Speech by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, at Total Defence Awards Presentation Ceremony 2009

Good Evening, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen.

This year we mark 25 years of Total Defence. We asked Singaporeans the basic question "What Will You Defend?". The public responded enthusiastically with video entries that ranged from the quirky and light-hearted to the considered and thoughtful. Taken together, these unique and deeply personal statements represent what is most precious to Singaporeans and what we would collectively defend.

Since the founding of our nation 44 years ago, our ability to defend and protect our independence, freedom and sovereignty has been the bedrock for the peace, progress and prosperity that we enjoy. Building a strong defence has been a top priority since independence in 1965, when we began to invest in steadily building up the Singapore Armed Forces. National Service was implemented in 1967, just two years later. And in 1984, we introduced the concept of Total Defence. Total Defence was designed to rally the whole nation should Singapore ever face threats from an aggressor or whenever we face the prospect of war.

But Total Defence over the years has become more than just a nation's wartime strategy. It has become a way of life for Singaporeans. Total Defence allows us to strengthen our resilience and the overall security of Singapore in the face of new security challenges which can now come from all directions – terrorism, racial conflicts, natural disasters, economic disruption, water, energy or food shortages, piracy, illegal migration, pandemics or cyber attacks. The H1N1 flu pandemic, for example, has hit us at a time when we are still trying to cope with the worst global financial crisis in decades. Threats can come unexpectedly – when we least expect them – just when we think all is well. The 7 July 2005 bomb attacks in London, just as London won its bid to hold the Olympics, or the recent bomb attacks in Jakarta, at the Marriot and Ritz Carlton hotels just after a peaceful presidential elections are examples.

Today, Total Defence provides a comprehensive approach that brings together all Singaporeans, individually and collectively, in all sectors of society, to respond to threats and challenges of any kind, that may arise at any time. So the five elements of Total Defence, which I am sure you all are familiar with, psychological, civil, economic, military and social defence. And if you look at all these five different aspects, it addresses different aspects of society, different aspects of readiness, and therefore keep us ready to face any of these threats.

Total Defence has provided a strong foundation for the peace and stability we have enjoyed, because over the past 25 years Singaporeans have demonstrated their resilience and their willingness to make sacrifices and take tough, but necessary, measures to overcome the challenges we have faced.

This evening we recognise the special efforts and sacrifices that you have made to contribute to the Total Defence of Singapore. You are doing your part because you feel strongly that here in Singapore, you have something precious that you will defend.

As businessmen and CEOs, you depend on a safe and stable environment for your businesses to grow and flourish. I quote Mr John Rooney from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd, whom you saw in the video. He said MNCs are confident about investing in Singapore because of "the stable social economic environment" and the "strong defence in Singapore".During this period of economic difficulties, we are even more appreciative of the sacrifices that you make – when employees are called up for In-Camp Training or mobilisation exercises, when your equipment or services are called upon during civil resource mobilisation exercises. I thank all of you as employers, for your commitment and unwavering support to your employees. Your support for them assures them that they are valued by their company and that their contributions to National Service are recognised and appreciated. Some companies have made supporting Total Defence a part of their corporate social responsibility policy. Let me highlight two outstanding companies which reflect the spirit of today's Awards:TRACTORS SINGAPORE LIMITED, a leading distributor of excavators, engines and lift trucks, strives to create a conducive environment for its employees to fulfill their NS commitments. 3SG (NS) How Teck Chye is one such employee who has benefited from the company's strong support for National Service. In his citation of the company, Teck Chye relates how his management made special arrangements to reschedule his induction training when he was called up for In-Camp Training. This allowed Teck Chye to fulfill his NS obligations without losing out on his training opportunity. To further encourage good ICT performance, TRACTORS SINGAPORE also commends employees who have done well on the company's Intranet, and rewards them with gift vouchers.

Another supportive employer is LUCKY JOINT CONSTRUCTION PTE LTD, which handles telecommunication cabling projects. According to CPL (NS) Lee Wei Fu, who works in the company, the management goes out of its way to ensure that its employees are ready for In-Camp Training. For instance, employees will receive reminders from the HR section two weeks before their call-up, and are given a day off to prepare for the training. LUCKY JOINT CONSTRUCTION also sees to the physical health of its NSmen employees by promoting a fitness culture through initiatives like reimbursing membership fees at selected gyms and providing monetary incentives for good IPPT results.

Our civil resource owners play an equally important role in Total Defence by making essential resource assets and services available for the SAF. Your readiness and contributions have enabled us to marshal a wider pool of resources so that the SAF is ready to carry out a wider range of operations at home and abroad to meet our expanded security needs. Thanks to your support, the SAF can effectively conduct international stabilisation and reconstruction missions in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf of Aden.

I still remember during the relief efforts in the tsunami, we sent our task group to Aceh on very short notice over the Christmas, New Year weekend. Many of the companies were able to bring equipment we needed, and we sent off the ship just on New Year's eve. The tsunami happened on the 26 of December, and on New Year's eve we sent out a fully loaded LST, with all kinds of equipment on board, excavators, trucks, and so on, which came from various companies, who were able to provide the equipment at short notice and we were able to deploy them and bring relief to the victims in Aceh.

Your contributions go beyond providing assets and services, and include the sharing of industry knowledge, such as tracking scarce resources, conducting damage assessment, and equipment maintenance. SAM YEW LIAN MACHINERY has actively helped the SAF to source for heavy vehicles and equipment critical for construction purposes. This has gone a long way in helping the SAF strengthen its emergency response capabilities.

I would like to congratulate all the award recipients tonight and thank you for your contributions to Total Defence. By playing a role in the defence of Singapore, you have helped to safeguard peace and security for all Singaporeans. You have answered the question "What Will You Defend?" not merely by words but by concrete sacrifices and contributions. On behalf of all grateful Singaporeans, I would like to express our gratitude to you for all your valuable efforts.

Thank You.