Response by Senior Minister of State for Defence, Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, to the Adjournment Motion by Mr Vikram Nair on the Future of National Service

Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank Mr Vikram Nair and Ms Joan Pereira for their speeches and strong support for National Service (NS). Since Independence, this Government has been consistent and unwavering in its commitment towards strong defence and security that can only be possible with NS, due to our limited manpower. 

National conscription is a difficult policy for any country to introduce and just as challenging to maintain. 50 years ago, with our nation's very survival at stake, with independence thrust upon her precipitously and without any military to protect her sovereignty, the Government of the day took that onerous but courageous step to introduce NS. Dr Goh Keng Swee moved the NS (Amendment) Bill, which this House passed on 14 March 1967.  With that, NS began with the first batch of 9000 national servicemen enlisted in 1967. Then, Singapore was poor and undeveloped, and there was no certainty that we could even succeed as a nation or build a credible military to protect our borders and interests. After 50 years, and a million national servicemen who have performed this sacred duty honorably and faithfully, including many NSmen MPs here, we can take pride that together, we have built up a strong SAF and Home Team, respected and able to protect Singapore. 

Why did our founding leaders begin NS then, even though it was politically challenging and unpopular, in a Singapore that was impoverished and beset with so many other economic and social problems?  As our founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew revealed in 2012, and I quote, "From the day we started, I knew (that) we needed a strong SAF, and I believe that remains today. Without a strong SAF, there is no economic future, there is no security." This truism remains. 

Today, the external threats may have changed in nature, but are no less threatening, either to the safety of our citizens or the sovereignty of our nation. Yes, today, this House sits in a very different Singapore. Certainly, we are more prosperous and stable with the SAF and the Home Team keeping Singapore safe daily. The Police and the SCDF work hard to maintain law and order, responding to all types of emergencies, and are prepared to deal with any threat. Our crime rates are low and while the terrorist threat is a grave one, our security forces are vigilant and prepared to deal with an attack when it comes. NS receives very strong support - from all members of this House, from employers and citizens. In our polls, more than 90% of citizens support NS and our national defence policies.

I am deeply gratified, but MINDEF and the SAF will never take that support for granted. Neither will it lull us into a complacency to let down our guard to protect this nation. Indeed, that strong support from this House and the public spurs us to further strengthen the SAF, to modernise its processes, ensure greater accountability of the resources given to it, and engage its soldiers better. Our national servicemen form the bedrock of our defence and security. We will continue to improve NS, help our national servicemen perform their duties more effectively, and recognise their contributions. Today, pre-enlistees from the Home Team and the SAF can indicate their vocational interest for NS. We have also reduced the waiting time for enlistment and introduced life and personal accident insurance coverage for all national servicemen. 

We agree with Ms Pereira that we must do everything possible to prevent loss of life, or bodily harm to our soldiers. We owe this to the young men who give their best serving the nation, and to their parents who entrust their sons to us. The SAF will continue to regularly review and strengthen its safety systems, with regular inspections and external professional advice. 

We fully agree with Mr Nair and Ms Pereira too that the Next Generation national servicemen must adapt their roles and responsibilities to a changing security environment. Much of that is happening already. Today, national servicemen are already trained to operate our new air defence weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles and use data analytic tools for maritime threats. National servicemen will be part of the 2,600 strong cyber defence force over the next ten years. Each year, the Island Defence Training Institute will train more than 18,000 national servicemen annually for homeland security operations. 

We agree with Mr Nair, that NS roles will be further optimised through the use of technology. Going forward, more national servicemen will operate unmanned platforms, use Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and robotics to act as force multipliers. For example, the SAF is developing an Unmanned Ground Vehicle armed with a suite of sensors which enable our forces to respond to security threats quickly and effectively.

Even as we expand and strengthen national servicemen's capabilities to defend our home against changing threats, societal support remains the strongest form of motivation to our national servicemen. This year, we are heartened that different sectors of the community have come forward to commemorate NS50 together, including MPs here who hosted appreciation ceremonies in their constituencies for father and son national servicemen. Hundreds more employers reaffirmed their commitment to the defence of Singapore at combined rededication ceremonies in July this year. More than 500 businesses and organisations have introduced initiatives to commemorate NS50, including offering discounts and privileges for national servicemen to enjoy with their families. But most encouraging is the ground swell of spontaneous individual stories on social media from tens of thousands of national servicemen and members of the community.  It is these precious and individual NS stories that make NS today part and parcel of being Singaporean in every family and uniquely Singapore. It is for these reasons and as a tribute to all our national servicemen past and present that the Prime Minister has announced that the Float@Marina Bay will be redeveloped into a permanent space and renamed the NS Square. Its permanence and prominence will reflect the central role that NS plays in keeping Singapore strong and secure.

In this NS50 year, we can be proud of what we have achieved together. If we can maintain this unwavering and strong support for NS from one generation to the next, then we can look forward to Singapore's future with optimism and assurance. Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker.