Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good morning.

Sacrifices and Vital Role of National Servicemen

The NS experience is deeply rooted in every Singaporean son. No doubt because it is marked by personal sacrifice and commitment – first undergoing two years of challenging military training; and then trading work shoes and bags for combat boots and a field pack for a few weeks in a year. Many of us have gone through it – I have gone through it myself – and many of us have successfully navigated this with the support of our friends, family, and loved ones around us. Our national servicemen serve to keep their loved ones safe and thriving in a place they call home.

Generations of national servicemen have shouldered this critical responsibility for Singapore’s defence and security. Their sacrifices have provided us with decades of peace and stability, against a backdrop of evolving threats and global uncertainty. This year, as we celebrate 60 years of Singapore’s independence, we honour our national servicemen for their contributions.

Strong Appreciation from the Community

I am glad to see a strong show of support and appreciation for national servicemen, expressed by countless families, businesses and ordinary Singaporeans as they participate the in various SAFRA initiatives.  

At preschools islandwide, over 35,000 children are learning about the vital contributions of national servicemen, while making appreciation gifts for their fathers in the lead-up to SAF Day and National Day. This is made possible with the support of the Association of Early Childhood and Training Services, as well as early childhood educators across more than 460 preschool centres for conducting the lessons for the Appreciating NSmen Art Jam. 

Among our secondary schools, junior colleges and tertiary institutions, 145 students from 22 schools have participated in this year’s Appreciating NSmen Video Competition. Two groups of students from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design, Diploma in Digital Film and Television have also produced short films as part of their final year project. I had the opportunity to view some of them earlier. It was heartening to see the perspectives of our youths about NS, how this is viewed through their lens, as well as their appreciation for those of us and those of you out there who defend the country. In the coming months, many of these videos and short films will be shared on social media, as well as screened in public spaces such as HDB estates and SAFRA clubs, to thank our national servicemen.

I am also heartened by the strong support for the ‘We Support NS’ campaign that was first launched in 2019 with the support of more than 180 merchants, over 240 special deals that will be extended to national servicemen and SAFRA members. Through the ACCORD Family and Community Council, SAFRA and partnering organisations, such as MINDEF, HomeTeamNS and People’s Association, have built on the campaign. These special deals will cover a wide variety of products and services to provide national servicemen with greater cost-savings on daily necessities such as food and beverage (F&B), groceries, clothing and household items, as well as avenues for them to spend quality time with their loved ones.

I was glad to hear that some F&B merchants have also gone the extra mile by giving away free burgers and customising their tray mats to express thanks to our national servicemen at their outlets islandwide. It is really wonderful to see that level of appreciation. I hope our NSmen are able to see this and really feel the appreciation that the country and everyone around them shows for their contributions to our safety and security. This year, SAFRA will also continue to give away 12,000 complimentary snacks. Food trucks will be deployed at various SAF Camps, SAFRA clubs and events to distribute these items to national servicemen.

The Importance of Appreciating National Servicemen

Given how our national servicemen have contributed to Singapore’s defence and security over the years, it is right that we express our appreciation for their sacrifices and commitment.

I hope that this culture of showing appreciation to the national servicemen will continue to grow stronger and stronger in society, because increasingly as we know in this turbulent world, I think the need for a strong and secure Singapore and defence force, is timely and needed. It does not always take grand gestures. Even the smallest interactions in our daily lives can affirm their sacrifices. This can range from a warm smile when we see them in public spaces, to a simple ‘thank you for your service’ when they return from their In-camp Training. I can tell you, many NSmen will really feel appreciated if many of us do this after their hard work trying to balance national service as well as their families. All these efforts go a long way in reminding our national servicemen that they have the strong support of their loved ones and the wider community, so that this motivates them to serve with resolute purpose and dedication.

New SAFRA Bayshore in the East

Another way that we appreciate the contributions of national servicemen and their families is through SAFRA clubhouses. Earlier this year, I announced that MINDEF will build a new SAFRA clubhouse in the Bayshore area to better serve national servicemen and their families in the East. It will replace SAFRA’s oldest clubhouse at Tampines, which was built back in 1988. I am happy to announce that the new SAFRA Bayshore is targeted for completion in 2030.

The new SAFRA Bayshore will be located right next to an Integrated Transport Hub, comprising Bedok South MRT station and a bus interchange. This will allow national servicemen living in the East – spanning from Marina Parade to Bedok, spanning from Tampines to Pasir Ris – to all have convenient access because of the MRT and bus interchange nearby to the clubhouse, which will be very close to public transport.

The new clubhouse will also be SAFRA’s largest, with a gross floor area of at least 30,000 square metres. That is double the size of the current SAFRA Tampines. Double the size – you can imagine Tampines, but twice the size. It will offer a wider range of modern and affordable facilities.

SAFRA Bayshore will offer a new and unique club experience that sets it apart from other clubhouses. We are working very hard on it. I know the committees are working very hard on it, the SAFRA management team as well, because it is in our interest, and we are all very motivated to bring the best for our NSmen and their families. We are actively seeking feedback from national servicemen living in the East, to guide us and to determine the mix of facilities and activities that will be provided for SAFRA Bayshore.

A Steering Committee for SAFRA Bayshore has been formed, comprising seasoned industry professionals, some of them are with us today. We are appreciative of the team that we put together – very committed NSmen with very good backgrounds in the hospitality, F&B and retail trade, because these are all part and parcel of what makes SAFRA attractive to be able to bring the best of industry into by NSmen, for NSmen. They will continue to build on these ideas to develop a unique and remarkable SAFRA club in the East over the next few years. Special attention will also be given to the club design in achieving high sustainability standards, as well as providing sheltered communal spaces for national servicemen and their families to gather for various arts, sports, music events, and fairs.

Conclusion

It has been my pleasure to serve as the SAFRA President since 2020 and it has been an eventful journey.

We pivoted to online programmes and supported the national effort to keep the community safe during the COVID-19 years. I can assure you that the team worked really hard to keep our retailers afloat. We know that there were challenges, especially during the times when we had all the safe distancing measures, and many of our retailers and F&B outlets had challenges, but we kept it running. The team still managed to serve many of our members as well, despite restrictions. Over time, even post-COVID, we have seen how SAFRA recovered pretty quickly to serve the community, while still achieving high levels of satisfaction from amongst members. We celebrated SAFRA’s 50th anniversary with a string of charitable initiatives that raised over $800,000 for those in Singapore who are needy and less privileged. We opened a new clubhouse in Choa Chu Kang. We enhanced our membership benefits ranging from complimentary insurance to providing better deals with the support of merchant partners, and enhanced our customer experience through digital transformation. We strengthened the involvement of national servicemen and their families in Total Defence through initiatives such as Be@SAFRA and the ‘I Pledge Total Defence’ campaign. And now, we embark on constructing our largest clubhouse in Bayshore. More importantly, SAFRA has shown me how our community, families and Singaporeans come together to appreciate our national servicemen. In fact, some of my most memorable memories in SAFRA are seeing families and NSmen come together to enjoy the facilities. It is not so much about the deals or the big events that we do, but really when the community comes together. When we opened SAFRA Choa Chu Kang, for example, I remembered the huge amount of members of the community who came with their families, because for them, this was the main centre of attraction. For them, they were appreciative because they had many facilities, including a sheltered swimming pool and everything else which brought modern facilities to their town. You can see how it changes and makes a difference to the community. I like to think that in SAFRA, it is not just about giving out goodies and deals, but it is really about making a difference to how our NSmen and their families feel appreciated, and how they are able to come together to enjoy facilities such as these. I hope that with SAFRA Bayshore, we will do the same for those in the East and turn it into something they can look forward to in five years to come – it will be something new that they can look forward to. It is something that families can come bond in, join, and feel appreciated as they support our NSmen in the defence of Singapore.

From next month, I will hand over SAFRA’s Presidency to Minister of State for Defence Mr Desmond Choo. I am confident that under his leadership, SAFRA will continue to make inroads to further strengthen efforts to appreciate national servicemen, and to meet their evolving family lifestyle needs, as well as life stage needs.

Once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all the participants, community partners, and our very dedicated executive committee members who are all NSmen, who give everything for all our SAFRA clubhouses and initiatives, as well as the management team from SAFRA for their support during my five years with SAFRA. I just want to say a big thank you, and I wish SAFRA success always. Thank you so much.