Second Minister for Defence Mr Lui Tuck Yew presented the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Overseas Service Medal (OSM) to 75 servicemen at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence this afternoon. The medals were awarded in recognition of their contributions to the SAF's search operations for the AirAsia plane (QZ8501) and the flood relief efforts in Malaysia.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr Lui highlighted that in an interconnected world, the SAF has an important role to play in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations to assist affected countries. He added that the ability of the SAF to respond quickly and effectively when called upon is a testament to the operational readiness and professionalism of its men and women. He said, "While the rest of Singapore was enjoying the year-end festivities, preparing to welcome 2015, you answered the call of duty at very short notice and were serving in foreign lands and seas, far away from home and loved ones. When the two crises happened, our men and women mounted two operations simultaneously, swiftly and decisively, to do what was needed. And so you are the reason why the SAF is always ready when called upon – whether it is to respond to security threats or to provide relief and assistance when disaster strikes."

A total of 42 crew members of MV Swift Rescue which located the main fuselage of the AirAsia plane (QZ8501) on 14 January 2015 received their OSM medals for their contributions to the search operations. They were part of the SAF's deployment which comprised more than 400 personnel from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), five RSN ships, two RSAF C-130 aircraft and two RSAF Super Puma helicopters.

Another 33 OSM recipients were lauded for their contributions to the flood relief efforts in Kelantan, Malaysia from 30 December 2014 to 13 January 2015. They were part of the SAF-led Task Force comprising personnel from the SAF, Singapore Civil Defence Force and Public Utilities Board, and had worked closely with the Malaysian Armed Forces to help purify 136,000 litres of river water into clean drinking water for distribution.

Also present at the ceremony were Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han, Chief of Army Major-General Perry Lim, senior officers from the SAF as well as family members of the OSM recipients.