Senior Ministers of State,

Permanent Secretaries,

Chief of Defence Force, Service Chiefs,

Volunteers,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

I am really happy that we can meet in person and with Safe Management Measures (SMMs) lifted for this year's appreciation dinner for MINDEF Volunteers. As the emcees said, our last dinner was in 2019, three years ago, and we really ought to enjoy it with the privileges today because we are living with COVID-19, we are basically living from variant to variant. But we have not met in three years, and when we meet, it is a radically changed world as a result of the pandemic and the Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Contributions of MINDEF Volunteers during COVID-19

I thought that MINDEF and the SAF including many of the volunteers did very well in helping Singapore deal with the pandemic. The pandemic is not a classical external threat that Singapore faces which the SAF is mandated to look after, but nevertheless, we were in the thick of action whether packing and providing critical items, contact tracing, devising better diagnostic kits, or taking charge of various operations, including the Community Care Facilities. At the same time, we were very careful that the SAF maintained its eye on the ball for its true mandate and maintained operational readiness while observing SMMs.

I think we could have only achieved all of these because of the commitment of our people, including yourselves – volunteers tonight, who went beyond the call of duty. It was a gratifying two plus years dealing with the pandemic – there are many examples, and pardon the fact that I cannot name all of them, but I will name a few. At the peak of the pandemic, members of our External Review Panel on SAF Safety (ERPSS) visited our SAF formations and they reviewed our SMMs put in place by our SAF units to make sure that when we resumed training that it was safe, including for the NS In-Camp-Training (ICT). We could not stop the training because we had to make sure that the soldiers were skilled –there was a real threat, and therefore we never stopped. Training schools continued and even though certain things were reduced, but we were quick to go back up to the pre-COVID norms. I am very thankful that the EPRSS was an external voice to make sure that it was safe enough for our servicemen to train.

DSO-SAF Institutional Review Board (IRB) members helped develop a saliva-based test. Some of you may have forgotten but the nasopharyngeal swabs were slightly traumatic – just imagine if we did that for all our NSmen coming back for ICT, it would have been unpleasant and difficult. So we needed a better test and the IRB helped us developed the saliva test. This was before ART kits were commercially available. This easier and more comfortable method allowed our ICTs to continue with mass testing to protect our troops during training – it made a big difference.

Our Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, or ACCORD members worked with other dialect speaking volunteers at the mask collection and call centres. We work with community groups, they work with community groups, such as Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association (SFCCA), and So Drama! Entertainment because they had to create videos in various dialects, explaining to people what's happening because communication policies are changing as they have to adapt to the situation, people were confused. These videos made a difference – especially for elderly Singaporeans during the Circuit Breaker in 2020 and to promote vaccinations in 2021.

At the Changi Exhibition Centre (CEC) Community Care Facility (CCF), volunteers from the ACCORD network provided on-demand virtual translation and interpretation services for eight languages including Bengali and Hindi, Tagalog and Thai.

Apart from operational readiness and dealing with the pandemic, MINDEF and the SAF maintained its focus on other key deliverables such as environment sustainability because we knew that life would have to resume post-COVID. I want to thank the members of the External Advisory Panel for Environmental Sustainability (EAPES) for sharing their knowledge and advice to help us reduce water and electricity consumption, carbon emissions, and food waste. As a result of that, MINDEF and the SAF is on track to meet our goals set for sustainability. The SAF can go greener.

Importance of MINDEF Volunteers in an Uncertain and Polarised World

Emerging out of the pandemic, we now enter into an uncertain decade, maybe longer, with heightened security risks for this region and indeed globally. The aspiration and hope of an integrated Europe and Russia have all but evaporated. Trust, the coin of the realm, the essential element to build that dream of integration is lost. Enmity has replaced amity. Some years ago, when conditions were the polar opposite of today's toxic environment, questions were actually asked about whose NATO potential aggressor would be. There is no question today, and it is notinconceivable that NATO may invoke Article 5 in our lifetimes.

In Asia, the US-China relations are at its worse since the end of the Cold War. Here again, trust is missing with little visible effort on both sides to want to, or have a basis to build that trust. ASEAN members, Singapore included, do not want to choose sides but if the US China relationship degrades further, it will get harder to maintain that position, whether it is for 5G, chips, trade and even security dimension.

The sum of it, at least in this decade is an increasing militarisation in Europe and Asia as individual countries adjust to these heightened conditions. Military spending will go up, and without trust, the key to deterrence, the risks of actual physical conflict can only increase.

Building and Sustaining Trust in National Service and Total Defence

MINDEF, the SAF, and Singapore must gird itself for uncertainties ahead and prepare ourselves as best as we can. In contrast to the loss of trust among key powers cited, the reservoir of goodwill and trust among Singaporeans remains a key asset. As we celebrate NS55 this year, our polls have consistently reflected that the vast majority of Singaporeans support NS. In 2021, 96% of Singaporeans polled affirmed that NS is critical for the defence and security of our country. I believe very strongly that you as volunteers have contributed directly and strongly in building that trust through your individual efforts and commitment

All of you here tonight have built a strong defence for Singapore, giving your precious time and professional advice. But beyond that, also through your dedication and tireless efforts. If there are two most important lessons to learn from the Ukraine invasion, it would be this. One, never get caught in that predicament because war devastates and destroys. Second, if conflict is forced upon us to defend our home, solidarity among our own people will ultimately decide if we can survive. The exemplary commitment and dedication of NS men, our MINDEF and SAF Volunteers and the support and efforts of Singaporeans give me hope that we have more than a fighting chance.

Conclusion

Majulah Singapura.

I wish all of you a very enjoyable dinner. Thank you.