Graduands of the 45/2020 Specialist Cadet Course,

Parents and loved ones of our Graduands,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

INTRODUCTION

I am most pleased to address our newly-minted Specialists this evening. To all the graduands, congratulations on your successful completion of the Specialist Cadet Course. Your grit, strength and resourcefulness served you well through the tough and rigorous training these past months, and earned you the right to be part of the leadership corp of the Singapore Armed Forces. As a Specialist, you will be entrusted with greater responsibilities to train, lead, and inspire our soldiers to accomplish missions safely and decisively, to protect Singapore's sovereignty and our way of life.

CURRENT COVID SITUATION & THE SAF'S ROLE

As we come to the end of 2020, the global outlook remains uncertain. While the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be under control here in Singapore, many parts of the world are still grappling with their second and third transmission waves. We cannot be complacent, because in an interconnected world, no country can be completely safe until every country is safe.

COVID-19 is more than a healthcare crisis. The economic fallout has already surpassed that of the 2008 financial crisis, and will make it more challenging for an open, trade-dependent economy like Singapore's to stay competitive and to thrive. The geopolitical repercussions will shape our operating environment for years and perhaps decades to come, and make it even harder for a small country like Singapore to maintain our policy space and defend our national interests. But I am hopeful that Singapore will rise to the occasion, and continue to defy the odds, as we have on multiple occasions in our nation's short history.

One of my reasons for optimism is the commitment and ingenuity of the men and women of the SAF. The SAF, together with the wider defence community, has stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of government and society, to fight COVID-19. You have leaned forward and provided your expertise, resources, and know-how to help Singapore combat and control this threat. Many of you have worked tirelessly, and gone over and above the call of duty, contributing in a variety of ways, most of which are not second nature to what you are trained for on a daily basis. And you have done so even as the SAF continues to be focused on its foremost mission to defend Singapore and protect our borders, whether on land, in the air, at sea, or in cyber space.

Maintaining a constant state of high operational readiness, as the SAF does, hinges on regular and rigorous training. Training disruptions can result in a domino effect on our operational units, and degrade and blunt our readiness. This is why it is crucial that the SAF continues to ensure that our soldiers can stay safe, even as they keep Singapore safe. The comprehensive safety measures and virus testing regimes put in place during your Specialist Cadet Course, and the various innovative adaptations to the training programme, give me the confidence that the SAF will continue to discharge its mission well, while keeping our servicemen and women safe.

LEADERS OF THE SAF

To the graduands, I hope you have picked up many useful leadership lessons from observing how your predecessors and seniors in MINDEF and the SAF have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, one of the biggest takeaways is that leaders, must always be ready for the unexpected. Many of the challenges that you will face in our future environment will be wicked problems with no easy solutions. Often, information will be imperfect. And yet you will not have the luxury of time to wait for the situation to clear up before making a decision to act. So as leaders in this new environment, the most important attribute is to be able to adapt and respond to change, to think out of the box, and to be prepared to make decisions based on imperfect information, monitor the execution and adjust the plans when necessary.

Over the course of the past months, you would have experienced several different leadership styles among your trainers, but I am sure that the common thread throughout is their commitment to high training standards, as well as your well-being and safety. I thank all the trainers for their hard work in nurturing the next generation of leaders for the SAF.

Leadership is a lifelong journey of learning and growth. The road ahead can be challenging, but also immensely rewarding, especially when you see yourselves making a difference to the people and to the organisation.

CLOSING

Graduands, please do not forget to spend time with your families and loved ones, and thank them for their tireless support that have kept you going throughout this course. Once again, congratulations on this milestone. It is a celebration of your resilience and hard work. As you march forward as leaders in your respective units in the SAF, I have full confidence that you will live up to the Specialists Creed.

With Pride We Lead! Thank you.