Parents and loved ones of our graduands,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

INTRODUCTION

It is my pleasure to address you on this special occasion and I am delighted to join you and your loved ones at this ceremony.

Congratulations on completing your training as Officers of the Singapore Armed Forces. This commissioning ceremony is a recognition of your hard work and abilities. More importantly, it is a solemn reminder on the importance of the duty that you are about to assume.

TRANSITION TOWARDS LIVING WITH COVID-19

Two years on, COVID-19 remains a global challenge. The emergence of the Omicron variant has drove new waves of infections around the world. But as the virus evolves, we have adapted our response to safeguard lives and livelihoods.

We continue to make good progress in our transition towards a COVID resilient nation. The collective effort of Singaporeans and heart-warming support for our nation's response to COVID-19 throughout the pandemic has put us in good stead. High vaccination rate has given us the confidence to gradually reopen our borders. More workers are returning to their workplaces and schools are resuming Co-Curricular Activities. These are indicators of the sustained progress. The SAF has also seen a calibrated resumption of training for larger groups, bilateral and multilateral exercises, and can look forward to a gradual resumption of overseas training.

LESSONS FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The fight against COVID has tested our resolve, both as a nation and as individuals. As we transit into living with COVID-19, let us not forget the invaluable lessons. We are emerging from this pandemic stronger because we have stayed together. We could work together because of the high level of trust, built up over decades, amongst Singaporeans and the government. As a nation, we cannot take it for granted.

On the same note, the trust amongst the soldiers and leaders, and the trust from the public are important ingredients for the SAF to continue to be a robust and adaptable force.

The SAF has made significant contributions at critical junctions in our nation's fight against COVID-19. These included the packing and distribution of masks, contact tracing, and the setting up and operation of recovery and quarantine facilities. As Minister for Manpower, I was especially grateful for the SAF's support in containing the spread of COVID-19 at foreign workers dormitories at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Last year, the SAF was called on again to support the Ministry of Health's Home Recovery Programme (HRP). More recently, the SAF deployed about 100 soldiers to assist the Ministry of Health's call centre to provide guidance and reassure COVID-19 patients.

At the same time, the SAF maintained its operational readiness to ensure that critical security operations are uninterrupted. It has adapted to the evolving COVID-19 situation to ensure that tough and realistic training can continue safely. For instance, larger scale training activities were resumed after the implementation of regular Antigen Rapid Tests. The SAF also keep its eyes on and constantly prepares itself for the ever-expanding spectrum of security threats. In December 2020, the SAF stood up the Cybersecurity Task Force to shore up MINDEF/SAF's cyber defence capabilities. Just last month, the SAF successfully conducted a counter-terrorism exercise at the Star Vista.

LEADING POST COVID-19

As you become officers today, you must, as future leaders of the SAF, guard dearly the trust established within the SAF and the trust that the public has placed in the SAF. This pandemic will eventually pass but make no mistake that there will be new challenges, and the SAF will be called upon to meet them.

Nurturing trust will require you to lead by example. It will also require you to always strive for excellence in pursuit of your mission and for your people and do it with empathy and through engagement. Should you face adversity, overcome it with fortitude and determination, but never waver in your commitment to your mission and people. At Ministry of Manpower, we have the privilege of having two distinguished officers – Minister of State Gan Siow Huang, the first woman to hold a general rank in the SAF and BG Tung Yui Fai, who has taken on the heavy responsibility of safeguarding the well-being of our migrant workers as the chief of our Assurance, Care and Engagement Group. We have benefitted greatly from their leadership skills. Remember – the leadership skills will stay with you for life, and it would be your responsibility to do good with it, even after your ORD.

In closing, I would like to take the opportunity to thank and congratulate the family and loved ones of our graduands. A strong SAF starts from home and I am certain that our graduands have drawn strength from your support throughout their journey. You have every reason to be proud of their achievements and I look forward to your continued support for their onward journey as officers.

Once again, congratulations to all our graduands. I wish you a fulfilling journey ahead and may the OCS motto continue to guide you every step of your journey. To Lead, To Excel, To Overcome. Thank you.