Speech by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for National Service Resort Country Club's Social & Recreation Hub on 19 Jul 2023

Let me acknowledge the presence of:

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Education & Foreign Affairs,

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Manpower,

Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State for Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development,

NSRCC Committee Members and many of you who are Corporate Partners, and

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First, thank you all for joining us for this groundbreaking for this new facility – it is called the Social and Recreation Hub for NSRCC Changi. We say facility but in actuality, let me give a sense of the scale of this new thing we are building. I think you can imagine it as one new "SAFRA" because this is how much it costs. But in a very different mode – you know what the SAFRAs are like, what the facilities there are usually – but this Social and Recreation Hub actually is a beach resort hotel. It fits the growing aspirations of NS men, particularly those who are in their 30s and 40s with young families. I think that is the target group. Put basically, this new hub is a holiday beach resort with full amenities. So, you can imagine that. I think it is as accurate as we can do. It will consist of 72 holiday chalets. Currently what you see out there is 40. So, it is nearly double what we already have. Furthermore, with its own beachfront, I anticipate it will be very well utilised by NS men and their families when completed. More on that later.

I want to go back to the roots because sometimes in all our activity we forget the main mission that was set out for NSRCC and SAFRA. For both NSRCC and SAFRA, they were built for just one simple and common mission. Very simple, common, very easy to remember. We basically wanted to provide recreational facilities to NSmen and their families which they could not otherwise enjoy, apart from joining private clubs. And there was a simple reason for this, I think for our founding generation. NSmen who serve and protect Singapore dutifully must have access to country club facilities but at affordable prices, as well as their loved ones. Otherwise, it does not make sense – why should I protect Singapore while somebody enjoys the facilities that you can only get at private clubs, which costs a few hundred thousand dollars to join. We wanted to make sure that no NSmen will say that: "I cannot afford these facilities, why am I protecting Singapore?"

For the past 50 years since the first SAFRA club was set up in 1972, followed by NSRCC in 1994, both NSRCC and SAFRA have stayed true to this evergreen mission. So, I do not want us to ever forget this mission, why we are doing it and how we judge our success of SAFRA and NSRCC. Let us take SAFRA – have we succeeded in this simple mission? I think yes.

SAFRA membership for the family is kept affordable. For those of you who do not know, it is $60 annually. $60 a year for the NSmen and his family. If you look at the facilities, any SAFRA around Singapore – the facilities are comparable and even surpass that of private clubs. If you take for example, Tampines, you have futsal, which I do not think private clubs have. If you take SAFRA Punggol, the waterplay park is I think the only one that we have which other private clubs do not have. I could go on. For the past decade, at every fifth year, NSmen have been given free membership, as part of our efforts to recognise their contributions. Well, some can argue – well that is all very good, you can build SAFRA, but will they come? Well, the NSmen must come and enjoy because that is the final proof of whether you succeeded in your mission. And here I am reassured because the attendances at SAFRA reassure us that our objectives have been met. Last year, if I ask you how many attended, how many people went to our 6 SAFRA clubhouses across the island, I think you would be surprised if I told you the actual number – 9 million attendances, similar to pre-Covid numbers. And I am told that we recently launched the seventh SAFRA at Choa Chu Kang. It was packed shoulder to shoulder. I attended the soft launch myself and I think it also reflects that the west side of Singapore is a little underserved. This is good news because we want to recognise and appreciate our NS men through these facilities. We want to build them and we want their families to come and say: "Oh, I am appreciated. This is what I am protecting". And today, we will add further to this menu of offerings to show our appreciation to NSmen and their families at the NSRCC.

NSRCC offers suite of golf and recreational facilities to recognize NSmen's contributions

The National Service Resort & Country Club, or NSRCC, was set up with this same mission, the same raison d'etre in 1994, but focused on golf. Why golf? For Golf country club memberships now, some have gone to half a million. Our NSmen cannot afford it, so it was right to focus on that. It is a measure of aspiration, it is giving them access to a sport otherwise they cannot afford. They do not have to pay exorbitant country club fees and to meet that goal, NSRCC Changi and Kranji were set up, to provide NSmen with an affordable facility.

Well again, as it were, the utilisation numbers tell us that the primary objectives have been met. The utilisation of golf slots, for those of you who do not understand, a slot is 15 minutes apart and each slot is for four members, the utilisation rate at NSRCC Changi is at 100%., For NSRCC Kranji, it is at 80%, and even that is very respectable.

When NSRCC Changi and Kranji were designed, they added one feature in this place,which proved to be a very popular as well,– the holiday chalets, located just down the road next to the East Coast Park beach. Now, I am not sure when they planned this, whether they thought well look we are going to build a golf facility next to the beach, why not add some chalets or whether the original planners thought this would be a good idea. Whatever it is, they deserve full credit for it because the holiday chalets have turned out to be a prized facility, especially the students, the college and tertiary level students.

The holiday chalets are very popular with 85% occupancy rate. It has gained a reputation as a "chill place". I am sure many here know of their children or relatives who booked these chalets, packed them and enjoyed the barbecue, beach and bonding. For younger Singaporeans, these chalets now are part of their growing up memories. We must have enough growing up memories for NSmen to feel that this is the place I grew up, this is my attachment and I want to protect this. Previously you remember there were other chalets, because that was the only one, and now that is gone.

Riding on this success, we decided to expand the number of holiday chalets. But this time, we went one step further, even better, because it comes with its own beach. Directly in front of the 72 new holiday chalets will be a stretch of beach about 200m. There is no other holiday resort in Singapore with its own beach and this beach resort at Changi will come with full facilities too.

Coupled with the Sea Sports Centre, this site should prove popular for parties, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, yachting activities and just chilling with a beer, and BBQ on the beach.

Highlights of the New NSRCC's social and recreation hub

I welcome you to look at the the mock up, later, and this new NSRCC beach resort certainly look tantalising. It is a major project, and it will cost $120 million –it is about the cost of one new SAFRA - and should take, as the new President, Vice Admiral Aaron Beng says, 3-4 years to complete. It has been designed to meet the needs of a new generation of Singaporeans – family and kids-friendly as there will be a dedicated kids' gym. The beach resort will also be pet-friendly, built that way, with facilities for outdoor activities. The hub will be integrated with the surrounding park connectors so that they can explore the rest of the East, including the Jurassic mile close-by.

There will be a multi-purpose sports hall and a wellness centre. F&B dining options, some by the beach and a pet-friendly café, and a rooftop bar. This is supposed to entice you to have children, so three to four years you will make it if you start now, so that you can enjoy this family friendly facility.

I am sure by now all of us will be looking forward to the beach resort opening in 2027.

Thank You to NSRCC's Committees & Partners

We come back to our original mission. NSmen who protect Singapore to ensure its security, stability and prosperity must be able to enjoy the fruit of their labours. This is the sole reason for the NSRCC. This new beach resort will continue this same mission of providing private club facilities for our NSmen and their families at affordable prices.

Let me thank the Club Management and the Redevelopment Committee for your hard work put into this project thus far, and for today's ground breaking ceremony. We all look forward to the successful completion of this exciting project for NS men and their families. Thank you.