Speech by Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad at the Opening Ceremony of Veterans Confederation of ASEAN Countries (VECONAC) 23rd General Assembly

CDF,

BG(Ret) Winston Toh, President of VECONAC 2024

Delegates,

Observers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

Singapore last hosted VECONAC General Assembly in 2008, and we are delighted to once again to do so for the 36th VECONAC Executive Board Meeting and the 23rd General Assembly (EBM/GA). Allow me to commend the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans’ League (SAFVL) helmed by BG(Ret) Winston Toh for their organisation of the events this year. Let me also recognise and thank the past host countries and respective Veterans’ Associations, many of whom are present here today, for your unwavering commitment to VECONAC. As BG(Ret) Winston will share with you this morning, when I think of VECONAC, I must think of “very connected”. That is what we have, all the ten countries here, that is where ASEAN plays a very important role to bring our forces together, our veterans together. Gatherings like these have been strengthened.

Contributions of Veterans’ Associations and Veterans towards VECONAC’s Vision

As long as wars exist, so will veterans who survive them. This is the harsh reality. Many of the veterans here today experienced conflict in their home country or elsewhere in their lifetimes. You as survivors know better than anyone else, the terrible cost of wars on families and your country. More importantly, veterans feel it in their bones and based on their personal experience, the dangers of their country not having an adequate defence.

This was the ethos of the founding generation of Singaporeans who lived through the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945. When Singapore became independent in 1965, there needed to be no convincing that we needed to form the SAF. Indeed, many of them volunteered to be part of the Singapore Volunteer Corps, which went on to become the People’s Defence Force. This was the predecessor of the SAF - even before conscription was introduced, or what we know now as National Service. One of them was LTC(Ret) Kwek Boon Yong, who eventually went on to become the SAF’s second Chief of Artillery.

Who better to share with the next generation these precious but hard truths, than veterans, all of you here, your life experiences, and why we should avoid wars and why we should build strong defences. Even today, our veterans in Singapore act as ambassadors for military and defence. They go to schools, they tell their stories, they rapt the attention of our younger generation. They do the SAF and Singapore a great service in building the strong defences for another generation—with deterrence to prevent future wars.

I am certain that veterans in other ASEAN countries do the same.  Beyond their home countries, veterans can also build bridges, just as all of you are doing here, and forge peace as best as we can, as we link, share our experiences, share our knowledge, share together our hope for peace and stability in the region. This role is part of VECONAC's vision to help promote and defend regional peace and security. Through the VECONAC Interaction Programme (VIP), VECONAC veterans from various countries visit each other regularly, including sites of historical, military and cultural significance. They build personal ties with each other and help foster a common unity and a common community within ASEAN and our hope that this region — this beloved ASEAN region for us — will be a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality.

All countries owe a debt to their veterans, who fought for her sovereignty, who put their bodies in line and put their lives at stake.  I am glad therefore that one of VECONAC's main missions is to take care of and ensure the well-being of their veterans. One good example is the Cambodian Veterans Association who, together with the Cambodian government, built more than 400 houses for veterans across various Cambodian provinces in the last year. This is in addition to the 5,000 others already built in place since 2008.  Efforts like these honour the veterans’ sacrifices and shows the country’s appreciation for their service.

Strengthening ASEAN Veteran Community

As Singapore assumes the role of host this year, we recognise that strong interpersonal relationships are key to VECONAC’s continued success. Thus, the chosen theme, “Forging Bonds, Strengthening the ASEAN Veteran Community”, is an important one and relevant one today. Singapore's SAFVL continues to exemplify this through their Commitment to Defence Ambassadors program. These seasoned veterans, some with experience in UN peacekeeping missions in Sri Lanka and India-Pakistan, and regional disaster relief efforts in Aceh, East Timor and Cambodia, share their stories with service members, students, and the public. Through their sharing, they emphasise the importance of peace and the broader role that the armed forces can play in regional cooperation and assistance.

I also know that there will be an upcoming VECONAC Business Community meeting in Hanoi. This gathering will facilitate business ties and opportunities among veterans across ASEAN. I hear, too, that the SAFVL wants to revamp the VECONAC website this year, to better reach and spread its message of promoting and defending peace and security in this region.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen, delegates, allow me in my closing to thank each of you for the sacrifices made throughout your service. Your years of dedicated service ensured our peace today, and your continued presence here strengthens it. It is our hope that VECONAC will continue to forge stronger bonds for a thriving ASEAN Veteran Community.

Thank you and have a wonderful conference ahead. Thank you.

VECONAC 2024: ASEAN Veterans Unite in Singapore for Innovation, Collaboration, and Smart Progress