I am very happy to see many family members. I presume because it is the school holidays, and we get a larger crowd of children here, and that is very nice. Today we want to honour your family members who are in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), our men and women who have participated in counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations in the Middle East. The time that you spent there is your personal and meaningful contribution to address the threats of terrorism and piracy. And through your participation, you help to preserve the peace and security in Singapore and our region. Our SAF men and women have completed these challenging missions with professionalism and dedication. Together with our foreign partners, you trained hard, endured long hours of deployment and overcame the challenges of working in difficult and hostile environments.

I know that this would not have been possible if you did not have peace of mind, that you have got the strong support of the family members when you are overseas. So let me here,thank the unwavering support of your family members, even as we work hard far away from the comforts of home to protect Singapore and our way of life. 

SINGAPORE AND OUR WAY OF LIFE

As Singaporeans, I do not need to remind us that we are a small country. We know it every day, when we travel, when we compare and in relative terms, our SAF though is a very good military, is not a large military. Even though we are small, we must do our part as part of the global effort to protect our region and our World from those who would use violence to force their way of life onto peace-loving and law-abiding civilians. So whether they are pirates (or) whether they are terrorists, their methods target the innocent and destroy stable communities and societies. 

It is for this reason that Singapore remains committed to support the anti-ISIS coalition as it transits to the next phase to help stabilise the affected countries. At the same time, we have stepped up vigilance at home in anticipation of the many terrorists who will return to this region. So even as the situation in the Middle East, because of what you have done there, improves paradoxically in the short term, the problems back home will increase. Because the return fighters cannot stay there, the foreign fighters cannot stay there, and they will return from where they came (from). The SAF has enhanced its counter-terrorism capabilities to strengthen national resilience in anticipation of this next phase. We are working with ASEAN and like-minded countries to guard against the threats from returning foreign fighters. At the recent ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in October, a joint statement to counter the terrorist threat was issued and included enhancing the sharing of information, intelligence and best practices among our nations.

We are also paying close attention to maritime terrorism and piracy, because 70% of the world's maritime trade flows through our waters, the Singapore Strait. Any major terrorist incident out at sea can impact Singapore severely as more than 90% of our trade is seaborne. And for our maritime trade and industry to prosper, our sea lines of communication must remain open and secure.

To combat piracy, we have deployed air and maritime assets to counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden that sits astride major maritime trade routes that connect Europe, Africa and the Middle East to Asia. The SAF has contributed to the multinational effort to counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden since 2009. I am glad that piracy numbers have dropped dramatically from its peak of more than 200 attacks in 2011 to zero successful attacks today.

Our deployments overseas therefore help keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe and secure.

COMMENDING THE SAF'S OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Through your professionalism and conduct during these deployments, the SAF has gained a good reputation as a valued contributor to regional peace and security. So when I visit, whether it was Afghanistan, whether it was Iraq, whether it was in Bahrain, Kuwait, the coalition partners there speak very highly of our men and women from the SAF. Our foreign counterparts have always been impressed with how our SAF men and women serve with dedication, competence and high standards. Let me quote the US Navy Commander, Combined Maritime Forces Vice Admiral Scott Stearney: “whether it was overseeing hundreds of hours of airborne surveillance of critical maritime reaches, or keeping the sea lanes of the Gulf of Aden safe… the Singapore-led command team left an impressive mark on the Combined Maritime Forces. The good performance by the team is also a testament to the professionalism, dedication and commitment of the members of the SAF”.

So today we want to recognise your efforts and award medals to the 54 personnel under the command of COL Saw Shi Tat, who served in the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 in Bahrain to counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Among them is ME3 Tay Seow Kwang, the Communications lead for the Command Team. He was also named the Combined Maritime Forces' Sailor of the Month in recognition of his contributions. 

45 personnel who supported the anti-ISIS coalition, including the deployment of the Repubilc of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s KC-135R tanker aircraft, will also receive their medals today.

I commend all of you for your commitment, as well as great teamwork to achieve mission success. Your experiences in these deployments make for a stronger and more capable SAF – one that is ready to operate under challenging conditions and confident enough to work with multinational partners in international settings.

I also want to acknowledge especially the seven NSmen and volunteers who were part of these overseas missions.

CLOSING

To all recipients of the Overseas Service Medal, this medal represents the nation's recognition of your professionalism, your dedication and commitment to the peace and security of Singapore. I can well imagine that when the children here grow up, you can use the medal as a starting point to talk about your contributions to make our region, to make Singapore, to make our world a safer place. Thank you for your sterling service and exemplary commitment. Well done.