Steady investment in SAF shows Singapore is serious about its defence: Ng Eng Hen
SINGAPORE - The Republic’s heavy investment in state-of-the-art training facilities for national servicemen, along with the strong commitment of more than one million NSmen themselves over the years, has resulted in an SAF that is well equipped to carry out its mission across various domains, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on July 1.
That the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is willing to spend money to send more than 14,000 soldiers overseas for realistic training each year also shows how serious it is about being ready for battle when called upon, he added.
Speaking at an SAF Day rededication ceremony at Suntec City on July 1, Dr Ng said steady investment in the SAF since it was formed 59 years ago demonstrates that national service is not for show.
“Our NSmen know that they will be the first to mobilise in a conflict, and they have to meet the aggressor,” he said at the ceremony, organised by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation. “So we want to make sure that they have realistic exercises and, when battle is called, to be ready and confident.”
Dr Ng was referring to SAF training at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia, which will see the number of Singapore soldiers training there as part of the annual Exercise Wallaby rise from 6,000 to 9,000 in 2024, and 14,000 by 2028.
He also cited efforts to enhance training facilities at home such as Safti City, a dense urban environment equipped with smart targets that can move and shoot back, and register virtual hits on soldiers.
Dr Ng acknowledged that every dollar spent on defence could have been used for other purposes, such as health, education or welfare. Some have also argued that cutting military spending would forestall the need to raise taxes to meet other public spending needs.
But many countries in Europe and elsewhere have come to realise that “it is not one or the other – you have to do both: (to) spend on defence and on your other needs”.
At the Munich Security Conference he attended in February, where European leaders came together to discuss security issues, Dr Ng said the one question repeated across all sessions was whether European Union countries, collectively or individually, were ready for an invasion.
Someone asking this question just five years ago would have been accused of scaremongering or being delusional, but all hopes and dreams of peace were shattered in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, he noted.
“As Mr Lee Kuan Yew reminded us, without security, there is no progress,” he said.
Dr Ng said he was thankful that the Government commits itself substantially to defence spending year after year. The result is an SAF that Singaporeans can be proud of, which played its part for the nation during pandemics, and also to provide humanitarian aid, such as through recent airdrops to civilians in Gaza.
“As long as our soldiers remain committed, train hard, never taking our peace for granted, then the SAF will remain strong and capable of defending Singapore’s sovereignty and our way of life,” he said.
Later in the day, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Dr Ng attended the SAF Day Parade at Safti Military Institute, where they presented awards to the 2024 winners of SAF’s Best Unit Competition.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam arriving at Safti Military Institute for the SAF Day Parade on July 1. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
The ceremony at Suntec City was one of four ceremonies held concurrently across the island where operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) reaffirmed their pledge of loyalty and dedication to Singapore and the SAF. This year’s ceremonies saw 385 NSmen from 240 companies and their employers taking part.
At a ceremony organised by Singtel and NCS, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng called on every employer to give NSmen their fullest support, and that doing so was a strategic investment in their own business success.
This view was affirmed by Ms Joanna Tan, general manager of Starlite Printers (Far East), who said a safe and secure business environment is an important consideration for companies.
Ms Joanna Tan, general manager of Starlite Printers (Far East), receiving a token of appreciation from Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
The printed packaging firm supports its NSmen employees by ensuring that staff about to go for in-camp training (ICT) are rostered for day shifts two to three weeks before their ICT, said Ms Tan.
This followed feedback from NSmen employees that working night shifts just before their ICT made it difficult for them to concentrate during training, as they would not have had the time to readjust their sleep schedule, she said.