Graduands of the 51/2021 Specialist Cadet Course,

Parents and loved ones of our Graduands,

Men and women of the Singapore Armed Forces,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

Coming into the parade square and seeing all the parents, family members and our graduands, I feel very proud to be a Singaporean. I am particularly honoured to join all of you here physically today with the resumption of our first full graduation parade at the Specialist Cadet School, after two years of decentralised arrangements due to COVID-19 safe management measures. I would like to first extend my heartiest congratulations to all the graduands on your successful completion of the Specialist Cadet Course. I commend you for enduring the past 22 weeks of tough and rigorous training and you have earned the right to don your new ranks. In fact, when I spoke to some of you when I was inspecting earlier, some of you shared with me that you found the training to be rigorous and tough, but you enjoyed it. I would also like to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of your commanders and trainers, as well as the unwavering support from your families and loved ones, with many of them here witnessing this special occasion with us today.

Safeguarding our Sovereignty

I am sure many, if not all, are aware of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the devastation involved in this war. This conflict has served as a reminder to Singaporeans of the need for a strong defence. While Ukraine is much smaller in size than Russia, it is certainly much larger than Singapore. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a gross violation of the international norms and leaves us with important lessons. Most importantly, it has demonstrated how quickly a relatively smaller country can be invaded by larger and more powerful adversaries. Given our reality as a small nation, we must not take our territorial integrity and sovereignty for granted. We must always be prepared to defend ourselves without relying on the help from others. This is why Singapore has invested consistently to build up a credible and strong Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and ensure that we remain ready in the face of a rapidly changing operating environment and increasingly uncertain geopolitical outlook.

Critical to this mission is the need for men and women in the SAF, be it our Full-time National Servicemen, Regulars or Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen), to continue playing our part to uphold high standards of proficiency and operational readiness. We must never take what we have today for granted, and we should never be complacent and let our guard down.

An Ever-evolving Security Landscape

Even as we stand ready against physical, conventional threats, the ever-evolving security landscape also requires us to guard against emerging non-traditional threats, such as in cyberspace and digital domains. In March this year, Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen announced that the SAF will establish a fourth Service, the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), DIS in short. It is a timely and important next step for the SAF given how modern conflicts have been increasingly characterised by contestation in the digital domain, with Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies such as, Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and cloud computing radically transforming how militaries operate. The growing threats and opportunities in the digital domain therefore necessitate a dedicated focus on digital capabilities and cyber defence to support the SAF's operational requirements. With a wider spectrum of threats on the horizon, the future landscape will continue to be increasingly complex to navigate.

While the establishment of the DIS signals the critical need to deal with imminent threats in the digital domain, mission success for the SAF will still largely depend on the resilience and commitment of our servicemen and women. The strength of the SAF does not only lie within its leading-edge capabilities, but more importantly, it is in our people and our shared commitment to enhance Singapore's peace and security. Graduands, as you step up in your role as leaders in the SAF in the face of an evolving security environment, you must always remain steadfast and resolute to safeguard our way of life and to protect the ones we love.

Leading with Pride

After several weeks of intensive training on both your physical and mental development, you have persevered to graduate as a professional Warfighter, Trainer and Leader of the SAF, and you stand proud today as graduands of the 51st Specialist Cadet Course. After today, all of you will become the leaders in the SAF where you will guide those under your charge through tough and challenging times. They will look up to you for guidance, knowledge and leadership, and entrust you with their lives. As a leader, you must lead by example and stand true to the core values of the SAF. While it is your duty to maintain high standards of operational readiness through tough and safe training, remember to always take care of one another and to demonstrate empathy and compassion for your men and women under your charge. I am confident, with the training that you have received, that you will be able to inspire and lead those whom you will be working alongside to serve our nation together.

Conclusion

Graduands, today marks an important milestone in your life and military journey. It is a day of celebration for the hard work that every one of you has put in. And I want to thank a very special group of people. To the families and loved ones, thank you for your unwavering support and commitment. Your support has definitely made a difference in their journey thus far. When I was walking in, inspecting the parade and walking back, I saw the happy faces – the faces of the people who have given their support to our men and women. Without you, we would not be able to protect Singapore and keep Singapore safe and secure. With your support for your loved ones, we have been able to continue the journey of providing better lives and a safe place for you, our future generations and our families. So, please join me to give a big round of applause to our families and our loved ones.

Today also signifies the opening of a new chapter of being a full-fledged leader in the SAF. With this rank, you are entrusted to lead the men and women of the SAF to protect Singapore's sovereignty and our way of life. I wish you the very best in your leadership journey ahead.

So graduands, With Pride We Lead!

Thank you.