Speech by President of the Republic of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, at the 87/12 Officer Cadet Course Commissioning Parade

Graduands of the 87/12 Officer Cadet Course,
Parents,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

To all of you on parade today, I join your families and friends in congratulating you for successfully completing the Officer Cadet Course. You have persevered through 38 weeks of tough military training and proven your resilience and tenacity. You are now ready to take your place as Officers of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). With this honour, you will be entrusted with the solemn responsibility of leading men and women under your charge to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Singapore.

Singapore has developed into a modern, global city in a short span of forty-seven years. However, we cannot take our peace and stability for granted. As a small island state, Singapore needs to be ever vigilant and alert to the growing range and complexity of security challenges confronting us. Indeed, these security challenges have expanded to include non-traditional threats such as terrorism, piracy, pandemics and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The SAF therefore needs to remain strong and ready to keep Singapore secure in an uncertain world. Even as the SAF steadily sharpens its fighting capabilities with new equipment, superior fighting concepts and networked systems, it is the leadership of the men and women of the SAF that will ultimately determine how effectively Singapore is defended.

The SAF is a National Service force. The men under your charge will come from all walks of life and bring with them different perspectives and attitudes. Many amongst this generation are better educated and more vocal. As their commander, you must imbue in them a sense of purpose, and mould them into a cohesive fighting unit. Help them to understand the importance of their contributions to the defence of Singapore. They must feel that they have something precious worth defending and be united by the common goal of defending our home and our way of life.

As leaders, you will be responsible for the readiness, welfare, morale and discipline of the men and women under your command. Train them well and motivate them to do their best, but always have their well-being and safety at heart. Lead by example. Inspire them by demonstrating the highest standards of professionalism, personal integrity and discipline. Be genuine in your words and actions. Forge strong bonds built on trust and respect. Only then will you gain the respect and loyalty of those you command and be able to lead them effectively even under the toughest circumstances.

I am happy to see that commissioning with you today is an Officer from the Malaysian Armed Forces. Your graduation from the SAF Officer Cadet School bears testament to the close ties and friendship between our armed forces and our two nations. I wish you all the best in your career when you return home.

This is indeed a proud moment for you, your families and for everyone here today. Your commissioning affirms the nation’s trust and confidence in you. Today marks the beginning of your service to our nation as an officer of the SAF. Generations of SAF officers have served our country with honour, and I charge you to live up to the proud tradition of excellence and professionalism established by those who have served before you. As you depart from these parade grounds today, do not forget the training that you have received, and the values that have been instilled in you. These put you in good stead to fulfil your roles as leaders in the SAF and to overcome any challenges in the journey ahead. I congratulate you on your commissioning. I am confident that you will live up to the OCS motto: "To Lead, To Excel and To Overcome".

Thank you.