The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)'s Officer Cadet School (OCS) is organising the SAFTI International Cadets' Conference (SICC) from 11 to 16 December 2019 at the SAFTI Military Institute. The SICC brings together 75 officer cadets and instructors from 18 countries^[1]. Themed "Millennial Leaders - Challenges and Opportunities for the Future", the officer cadets engaged in cross-sharing and discussions on topics which include counter-terrorism, cybersecurity and defence technology.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman met and engaged the officer cadets at a dialogue session this afternoon. Dr Maliki spoke about the value of the SICC for cross-sharing and learning between officer cadets from different military academies, allowing them to deepen their professional knowledge and strengthen mutual understanding. He said, "I also hope that the camaraderie that you have established with one another will seed the trust and mutual understanding amongst the leaders of our militaries of tomorrow, which you all will be..." Dr Maliki added, "I urge you young officers and cadets to forge strong and lasting friendships with one another through this international platform, seeding the foundation of a long-term collaborative spirit to collectively make the region and the world a safer and more secured place for us to live in." The officer cadets will also attend an official dinner hosted by Dr Maliki this evening.

Chief of Army Major-General Goh Si Hou officiated at the opening ceremony of the SICC yesterday. As part of the six-day conference, the officer cadets visited the SAF's Infantry Gunnery Tactical Simulator at Pasir Laba Camp and attempted the SAF's Standard Obstacle Course. The officer cadets will also view the Officer Cadet Commissioning Parade on 15 December 2019.

^[1] The participating countries are Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.