Speech by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen for the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College Command and Staff Course 2016 Graduation Ceremony 2016

Ambassador to the UAE,
Permanent Secretary (Defence)
Chief of Defence Force,
Service Chiefs,
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Policy),
Senior Commanders,
Graduands of the 47th Command and Staff Course,
The 17th Command and Staff Course, which comprise National Servicemen (National Service) and the 6th and 7th Command and Staff Course (Executive), which is an Executive Course
    
To all good evening.
    
Introduction
    
Thank you for again inviting my wife and I to join you for this evening's graduation dinner. We look forward each year to this event as it gives us a good opportunity to catch up with you, your spouses and family members. And let me particularly say 'Hi' and 'Hello' to our other guests in the other rooms. If I can, I will physically go there and catch up with you too. 
    
As Colonel Ng Wai Kit said, this graduation dinner is held in a special year for SAFTI-MI as it commemorates SAFTI's 50th anniversary. Some of you would have been at that moment I presume, 50 years ago, maybe.  It was a humble beginning. The birthplace as you remember was Pasir Laba Camp, and it has been quite a journey from SAFTI then, to the renowned military leadership institute it is today. And it is indeed a double celebration, especially for 220 graduands of the various courses, and a good time for us to reflect. And I think the composition of our 15 officers from militaries, especially also one from the SPF, tells a story. We have two from Australia, where we train regularly in Shoalwater Bay and signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. I went to Townsville, it is a nice town, about twice the size of Rockhampton, good tea. Brought back some. Trust me, it is good tea. And which we have a very good relationship. Brunei, where our soldiers train in Temburong, as well as in Jalan Aman Camp. China, we have two officers. I remember my last trip there. I was in Nanjing. In China, their exercise grounds are quite impressive. They build you a vantage view so it is facing a hill, and we could be seated in the comfort of our chairs, but watch soldiers charge up the hill. I mean it was quite a nice feeling for us anyway. I was seated next to the Nanjing Commander, and it was quite a sight to see Chinese tanks, Chinese infantry alongside our Singapore's company of National Servicemen, charging up the hill together. And we have regular exercises with them. Germany - we were training in Bergen. Some of you will remember that name because Anne-Frank is buried there. And now we train in Oberlausitz. India, where our Air Force and Army train. I remember the Indian Air Force flying me around India, to visit various sites, and going to Army courses. Indonesia and Malaysia, our closest neighbours that we train regularly with. We are good brothers. New Zealand, where we have Waiouru. Thailand, where we train regularly. Sai Yok Camp where we have Cobra Gold. UAE, we have officers even from the Middle East, where we use, maybe not in UAE, but some of their air bases there. And we have good relations. And the USA, where we train in many areas - whether it is Forging Sabre, Mountain Home, Luke Air base. What a big footprint we have as the SAF. And I can recount this even though we did not prepare the speech. I just happened to look at this because that's where we are. And I think it's especially meaningful when you interact with each other during your courses. And to all graduands of the pinnacle course of SAFTI MI, please accept my heartiest congratulations.
    
Leaders of Tomorrow
    
Tonight's dinner is indeed an appropriate occasion to reflect on what SAFTI MI has achieved and the way forward. And I laud the organising committee for the publication of SAFTI 50 commemorative book to mark this Golden Jubilee. As graduands, all of you form part of that continuing journey that began 50 years ago and now join an alumni which I hope will extend far into the future. And like any family, being part of SAFTI MI shapes your values and outlook in life. We have a number of schools in SAFTI MI.  The Specialist Cadets, Warrant Officers, and OCS. And they come in younger. And that effect is particularly strong, I imagine for those who enter in their 18s or early 20s. But I think even you as mature adults, you know, you shared the stories of many of the participants who have children, who have to juggle with family and commitments too. But even as mature adults in the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College, I believe that your interactions with the staff, with each other over these past few months, listening to perspectives of officers from foreign militaries and the Singapore Police Force (SPF), shape your views and perspectives about leadership and life in general. I know for a fact for many alumni, the friendships and deep ties that they have forged during this course are precious and lasting.
    
All of us, if I ask you "why are you what you are?" You know, in Singapore, "why you like that?" All of us are aware that in the course of our lifetime, that there are seminal experiences that can have a profound and lasting effects on us as individuals. And I believe that these effects extend similarly to organisations, even nations. If I ask you, "What were the events in your life that made you who you are?" I am sure all of you, each one of us can cite whether it was a good teacher, some were positive experiences, some we were reacting to very negative experiences. And it would be very easy for you to recount through your life what you have been through. But two stronger influences that have been described that make us what we are, apart from the genes we inherit from our parents, that we can't change or decide what we have, two stronger influencers are derived from what scientists term the birthing and founder effects. How many of you have heard of this? Birthing and founder effects. PS, we need to update our library. Let me start with birthing effects. How many of you are mothers and fathers here? Put up your hands. And you do not know about the birthing effects? I am sure some of you do. I will go and ask the other rooms later. The birthing effect, the moments at birth though very short, sets the course for many decades to come for that individual and even generations later for that family. Some believe in this birthing effect more than others. And those that believe it are willing to go through great lengths to plan the birth experience of their baby. Fathers and mothers here or would-be ones may be familiar with some of the theories of the birthing process. One theory posits that a baby's gut microflora, we have gut in our bacteria in our digestive system, and that is derived from the maternal, from our mothers when they go through a natural childbirth. But one theory posits that a baby's gut microflora is induced in the birthing process which then determines your propensity for obesity, allergies, even cancers. Are you convinced?  I had a friend who lamented how his daughter was so convinced of the theory she read. And anyway, after 15 hours she gave up and then did a different birthing process. Or another theory, how a water birth, I mean surely you would have heard of water births yes? This theory is that all of us in our mother's uterus are in the liquid environment, so we are in zero-gravity, it is a placid environment. Suddenly when you are thrust out, it is such a jarring environment. So better to be born into water -顺顺利利. Which some of you can blame that as to why you are so aggressive, because you came out and you were shocked. You can blame it on your birthing process, because your first introduction to this world shapes your psychological make-up.  So it is a calm environment, baby plods into the zero-gravity environment. Play music or whatever you like. That is the Mozart effect. That is a different one.  But whether we believe in these specific theories or not, most of us accept that early events in our lives shape the trajectory, how we respond, what we think, how we think, later.
    
The founder effect is a similar one and is used by geneticists to explain why some influences, traits, remain stronger in later generations than they should. Here I tread very carefully because my wife is a Professor of genetics. She is probably the only one qualified here to think that I'm talking nonsense. But classic examples cited are the French Canadians or Ashkenazi Jews where specific traits persist in those communities even after many generations.
    
Some of you by now may be wondering, what in the world does birthing experiences and founder effects have to do with my graduation? You might be wondering, "did I enter the wrong event?" Understanding our origins help explain who and what we are. And this applies to organisations as it does individuals. Without this epiphany, we risk either losing what is precious or perhaps more importantly, become ineffective if we want to chart the next lap for SAFTI MI. How can you change any trajectory if you have not calculated the parameters at take-off?
    
That the GKS CSC is well-established today, that our Specialist Cadets, that our Officer Cadet School (OCS), that the SAF, that Singapore is doing well today, owes much to the birthing process as it does to successive Commandants or commanders of training schools who continue to nurture the growing child that is SAFTI MI, for the SAF. The strongest aspect of this founding, was the Government's belief to give top priority to defence. And it was not just lip service. Indeed, it required great conviction at the expense of political goodwill in 1965-66. Think about it for a moment. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were Government of a newly independent country, thrown out , deprived of a hinterland and market, with a poor multi-racial and multi-religious population, the majority who were unschooled and needed good homes, what would your first acts as a leader be in Government? Right? You have inherited this problem - people are unschooled, poor, our GDP was US$500, majority don't own homes, we don't have hinterland to sell to. 60% at that time failed their PSLE, or some figure of that sort. What would you do as a leader? Introduce National Service for all males? Start SAFTI? Start a Specialist Cadet School (SCS) and OCS? Without that conviction and courage to go the distance, the birth of the SAF, indeed of Singapore itself may have been stillborns or chronically sick infants.
    
Somehow adversity produced steel in our founding leaders. Dr Goh Keng Swee said at the opening ceremony of SAFTI in 1966, I took this from the commemorative book that will be distributed later, I took this quote. Dr Goh Keng Swee said then "In Sparta, all males were automatically enrolled in the regular army. The coming of age ritual for a Spartan male was a public flogging and he would be put to death if he showed the slightest anguish. I am thankful that Dr Goh did not institute this as a SAFTI ritual. I think he may have considered it. But as an economist, and one who was known for his economical habits, he must have reckoned that the attrition would be too high! Too hard to replace. Too expensive to replace. 50% of us may not be here. So the flogging would be instead of 'Standby Bed', 'Standby Flog', and more flogging for the higher the command,  would be a problem. Thankfully Dr Goh continues, "But the preferred hallmark for the SAF will be tough training and intelligent generalship". And thank goodness.
    
All of you would have heard the words of Mr Lee Kuan Yew who spoke at the same ceremony, well we captured it on film, "This small group of men must be men of great quality. By that, I don't mean just qualities of the mind because for this job, it is the character, the mettle in a person which determines whether the men you lead have that elan, that confidence, the verve which is only possible given dedicated and inspired leadership."
    
50 years on, Singapore has changed, indeed the world has changed. And tonight we dine  dressed in our finery and partake good food in the Istana. In 1966, it would have been very different. Peace prevails, and our families are doing well. All things considered, even with the slowing economy, Singapore is doing better than most countries and our fundamentals remain strong.
    
But one constant remains, whether in 1966, 50 years ago, today, and I suspect 50 years hence. Threats will remain, because this is the nature of geo-politics as history teaches us. Today, it is the threat of extremist terrorists - Singaporeans who don't like our way of life, at least of the majority, or terror cells in Batam who wake up every morning, see the Marina Bay Sands and think it is an abomination, an abhorrent icon of all that they consider wrong, and they want to throw rockets at it. Tomorrow it may be nationalism gone awry or self-serving protectionist trading blocs. At Singapore's independence, our poverty was a weakness. Today and in the future, our prosperity may be a sore point for others, as it was for Kuwait during the Iraq invasion.
    
That birthing experience and founder's effect is not and should not be limited to only the generation at Independence. All of us, all of you, can repeat this virtuous cycle- whether you are Singaporeans, or whether you are going back to your home countries. We can be founders to shape the birthing experience of our organisation whatever our vocations, duties or level. Through your resolve and actions, you can choose to become a co-creator of a better unit, a better department, a better SAF, a better Singapore or a closer family.
    
Whatever the challenges, as long as we have good leader-servants, in Government, in civil service, in the SAF, in the Home Team, whose sole aim is to do what is right for Singapore and Singaporeans, even when there are difficulties and sacrifices required, I believe this nation will continue to blossom. Our birthing experience was an arduous one but made Singapore healthy. Our founders left us good values and fundamentals upon which to build this nation. Each of us has that capacity and privilege to initiate another virtuous cycle. I want to leave that thought to you as leaders and as graduands of the various courses because you will be in a position of influence and change.
    
Conclusion
    
Congratulations again to each of you on your graduation from the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College. Lead well and keep Singapore safe and secure. Upon your duty, the progress and prosperity of our country, or your country, depends. I would like to thank all your spouses, your parents and families and employers here this evening. I know your support allowed our officers to give of their best and their all. 
    
My congratulations also to SAFTI MI, Commandant of SAFTI MI, on your 50th Anniversary and the book launch. Scale new heights and fulfill your mission diligently.

Thank you and have an enjoyable evening.

More Resources

220 Senior Leaders Graduate as SAFTI turns 50

Fact Sheet: SAFTI Golden Jubilee Book