Town Councils and NSmen for this project. CPL (NS) Poh Yong Cheng, an NSman whom I spoke to two days ago at the launch of the first IPPT training facility at Bukit Purmei told me that the facility has made it easier for him to train for his annual IPPT. This is because the facility brings together all the five IPPT stations and is also very near his home. I encourage members of this House to speak with your constituents and explore setting up more of such facilities in your town. (SAFRA is waiting to hear from you.)

The remaining RECORD V recommendations such as the introduction of Family Recognition Vouchers for NSmen and ORD mementos for NSFs will be implemented in the next financial year. Members of this House will have received a copy of PIONEER magazine, in which you will be able to find a progress report on the implementation of the RECORD V recommendations.

Total Defence

Sir, on Total Defence, Ms Ellen Lee asked if our approach to Total Defence has changed and how the Total Defence message can be further entrenched. This is also related to Dr 's question on integrating all citizens into our efforts to defend against terrorism. I would also like to thank Dr for asking how we are engaging Singaporeans, in particular our youths, in Total Defence.

Sir, today, Total Defence has become even more relevant. It is a part of our lives. Total Defence provides us with a whole-of-nation framework for overcoming potential threats and challenges, whether they are terrorism, pandemic outbreaks or economic downturns. It is wrong to say that Total Defence is the responsibility of the SAF. (It is a responsibility of all the agencies and everyone in Singapore.) It is critical that all Singaporeans understand that everyone has a role to play in defending Singapore and in building a strong nation that is vigilant, prepared and resilient.

Sir, I am pleased to note that the message of Total Defence is being spread by Singaporeans from all walks of life, young and old. Instead of it being a top-down message from the government (and certainly not just from the SAF, but from all the government), it is now "viral", with Total Defence messages created and spread by people from all walks of life. The Total Defence campaigns in 2009 and 2010 merely provided the platforms - traditional and new media (especially new media these days) - for Singaporeans to express themselves. Building on the "What Will You Defend?" campaign last year, the "I Will" campaign this year asks Singaporeans to make a pledge to act on what is important to all of us. Singaporeans have responded enthusiastically. A total of about 27,000 pledges, mostly from schools and the grassroots, were made through various channels like the "I Will" website, pledge cards and roadshows. More, of course, can be explored. More can be expected. The website remains open, and more roadshows will be held at the various constituencies over the year. This gives us the confidence that our young men and women understand the importance of Total Defence and will play their part when we are faced with any crises or challenges.

Sir, we have also been engaging our young people, young people are very important, through projects such as N.E.mation! (Dr Teo mentioned that.) It is an animation competition that allows them to express in their own ways what Total Defence means to them. In this year's competition, the top 10 finalist teams were able to rally support for their clips through the use of Facebook. The teams posted behind-the-scenes photos and videos to show the progress being made in the production of their clips. As a result, the clips this year garnered something like 57,000 votes from the public, almost double the number in the first competition. Many of the clips were of the highest quality. Two clips are worthy of mention. The first clip, "Just Because" from CHIJ St Joseph's Convent and the second clip, "Nation Moulders" from Jurong Junior College won the Phoenix Award for "Most Outstanding Film for a Product or Cause by a Student" in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The Phoenix Awards is an annual competition in Asia that recognise creativity and professional skills in the production of commercial films, video and digital images.

These Total Defence efforts represent part of an overall layered approach to engage youths. We first start in schools with National Education, and when they are in junior colleges, polytechnics and the ITEs, all male and female students will visit SAF camps to have a first hand experience of what the SAF and NS is all about. During their full-time NS stint, besides being trained to become fighting soldiers, the males are given further insights into the defence of the country. And after their ORD, we continue to engage our NSmen during their annual In-Camp Training. Surveys in recent years have consistently shown that more than 90% of our people would defend Singapore should it come under threat.

Commitment to Defence

Ms and Dr asked how we can ensure that Singaporeans, especially the young, remain committed to defence, and how we are enhancing Singaporeans', and particularly young Singaporeans' appreciation of the role played by the SAF in safeguarding Singapore.

MINDEF will continue to use creative means to engage Singaporeans and enhance their personal commitment to defence. Events like the annual Total Defence campaign that I just touched on and the National Day Parade are just some examples of how we have sought to engage Singaporeans at a personal level. Many of you would remember the 8:22 pledge moment at last year's NDP (That means 8 pm 22 minutes), which sought to bring our entire nation together to re-affirm our commitment to Singapore by saying the pledge together.

To better foster commitment to defence among Singaporeans and let them have a better sense of what is going on in the SAF, we ought to reach out to the public, particularly our young people, through the use of new media. A good example is our cyberpioneerTV channel on YouTube. There, viewers can learn more about the SAF by watching short video clips on life in the SAF. We started the channel in December 2008, and today we have about 140 video clips, garnering a total of almost 420,000 views.

Last August, MINDEF also gave our PIONEER magazine, which you have on your seat, a makeover so that its content would appeal to a wider audience, thereby spreading the message of Total Defence. PIONEER now not only has a new, more vibrant layout, but also helps the families of our NSFs and NSmen appreciate the importance of what they are doing. We received a letter from Ms Jennifer Chow, a girlfriend of an NSF, who wrote, "I am very happy with the new PIONEER because it presents a variety of information from military to lifestyle. … I introduced it to my female colleagues." Similarly, Ms Stephanie Ang, a mother, wrote, "Now with the recent revamp, I can entertain myself and still be well informed of the SAF. I also have a better time communicating with my son about his army life."

Sir, we have been fortunate that there is strong public commitment to defence and to National Service. However, we should not take this for granted. MINDEF will continue to engage all Singaporeans to strengthen their commitment to the defence of Singapore. Thank You.