Inaugural Total Defence Convention Brings Together Partners to Strengthen Resilience in Crises and Disruptions

Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad viewing the TD Sandbox exhibits at the inaugural Total Defence Convention 2024.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad was the Guest of Honour at the inaugural Total Defence Convention held in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Total Defence at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Themed "Building Societal Resilience and Readiness in Crises and Disruptions", the Convention is an initiative to rally and strengthen partnerships within the Total Defence community. Jointly organised by Nexus and the National University of Singapore, the convention featured a diverse line-up of both local and international speakers from countries including Sweden, New Zealand and Germany, as well as social and philanthropic organisations, businesses, and public agencies. Over 250 key partners and practitioners from diverse sectors, including public agencies, non-governmental organisations, grassroots communities, and businesses participated in the convention.

In his keynote address, Mr Zaqy emphasised the continued relevance of Total Defence for a strong and resilient Singapore. He said, "For the past 40 years, Total Defence has been our strategy to overcome the threats we faced as a nation … Even as Total Defence evolves, its success is only made possible with every Singaporean doing their part." Referring to Exercise SG Ready which involved various simulated disruptions across the nation held in February, Mr Zaqy emphasised to convention participants that, "Total Defence is not just about crisis response. It is about building resilience and readiness consistently … our strategies for preparedness must therefore evolve in tandem, so that Singapore stands ready to respond."

Reiterating the view that Total Defence should continue to evolve to remain relevant in current circumstances, Mr Lim Siong Guan, Former Head of Civil Service and Former Permanent Secretary (Defence) who first introduced Total Defence to Singapore's collective psyche in 1984, said, "Total Defence should be about inspiring Singaporeans to stand up for Singapore on a day-to-day basis, and not simply a preparation for wartime or a reaction to crisis … We should continue our work in Total Defence to assure the survivability and sustainability of success for Singapore."

Drawing relevance from Sweden's framework for Total Defence, Mr Tor-Björn Åstrand, Head of Capability Development Department of the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, said, "It's very important to have a strong dialogue about the threats and vulnerabilities, and not just with the state actors. Singapore has Total Defence as that avenue."

Participants also attended workshops conducted by Total Defence partners to equip themselves with practical skills. Topics covered included recognising foreign interference, harnessing storytelling to bridge diversity gaps, and implementing gamification strategies for a whole-of-society approach to resilience-building.

With opportunities to learn best practices and exchange ideas, the Total Defence Convention allowed for Total Defence partners and practitioners to renew their commitment and strengthen collaborations to address the challenges of building societal resilience and readiness in the face of crises and disruptions.

(From left to right) Former Vice President Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr Azhar Othman, Chairman TD40 EXCO/DS(Policy) BG Frederick Choo, SMS Zaqy, Founder of Being Bridges Mr Basil Kannangara, Director Nexus COL Goh Jerica, and Director (Community Engagement) Nexus SLTC Psalm Lew.

SMS Zaqy delivering his keynote address to the participants of the Total Defence Convention 2024.

Head of Capability Development Swedish Psychological Defence Agency Mr Tor-Björn Åstrand (standing) sharing on the importance of building social resilience at the Total Defence Convention 2024.

More Resources

Keynote Address by Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr Zaqy Mohamad at the Total Defence Convention 2024