Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen's SAF Day 2023 Message, 30 Jun 2023

Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) President Mr Kho Choon Keng,

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

On the record, SCCCI has always been one of the staunchest defenders and promoters of national defence. If you saw in the video, very early on, in 1968, not very long after the SAF was raised up, the fundraising campaign started here. There must be a reason why it started here. Because of the generosity of business people, and particularly Chinese merchants understood the need for a strong defence. They, through their families and connections, recognise very early on that if there is no security you cannot do business, you cannot plan and you cannot invest. Your revenue drops, the war is bad for business, except for some sectors. If you are not in that sector, then you have a problem. That is the reason they minted the medallion, they supported, some even sent their sons to be SAF scholars so that our country would understand how important the SAF is. Let me put on record, our thanks to your chamber, and your council, for the constant support. I know each year that your merchants also give special discounts. Many of them are unsolicited and this is out of their own conviction to support the NSmen and SAF. 

We meet at a time when our region and the World at large are grappling with many security challenges. I do not have to convince you of that. You open the newspapers, it is not good news. Somewhere around the world, there are problems – not talking just about Ukraine and the Europe. Security challenges are very clear.

The unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia has created turmoil in Europe – Europe is basically at war – and the rest of the World too. It started with supply chain disruptions, many of us know here and it has many knock-on effects that we are still grappling with today. The people of Ukraine are suffering greatly – tremendous atrocities, tragedy. Children separated from their parents, families, dismembered communities uprooted. The scale of suffering is enormous. We have become inured sometimes because of this constancy. But the people of Ukraine are suffering each day and with each passing day, more and more of their country is being physically destroyed. We do not get very moved when we read of missile lobbing into Ukraine and counter measures. But translate that into fire against buildings. There is massive destruction. Last year, I was in Estonia for a security conference and it has started a fund, similar to the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe. Just a few months ago, the thought was the reconstruction in Ukraine would cost 300 billion. It is many, many times that now. It will take one or more generations to build their lives in Ukraine and their country when the fighting stops. Even then, no expert or official that I had spoken to can give a clear picture. A prolonged war is anticipated and no one knows or dares predict when this war will end.

In Asia, rising tensions between the US and China worries everyone, including the two countries themselves. Despite this, communication between them, or their leaders, is at its worst for many decades. I am glad that some of their top leaders have met, particularly from the State and Foreign Affairs, but they are a very far way off from good communications. The main concern that all of us have is a physical clash either due to mishap or over Taiwan. There have already been near misses between US and Chinese planes and ships. Any physical conflict between their two militaries, even small, whether intentional or accidental, will plunge Asia into great despair, and with it the rest of the World. Just imagine, a war in Europe and conflict in Asia. Which business can take this? Which sector can take this? Which country can absorb those losses? None. When the two largest economies and militaries clash, our World can never be the same again. Our lives will be changed overnight. You can give up your plans for the next twenty years, or recalculate it. You will not be able to have a stable future.

As if these two challenges were not enough, the effects of climate change are becoming more physically devastating with each passing year. We recently held a Shangri La Dialogue. Part of the participants were Ministers from the Pacific Islands. They shared with us in this recent Shangri-La Dialogue that many of their islands are already being submerged, and with some expected to be underwater in the next couple of years – they can see the water levels rising and many of these islands there are populations, communities that have lived there for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Permanently, homes lost. If you say relocation, it is not quite right, because you cannot go back. Other Ministers shared how agricultural produce has been severely affected by extremes of weather. Food and water shortages can result in severe consequences, even wars among neighbours.

As we meet together this SAF Day, we in Singapore count ourselves fortunate for the peace and harmony we enjoy here. But we also know that this peace, and this was from a quote from Australia's Prime Minister Albanese's speech at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue, is "peace not a gift and it is never a given."

When our founding generation stood up the SAF and National Service (NS) for every able-bodied male Singaporean, we declared to the World that this was the price that Singaporeans were willing to pay to purchase that peace. Because peace is not a gift and it is never a given, peace must be purchased with a price. If anyone thinks that you can purchase peace by being gentle, friendly and hoping others will treat you the same way, I think the last few years would have rid you of that hope. There were some who believed that you do not need the SAF, you do not need a strong defence, just be kind to your neighbours and your potential aggressors, and the world will live on and there will be no problems. I hear very little of that in the last few years, and with good measure. I hope that the events lately would have knocked some sense into people who believe this. People who felt that NS could be reduced or done away with, just like many European countries, including the Baltic States, in fact if you compare with the list of countries that have NS when we first started the SAF and NS, compared to what it is today, the list has shrunk to very small. Less countries, and very few countries have maintained the length of NS that we have. Some countries shrank it to just four months, and they realise it was a mistake, and now they want to increase the duration of NS – it is very difficult. Even worse, some Baltic states did away completely with NS, and when they saw this Russian aggression, and they wanted to start it again, not possible. I do not know how long this generation will remember that lesson, but I hope that it will be for a long time.

Because as our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said to our SAF scholars or SAF officers at one of their functions, "Without a strong SAF, there is no economic future, there is no security". Simple words. Without a strong SAF, there is no economic future, there is no security. This was Prime Minister Lee's conviction when the SAF was formed, which still rings true today, and I think for future generations.

Over the years, the SAF has transformed itself to remain relevant and effective – a new fourth service, the Digital and Intelligence Service was established last year. Together with the Army, Navy and Air Force, today's modern and highly equipped SAF can fight as an integrated force, to maximise the capabilities of each service, so that the sum of its parts is greater than the whole whether it is on land, sea, in the air or in the digital domain.

Over the next decade, SAF soldiers will get to see and touch for themselves new platforms and training facilities. It will take a while but I think the feeling that you saw in the video when we have our new submarines, of our new planes, of our new Army platforms, of our Hunters, the new fighting vehicles give a sense of assurance to our SAF and our citizens that the SAF is keeping abreast. The new SAFTI City is taking shape and will make training more real for Army soldiers using advanced simulation technologies. Our new Type 218SG submarines and F-35s will enter into service soon. These are some examples and there are many more.

Equipment, facilities and platforms in the SAF can improve as long as you give us support and as long as the government gives us resources for the SAF, but without the fighting spirit and commitment of our SAF soldiers, all these equipment and platforms are just mere steel or concrete. To keep Singapore an oasis of peace and harmony, to deter aggression, to deal with present and new threats, we will always need a strong SAF.

But a strong SAF can only be built up through good soldiers. On this SAF Day, I thank you all for reaffirming that commitment to build a strong SAF to protect and secure Singapore's peace for many years to come.

Majulah Singapura, and Happy SAF Day.

More Resources

NSmen and Employers Reaffirm Commitment to Defence

Fact Sheet: SAF Day 2023 Combined Rededication Ceremonies