Every Singaporean has a hand in Total Defence. Be it bringing honour to the country amidst global competitions, serving National Service (NS) or doing your best in your job, it all contributes to Singapore's security, stability and success. In a nutshell, this is what Total Defence is all about - that everyone has a part to play.
On 15 Feb this year, Singapore commemorates 30 years of Total Defence with the theme Because You Played A Part. PIONEER speaks to five Singaporeans from different walks of life who have done their part. Be inspired.
EXPAND All COLLAPSE All A show of gritOCT (Dr) Mok Ying Ren, 25
2013 SEA Games men's marathon gold medallist
Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Medical Officer in training
Officer Cadet (OCT) (Dr) Mok Ying Ren brought great honour to Singapore when he became the first Singaporean to win the SEA Games men's marathon last year. But he had to overcome many obstacles along the way.
In the 2007 SEA Games, he won the men's triathlon. However, when he switched to the 5,000m race for the 2009 Games, he failed to meet the qualifying timing. And when he made it in 2011, he was injured just before the competition started. Through all this, OCT (Dr) Mok never gave up and eventually qualified for the marathon race in 2013.
The lead-up to his race was bumpy, to say the least. He started his Medical Officer Cadet Course just two weeks before the SEA Games. As a result, he had to work extra hard to keep up his marathon training. And when he flew to Myanmar, where the Games were held, a day before his race, he was nursing a strained hip and a cough.
Although OCT (Dr) Mok was in fourth position for most of the race, his perseverance kept him going and he went on to stun everyone, even his supporters, when he appeared in pole position at the stadium.
What pushed you on during the race?
"It was really a painful battle of the mind. On one hand, I was consoling myself, 'You are doing NS...and you are having coughs and cramp, you must be damn shack (tired)... It's okay, people will understand (if you give up).'
But on the other hand, I was telling myself, You just have to persist and try. You never know. Maybe one of these guys ahead will drop off later.' Singaporeans know all about the SEA Games; it is the Games that is closest to their hearts. I couldn't give up. I just counted steps, and one-by-one I caught up with the front runners."
Any plans to bring more glory to Singapore?
"I hope to juggle my NS duties and train effectively and do well for the next SEA Games in Singapore. That will be the biggest challenge - to be consistent in my training from now all the way to 2015. I think the next SEA Games is going to be a big thing. And of course, I hope to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
"In the long run, although I may stop running competitively many years down the road, I definitely hope to be part of the local sports scene, encouraging Singaporeans to get into sports and running. That's the direction we should go towards for health care - not just treating diseases but doing more prevention. In fact, I have conducted running clinics and during my attachment at Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic, I encouraged my patients to take up running."
"Singaporeans know all about the SEA Games; it is the Games that is closest to their hearts. I couldn t give up."
- OCT (Dr) Mok
BG (Vol) Ishak enjoys helping soldiers to realise their full potential.
BG (Vol) Ishak Ismail, 51
Deputy Division Commander, 6th Division
Chief Executive Officer (Defence Services), CWT Limited
When Brigadier-General (BG) (Vol) Ishak Ismail retired from the SAF in 2011, the first question he asked was: "What is my NS unit?"
While he may have switched to leading a logistics company in the corporate world, his heart remains with the SAF and he continues to play an active role as the Deputy Division Commander of 6th Division.
In essence, he never really left the SAF and continues to do what he loves: getting to know Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs), training Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) and helping them all to realise their full potential.
How do you contribute to Singapore as an officer?
"My fundamental belief is that our NSFs are people who are going to contribute to society in many ways. Some will get their degrees, some will go into their professions, and some will run businesses.
During their two years of NS, I judge them not by their rank; I never see them as just a private or recruit. I see them as their future because that's the potential within them.
With this mindset, I give them more challenges than they think they can do. When you put an NSF in a committee or give him an important task, he becomes more empowered and effective and contributes more."
Why do you continue to serve as an NS commander?
"I have always believed in the saying 'There are no bad soldiers, only bad commanders'. Our NS units are effective and motivated because the commanders have a strong sense of ownership.
"Our NS commanders know that they themselves - not the country, the SAF or the army - own the battalions, the companies and the platoons. They ensure the training programme is robust, the men are effectively brought on board, and the equipment is ready. The day our NS commanders say, 'Why should I do so much?', we will have failed. Because if they don't move, the men are not going to move."
Creating a people's museumAngelita Teo, 41
Director of National Museum of Singapore
Ms Angelita Teo firmly believes that museums can play a big role in the community. They can and should offer more than just galleries, and run more weekend activities for families to come together.
Thanks to her vision, the museum scene in Singapore has become distinctly more exciting in recent years. For instance, the annual Night Festival has attracted record turn-outs in recent years. Last year's edition was its largest ever, comprising a fiesta of aerial performances, music, dance and installation artworks that stretched from Plaza Singapura to Raffles City.
How do you contribute to Singapore through your heritage work?
"Remember when our parents or grandparents told us stories of their past, how they lived, and the places they grew up in? I believe these public narratives help to shape our perspectives on this place we call home. It is in the telling, sharing, and preserving of these memories that we can each find something about Singapore that we can connect with, and ultimately uphold. In keeping our collective stories alive, we also remind and encourage our museum visitors, young and old, to hold fast to their identity and recognise how far we have grown as a nation."
What new programmes are you planning for Singaporeans?
"We would like the National Museum of Singapore to become a lively space, cherished, enjoyed and owned by the local community - a people's museum. We know we cannot do this alone and my team has been working with various groups in the community... We are very conscious that we need to engage with visitors in different and interesting ways.
"A good example - and one we are very excited about - is our partnership with Nexus (the Ministry of Defence's central coordinating agency for National Education) this year to bring Total Defence to the Museum at the heart of the city. It will be quite a sight to see the arsenal of equipment from the SAF, the Police and the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force)!"
Nurturing young talentsNeeraj Sundarajoo, 32
Chief Executive of Comwerks Interactive
Recipient of 2013 Young Entrepreneur Award, Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) - Rotary Club of Singapore
Award-winning entrepreneur Neeraj Sundarajoo grew a four-man Web design start-up into a wildly successful full service digital marketing agency. The fact that Wunderman, one of the largest global marketing services networks, acquired the company in 2010 bears testimony to its success.
To help budding entrepreneurs, Mr Neeraj conducts talks for local universities and polytechnics students. In 2010, he also started the Z Academy and Z Graduate programmes with his parent company Wunderman and the Economic Development Board, for marketing and design students to work in real creative teams handling global accounts. Over 50 Singaporean students have gone through the programmes.
How do you contribute to Singapore as an entrepreneur?
"Over and beyond the obvious economic contributions such as creating jobs and contributing tax revenues, we have nurtured and inspired students and entrepreneurs in Singapore. During my time, I didn't have such programmes (Z Academy and Z Graduate) that allowed me to learn (while working) in a multi-national corporation for a year, draw a proper salary and observe how a business works.
"A number of my staff, after working here for two to three years, have also started their own companies. Wherever we can, we help to contribute to their success."
Beyond business, do you contribute in other ways?
"I was a national cricket player in my younger days, and represented Singapore in tournaments such as the Saudara Cup and Tuanku Ja'afar Cup. I first picked up cricket when I was in St Patrick's Secondary School. The coach made me the captain and I never looked back.
"Even today, I am the team manager for the over-30, over-35, and over-40 national indoor cricket teams. Recently, we took part in the Masters World Series in South Africa and did very well, beating the likes of Sri Lanka, India and England. We almost won a medal when the over-35 team finished fourth!"
"A number of my staff, after working here for two to three years, have also started their own companies. Wherever we can, we help to contribute to their success."
- Mr Neeraj
Philip Xavier, 67
Civil Defence Volunteer
Auditor of Eunos Community Emergency and Engagement Committee
In the last decade, Philip Xavier has been going door-to-door in his neighbourhood to share civil defence knowledge with residents, and to encourage them to pick up basic first aid skills. The 67-year-old retiree has been a member of the Eunos Community Emergency and Engagement Committee (C2E) since 2001.
Part of his role includes organising emergency drills, civil defence courses, and blood donation drives. The former police officer is also a member of the People s Association Community Emergency Response Team.
How do you contribute to Singapore as a civil defence volunteer?
"Together with my fellow volunteers, I do house visits and look out for the elderly who stay alone, wheelchair-bound residents, and the blind. These are the people who are vulnerable and may not know what to do in times of emergency.
"We have also trained a team of about 200 volunteers in the neighbourhood to be ready to help out in times of crisis. We have kept our knowledge up to date through visits to the SCDF.
There was once when we followed a team of SCDF officers and observed how they treated a heart attack patient, and dealt with a real traffic accident."
Why do you serve?
"It's a natural progression. I have always been serving the community. When I was with the Singapore Police Force, I worked at Macpherson and Geylang West Police Boys' Clubs which took care of wayward teenagers. These clubs no longer exist. Back then, the boys were mostly from low-income families, had criminal records, and were drug addicts. I mentored them, and helped them to change for the better. Today, I also help out at my church and in the Residents' Committee. I hope to continue to do more for Singaporeans because I feel a sense of satisfaction when I help others. We should always lend a helping hand to one another."
"...look out for the elderly who stay alone, wheelchair-bound residents, and the blind. These are the people who are vulnerable and may not know what to do in times of emergency."
- Mr Xavier
The big three-zero
Each year, there are a series of planned activities and events to remember Total Defence (TD) Day. It all began in 1984 with a simple exhibition held at Marine Parade titled The SAF Story. That year, the TD theme was Because A Generation s Effort Can Be Wiped Out In Days.
Since then, TD campaigns have grown in scale and interactivity - reaching out to schools and holding TD-related events in public places such as Suntec City and the heartlands.
In 2001, TD drew on star power in a big way for the first time and worked with home-grown broadcaster MediaCorp to produce a special TD episode of the hit local sitcom Under One Roof. In the following year, another popular sitcom - Phua Chu Kang - also incorporated a special TD episode.
In 2011, TD remade the popular local hit Home with 39 local celebrities through the generations. Composed by Dick Lee in 1998 for Singapore's National Day Parade and sung by Kit Chan, the song is a familiar tune to many Singaporeans.
The concept of TD began in 1984. The simple idea was to draw on everyone's strengths and abilities to enhance Singapore's defence capability. Built on the five pillars of military, civil, economic, social and psychological defence, TD involves everyone at every level.
Experience reality
What does it take to safeguard our country and future? Check out the Total Defence interactive exhibition "TD 30: An Experiential Showcase" at the National Museum of Singapore from 15 to 23 Feb to find out:
30 stories exhibits
Find out how Singaporeans from all walks of life have contributed to the country.
Forum theatre
It is 2022, and Singapore is besieged by floods, drought and water contamination. Will it be a case of every man for himself in such hysteria? Catch this theatre performance and share your thoughts on what you would do.
Military and civil defence display
Check out the hardware that our soldiers and civil defence officers use.
When?
15 Feb (Sat), 21 Feb (Fri), 22 Feb (Sat) | 9am to 10pm
16 Feb (Sun) to 20 Feb, 23 Feb (Sun) | 9am to 8pm
Visit www.becauseyouplayedapart.sg for more information.
