Speech by Permanent Secretary for Defence Chiang Chie Foo at Connexion@ACM

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen.

Thank you for joining us this evening at this Total Defence Appreciation Dinner

Total Defence is a simple concept premised on every Singaporean playing a part in strengthening national resilience for the success, survival and defence of our country. It is an approach that has worked well since 1984. Total Defence saw us through several national crises such as the fallout from the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and the outbreak of SARS in 2003. We were able to respond effectively because we had over the years steadily built up our TD capabilities in the different sectors - military, civil, economic, social and psychological.

Through the years of our annual TD campaign, many Singaporeans have come to understand the serious message of Total Defence, and the part they can play. In recent years, our TD campaigns have involved partner agencies like MOE, MICA, MCYS, PA, NHB, and MHA and focused increasingly on the "Heart" and "Hands" of Singaporeans to engage them at a more affective and experiential level. For this year's campaign, "HOME - Keeping It Together", we have also involved the People and Private Sectors. We also worked together in a joint effort to encourage Singaporeans to help raise funds for needy families and the elderly.

This collaboration across the 3P sectors, the People, Private and Public sectors, is one of the key success factors of this year's TD campaign. It has enabled us to reach out to a much wider spectrum of Singaporeans, to increase their awareness of TD and to engage them through a variety of activities. The video that was screened earlier showed very vividly the results of such a collaboration; from the 39 artistes and SSO coming on board to lend their talent and voices for the remake of the song "HOME", ComChest's Click for Charity drive, MediaCorp and Golden Village's channels of outreach, to the activities and contests conducted by POSB, Sakae Sushi, Kentucky Fried Chicken and NTUC FairPrice. Result - engagement with Singaporeans has been significantly enhanced. You also saw the "HOME" campaign brought to the overseas Singaporeans in Shanghai, extending our Total Defence outreach to overseas Singaporeans in a more personal way.

Download for Charity was a first time for us in the realm of social media. To encourage Singaporeans to do their part for charity as part of social defence, we used Facebook and other means to broadcast our call to action. It was an exciting learning experience. I am happy to say that the response was so good that we increased our target from $200k to $300k in the midst of the fund-raising, and achieved it. I would like to thank all who have participated and given their support to this year's Total Defence campaign - the 39 artistes and SSO who came together to re-make HOME, ComChest, MediaCorp, Golden Village, POSB, Sakae Sushi, KFC, PA and NTUC FairPrice. You all have been a great partner to work with. It is our wish that that we can continue this collaboration in the future, not just for Total Defence but also for other National Education projects.

In line with this year's TD campaign theme, N.E.mation! 5 saw a record participation rate from students producing stories that centred on the theme, "Home - We make or break". The response to N.E.mation has been very forthcoming. The reach has increased significantly over the years with more schools and more students participating in this activity. I would like to thank the sponsors and judges for their continued strong support and commitment to this important and popular National Education activity. You have made it possible for this activity to continue to strike a chord with our schools and students.

We also ran a "Make Your Own HOME" video contest for this year's TD campaign. It attracted more than 880 entries - double the number of entries for the "What will you defend?" contest in 2009. I congratulate the winners of this contest and commend the efforts of all who participated in the contest. They have all in their own way captured what HOME meant to them.

Indeed, the last 3 years' TD campaigns have culminated perfectly in this year's with the 'HOME' theme. In 2009, it was "What will you defend." Last year, 2010, it was "I will". And HOME is a natural sequel to the 2009 and 2010 campaigns. I am sure HOME has a special meaning and a special place in all our hearts. If you look at the word HOME closely, you will notice that there are 2 very powerful elements embedded in it. It is Hope and Memories. HO for Hope. ME for Memories. And this is succinctly captured in the lyrics of the song 'HOME'. And indeed if we look at HOME in that perspective, I think it will add deeper meaning in all the things we do to defend our HOME.

Building on this year's TD campaign's success, there is much more that we can do to enhance our collaboration in NE outreach and engagement efforts. I am heartened by the dedication and passion you bring, whether you are from the public, people or private sectors. I would like to thank all of you who have contributed in one way or another to our NE efforts and Total Defence campaigns. And I would also want to take this special occasion to extend my appreciation to all my colleagues in NEXUS and other MINDEF departments and the SAF for all the hard work you have put in to strengthen the engagement with Singaporeans, and tirelessly communicate the Total Defence message.

Thank you.

More Resources

Appreciating partners and Singaporeans for contributions to Total Defence Campaign