New & Enhanced Career Schemes

Sir, Dr Maliki Osman and Mr Michael Palmer has asked for an update on the SAF's 3G transformation, in particular its impact on human resource, the deployment of our personnel and their productivity. And indeed as they have projected, our changes and our addition of platforms and the different ways we do things, have had an impact on what we require of each SAF serviceman, to take on added responsibilities and acquire new skill sets to respond adequately to a wider spectrum of threats. DPM Teo said that we had undergone a fundamental review of our human resource constructs to meet these challenges. Members will remember that during the debate on the SAF Amendment Bill in November last year, DPM Teo had explained the rationale behind the new Military Domain Experts Scheme or MDES, the Enhanced Warrant Officers Scheme and the Enhanced Officers Scheme. Let me provide an update to Parliament, but first let me say that the response in general has been positive.

The take-up rate of the current personnel eligible for conversion to MDES was high at 95%. One of our in-service personnel who will be converting to MDES is Lieutenant-Colonel Goh Nai Chuan, a branch head in the Navy. He said "The MDES scheme means that I can develop greater in-depth knowledge in my field of professional interest - logistics and supply systems, impart my experience and knowledge to the younger generation, and serve the SAF better." The initial response from the public to recruitment is also encouraging, with entry-level of Military Experts at the ME1 level increasing by 10% in the period April to December 2009, compared to the recruitment period last year in 2008.

The Enhanced Warrant Officers Scheme and the Enhanced Officers Scheme have also been well-received. SAF Warrant Officers and Specialists or WOSpecs have welcomed the expanded roles and responsibilities, as well as the opportunities for professional development under this scheme. Let me give you an example. Staff Sergeant Warner Poh, who is an Army Specialist, says that the new 3WO rank "signifies the Army's trust in the abilities of WOSpecs to take up heavier responsibilities earlier in [their] careers." And SAF Officers have also welcomed the Enhanced Officers Scheme. In particular, the option of a longer career in the SAF, which allows them to further deepen their expertise as leaders and commanders.

Continuing Education

Sir, the SAF has started new programmes which provide opportunities for our servicemen to take the initiative to upgrade, so that they can better meet the complex demands of the 3G SAF while fulfilling their personal aspirations. A year ago in this House, I spoke about the new partnerships that the SAF had formed with local universities. This is to support our Continuing Education programmes.

Under these partnerships, relevant modules within SAF courses--some of you are familiar with our Command and Staff Course, for example--can be accredited and counted towards degrees awarded by NTU or UniSIM. I am pleased to report that to date, about 60% of last year's Command and Staff Course graduates have applied for this programme.

WOSpecs alike have also shown a keen interest in continual learning and skills upgrading. Dr Maliki and Mr Palmer asked about these aspects. Since the SAF's tie-up with UniSIM last February, the enrolment of WOSpecs in UniSIM degree programmes has increased by almost 30%. At a Continuing Education Awards Ceremony in January, we awarded sponsorships for degrees, diplomas and certificate level studies at various local institutions to 152 WOSpecs.

Let me just give you one example of how this is affecting people of the ground. 2WO Vijaikumar--he works at the Air Force as a Warrant Officer--I presented an award to him in that ceremony. In fact, this is his second continuing education award, this time for the pursuit of a full-time degree course. His first was actually in 2005 to pursue a diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. This was an "oldish" guy, he went to the polytechnic and did very well. I met him after the ceremony. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA--I think it was a perfect score, earning him a place on the Dean's List. Last year, Vijaikumar did the SAF proud again when he became the first overseas candidate to top the US Non-Commissioned Officers course in Hawaii.

Basic Military Training

Sir, Mr Michael Palmer and Dr Fatimah Lateef asked about the broader training philosophy behind Basic Military Training or BMT, in particular some of the changes.

I know many of us have gone through BMT but let me just reiterate that it is a critical part of our military training system. It engages recruits at the physical, intellectual and emotional levels. It prepares them physically for the next phase of their National Service. It equips them with the professional knowledge for them to move on to more advanced military and vocational training. And I think, just as important, it helps prepare them emotionally, for their overall well-being, and to give them a sense of purpose and a positive identification with what NS stands for. These objectives underpin our approach to BMT, even as we refine certain programmes.

As members have pointed out, both Mr Palmer and Dr Lateef pointed out, the majority of our recruits are graded with a Physical Employment Status, or PES status, of A or B. And he is right that there is no change to this 9-week course. There was an extension of the Physical Training Phase or PTP from 4 weeks to 8 weeks which I had announced in this House last year. The aim was a simple one. It was to improve the fitness of our PTP recruits to a level comparable to their direct-BMT peers at the point of entry because we found that four weeks was insufficient. After four weeks, they were still lagging behind their peers, so we added another four weeks. This has been implemented since December 2009.

Another change is the recently announced new 19-week BMT for obese recruits. And the rationale is the same. Our studies of previous cohorts have shown that they needed the extra time and this gives our obese recruits the time to improve their fitness levels and achieve better weight loss.

Other refinements are the programmes for PES E and PES C recruits which are now four and nine weeks respectively. This is to provide the necessary training to prepare them for deployments in combat service support vocations after BMT.

Basically and overall, these refinements ensure that our recruits are committed, confident and ready to take on the next stage of their NS after they pass out of BMT. I should add that the overall duration of full-time NS remains unchanged at two years.

Physical Fitness

Let me now move on to the topic of physical fitness among NS-liable students, this was a point that was raised by Mr Michael Palmer. MINDEF works closely with our junior colleges, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education and we want to encourage their students to achieve a high standard of physical fitness. He asked what percent of PES A and B enlistees achieved a Gold or Silver in the National Physical Fitness Award. 50% do. Such enlistees qualify for a two-month reduction from the NS duration of two years. MINDEF will continue to work with schools to further improve the physical standards of our pre-enlistees.

Dr Lam Pin Min asked whether the IPPT continues to be relevant. It's been around for a long time, many of us remember it. If you remember the key stations, the key attributes they test for are - muscular strength and endurance of the upper and lower body, co-ordination, speed, agility and cardiovascular fitness. Despite modern technology, is it still relevant? We think so. It's as good a test as any but there was a more important point which Mr Palmer raised, whether in this process of 3G transformation--indeed as they rightly pointed out, where we leverage on technology--what is the requirement? And I would say that in no way this reduces the physical fitness attributes required of our soldiers. We talked about Afghanistan, very rugged terrain, I've not been there DPM Teo went there but it is renowned for the ruggedness of the terrain. Conditions of terrain and tempo of operations continue to demand a high fitness state for our soldiers in the execution of their combat tasks.

NS Policies

Mr Chairman Sir, Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Viswa Sadasivan asked about MINDEF's policies on NS enlistment and deferment. There are clear, fundamental principles upon which these policies are based. First, NS must be for meeting a critical national need. That critical need is national security and our survival. We have specifically narrowed the scope because we know that it imposes considerable costs both to the individual and to the nation. We acknowledge that. As Ms Jessica Tan rightly pointed out and Mr Viswa Sadasivan, some people will have to defer educational pursuits, work or even reduce income. So, that critical need for national security and our survival is the only basis for which we will impose NS. From time to time, there have been calls to extend NS beyond this remit, to fulfil laudable social objectives. And I'm referring to Mr Palmer's suggestion as well as Mr Seah Kian Peng's earlier suggestion of NS for new citizens, those beyond the NS call-up age, so that they can better fulfil their role as responsible citizens. I am not in any doubt that these are laudable social goals but it is an inadequate reason for us to impose NS to go beyond of the remit of a critical national security and survival need. Even though these social goals are laudable, they do not meet the critical need to impose National Service.

However, other agencies do have existing programmes to integrate new citizens to help them better understand the importance of national defence. For instance, the People's Association organises visits for new citizens to the Army Museum. MINDEF also organises visits for new citizens to the Basic Military Training Centre in Pulau Tekong.

The second fundamental principle of our NS is universality. All young Singaporean males who are fit to serve are conscripted. And that is easy to understand. If we have a system in which some are conscripted but others are not, there will be strong feelings of unfairness, which will undermine the commitment of our National Servicemen. This is a true test, not just maintaining their goodwill but not undermining their commitment because you haven’t been universal or fair. The third fundamental principle of our NS is equity. This means that our NS policies are applied equitably to everyone regardless of background or status.

These three principles apply to enlistment. They apply to every NSman including those who have returned from overseas. They are subject to the same enlistment policies as their peers who are living or studying in Singapore.

Let me explain the context of our enlistment procedures. It is based on a number of factors such as the individual's medical fitness, the type of training he will undertake in BMT, and our training and operational requirements. Members are right, we do enlist a large number. Therefore, it is not possible for enlistees to be assigned their preferred enlistment date, regardless of whether they are studying in Singapore or overseas. All pre-enlistees have to wait for their turn for enlistment which takes place every quarter, and the wait-time will vary, depending on the intake they are scheduled for.

Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Viswa Sadasivan asked if MINDEF can be flexible in granting NSmen deferments from their In-Camp Training, or ICT, to minimise disruption to their work and studies.

NSmen from the same unit are called back for ICT at the same time. And the reason is simple. This is to enable them to train as a cohesive unit so that the unit can remain operationally ready. And that is a key priority. Nonetheless, MINDEF will help our NSmen balance their work and academic commitments with their NS obligations, where it is possible to do so. For NSmen studying in NUS, NTU and SMU, we schedule their ICT call-ups during their academic vacation period. This is possible because a sizeable pool of our NSmen who are pursuing full-time studies are in these three universities, and they share a common vacation period. For those pursuing full-time studies in private educational institutions, their requests for deferment from ICT have to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

NSmen are given at least 3 to 6 months' advance notice of their NS call-ups. And I think this should be enough time for NSmen to inform their employers, and to work with their employer to adjust and re-prioritise their work schedules. Every NSman has a role to play and the unit is affected if he is deferred from his ICT. There is a need to strike a balance between the inconvenience caused to the NSman and to the company, and the impact on the unit if the NSman is granted deferment.

Having said that, we recognise that there are some circumstances where we have exercised flexibility in the granting of deferment for NSmen. For example, there may be situations where an NSman finds it difficult to adjust his work commitments because a few of his colleagues who could cover his duties are also being called up. In such circumstances, the commander on the ground, who is often an NSman himself, is in the best position to make the judgement, because it is the commander who is held accountable for the readiness of his unit. In terms of full-time National Serviceman and enlistment, our (prevailing principle that underscores these) principles of equity and fairness ensures that when you finally do go to university you do not go to university later than your peers within the same cohort.