Transcript of Minister Ng Eng Hen's Doorstop Interview at RSAF Open House 2011

The following are extracts from a doorstop interview by Minister Ng on his priority areas as the newly appointed Minister for Defence:

Minister: I've been Second Minister for about six years so I'm familiar with the systems and the people. I'm thankful that we have a system that allows you to have a longer runway as it were to assume minister's position. It’s quite a smooth transition; I hope to continue to focus on the important things that Singaporeans expect in our mission as a defence ministry.

Defence is an area where you must continually build in a steady manner. There are two reasons for this. Modern military forces are very much driven by technology and people capability. If you look at the platforms on display today, whether it is our F-15s or F-16s, our G-550s, our airborne early warning systems, or our transport aircraft or Super Pumas, our attack helicopter or air defence systems, our technology is very advanced and very integrated. Which basically means that it is not just about acquiring platforms. While that is important, more important is about your people- your ability, your engineers, your maintenance, your pilots, to be able to work as a team, to hone the systems and to integrate them, and that requires continuing effort, continuing investments. Much of this is continuing the steady pace that we have been doing. I think the RSAF has developed very rapidly over 43 years. Internationally, we are regarded as a very professional and capable force. We command respect. We just want to continue to do that.

I also want to talk about what the Ministry of Defence will continue to focus on. We want to focus on two big areas- to ensure that we secure our peace. One big area is of course defence diplomacy, which basically is to continue to work with like-minded countries, to continue that engagement and conversation to see how we can build architecture for Singapore and for this region to ensure our stability and peace that gives us as small states a voice on the table to be able to shape peaceful structure.

The second big area is deterrence, and to work, this requires each Singaporean to play his part. To be able to send a message that we are capable of defending ourselves all the time because we have a conscript army. Our army is made up of citizens and we have to continue to make sure that we have the will and resolve to defend this place, to be operationally ready at all times, and I think for that, we have to continue to engage each new generation that makes up the SAF. So in terms of responsibilities, I've asked the new office holders, MOS Lawrence Wong and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Maliki Osman to engage our NSmen more. They have a number of platforms but chief of these platforms would be through their engagement with NSmen as well as through ACCORD and SAFRA. So I'm giving them greater responsibilities in those areas.

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Minister for Defence Officiates at RSAF Open House 2011