Committee of Supply – Head J (Ministry of Defence)

Mr Chairman, Mr Ong Teng Koon and Dr Intan Mokhtar asked how we are improving our learning and training systems. Given the changing profiles of our NSFs, who are more accustomed to self-learning and team-based discussions, our systems must also keep pace to enable our soldiers to learn, train and develop professionally.

Over the years, the SAF has introduced modern instructional methods, simulation technologies and interactive applications that enhance our soldiers' training experience. Senior Minister of State Chan spoke briefly about our investment in simulators and about the Multi-Mission Range Complex earlier. Other new training facilities to be launched this year include the Murai Urban Live-Firing Facility for coordinated live-firing training in urban settings; the Air Force's Tower and Radar simulators, which feature 360-degree projection systems; and the Navy's shore-based emulator facility that will enable realistic warfare training for multiple ships simultaneously.

LEARNet is another platform that has made learning more interactive and effective through portable devices. Since its pilot implementation in 2009, soldiers have been able to learn at their own pace, share feedback on training

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lessons, and apply their learning out in the field. A significant benefit of LEARNet is the classroom time saved. For example, it now takes approximately four to five hours less to learn how to operate the SAR 21 rifle, leaving more time for hands-on practice.

With your permission, Mr Chairman, I would like to share a screenshot of a LEARNet module. Members will see a screenshot from an exercise to test recruits on the correct sequence of stripping the SAR 21. The exercise also brings recruits step-by-step through the cleaning, maintenance and assembly of the SAR 21. The training of our soldiers has been enhanced as a result, and the SAF is now ready to extend LEARNet progressively across to the rest of our units.

Fighting systems, such as the Terrex vehicle that we have developed in recent years, also take into account the profiles of the new generation of soldiers, allowing them to very quickly learn how to operate these systems. For instance, the Battlefield Management System in our Terrex adopts an interface that is similar to the touch-screen multimedia devices that youths today are comfortable with, and our soldiers can easily see where friendly and hostile forces are on an intuitive touch-screen display.

Mr Chairman, in recognition of its commitment to being a world-class learning organisation, the SAF has been awarded Asia's Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise Award for three consecutive years since 2010. Overall, the SAF's training transformation will allow for a more engaging and effective training experience for our Regulars, NSmen and NSFs.

Mr Ong also asked how the SAF meets the aspirations of today's servicemen. Over the years, various steps have been taken to recognise our servicemen as strategic and active contributors to the SAF, including implementing enhanced career schemes – for Officers, Warrant Officers and Military Experts – that cater to different aspirations and organisational needs.

We provide a competitive career proposition by offering meaningful employment to maximise the individual serviceman's potential, providing unique opportunities for our servicemen to serve in operational deployments, and developing our servicemen through continuing education and professional military training.

Sir, complementing our efforts in Military Defence is our Total Defence framework. Dr Intan asked about MINDEF's plans to ensure public

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understanding of the importance of Total Defence. We agree with Dr Intan that this is a very important aspect of Total Defence. That is why our Total Defence campaigns in recent years have sought to engage Singaporeans at a more emotional level and encourage ground-up initiatives. This year's campaign, for example, themed "Will You Stand With Me?", carried the message that when Singaporeans stand together and work as one, just as we did during the SARS outbreak a decade ago, we can overcome any challenge.

This message further came alive through the key component of this year's campaign, the Total Defence Challenge, in which 25 teams comprising SAF personnel, students, active agers and people with disabilities worked together to complete tasks embodying each pillar of Total Defence. Corporate donors also showed their support for the Challenge, matching in dollar value the points accumulated by the teams, and donated some $224,000 to the Community Chest.

MINDEF also runs N.E.mation!, a digital animation competition for youths, as part of our Total Defence engagement efforts. I am pleased that the number of story submissions has increased from around 800 in the past few years to a record 1,122 entries this year. We also ran the first ciNE65 short film competition in 2011 and received an encouraging 72 entries. We have just launched the second run of ciNE65 and will continue to explore various platforms to allow different segments of society to share their take on what defending Singapore and the Singapore identity means to them.

Mr Chairman, Mr Alex Yam and Dr Intan asked how MINDEF ensures public commitment to defence and confidence in the SAF. MINDEF reaches out to grassroots leaders, employers, trade union leaders and other stakeholders through regular dialogue sessions and visits to SAF units, and also through the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD). In collaboration with MOE, MINDEF works with all 30 Post-Secondary Education Institutions under the SAF-School Partnership Programme to organise student engagement activities. To reach out to more Singaporeans, we also held the Army Open House for the first time in the city last year at the F1 Pit Building, which attracted a record turnout of 188,000 visitors.

Beyond these outreach efforts to bring the SAF closer to Singaporeans, our NS system, as a key institution of Singapore society, is the best opportunity to enhance Singaporeans' commitment to defence. NS is more than just the obligations of NSFs and NSmen – it should be the commitment of every family member and employer. Support from family members and employers is critical

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for our NSFs and NSmen to continue performing their defence roles.

Most of us will recognise Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) as the company that operates Universal Studios Singapore. What you might not know is that RWS actually employs more than 2,500 NSmen amongst its staff, and has put in place a range of processes to support NS, such as revamping its HR system for supervisors to efficiently manage their employees' NS commitments and allowing the recently issued NS45 vouchers to be used at its attractions and shops. In recognition of its commendable support for NS, RWS was awarded the Meritorious Defence Partner Award in July 2012 at the Total Defence Symposium.

Some of you might have also watched 2LT Zacky go through Officer Cadet School (OCS) in the cyberpioneerTV web-series Every Singaporean Son II. While 2LT Zacky had initially found the training at OCS to be physically and mentally challenging, the constant support and encouragement from his parents spurred him on and he eventually emerged as the third best graduate in his infantry cohort. Such examples underscore the invaluable role that employers and families play in supporting NS.

Mr Alex Yam and Dr Intan Mokhtar also asked about MINDEF's online engagement efforts. We actively use social media to reach out to different segments of Singaporeans. There are currently nearly 400 video clips on life in the SAF on our cyberpioneerTV YouTube channel, which has received close to 11 million views and 20,000 subscribers. MINDEF's vibrant online presence is also reflected with more than 33,000 users "liking" the cyberpioneer Facebook page, where we post updates and photos of ceremonies, exercises and more. These efforts help to deepen public understanding of and support for NS and defence.

Recognising the power of social media platforms, the Army also launched its Facebook page earlier this month. Our cyberpioneer and Army Facebook pages are useful platforms for our servicemen to celebrate their shared stories of service, rites of passage, camaraderie and sacrifice. This ground-up sharing of common experiences can help to enhance our servicemen's cohesion and engage them more deeply. MINDEF manages the associated risks of social media participation by educating our servicemen to use social media responsibly, and reminding them that their exchanges, even on non-official platforms, should not compromise safety and security.

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Mr Chairman, it is also encouraging to see Singaporeans driving initiatives which help to strengthen commitment to defence. Some Members may have watched the Jack Neo movies "Ah Boys to Men" and "Ah Boys to Men 2". The films struck a chord with many Singaporeans with their candid portrayal of Army life, becoming the highest-grossing Singapore film of all time!

This sentiment was vividly captured by Ms Heng Shu Qing, who wrote after watching the first instalment that, "'Ah Boys to Men' tells a story that will touch the heart of every Singaporean. It is not merely just a laugh but to remind us that our independence did not come by so easily. So love our land and never take it for granted." We look forward to more such initiatives, which bring richness to our NS story and underscore the public support for NS.

With your permission, Mr Chairman, I have asked the Clerk to place on the Members' seats additional materials that show how MINDEF has been engaging the public on defence issues. One of the materials is a DVD with the top 10 N.E.mation! Seven clips. Let me conclude by showing you this year's winning clip, produced by four young students from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School last December, when they were in Secondary 2. On screen is a picture of the team at the award ceremony last month. You can see the happy faces of the young people. And you will see the clip a little later on. It warms the heart to know that young Singaporeans understand the challenges we face.

Mr Chairman, may I have your permission to screen the video? [A video was shown to hon Members.]

Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like the Minister to reply to my earlier question in my cut regarding families seeking closure in terms of post-incident management in SAF.

Mr Chairman, I concur with the Member and in previous instances when Members have brought up the topic like Ms Irene Ng. That is certainly an area that MINDEF can pay attention to and improve on. We are trying to learn from other militaries that have to do a lot more of that. Training is a part of it. I would say that the heart of our commanders is there. When each incident happens, the CO, the Brigade Commander up to the Chiefs, the heart

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is there. In these difficult circumstances, especially when there is a loss of life, sometimes, it takes months and years for them to have closure. We promise to be patient and to walk with them. Some family members, of course, struggle with resentment and doubt, whether SAF could have done more, could have been more transparent, as the Member has rightly pointed out. So, I want to assure the Member that we are sensitive to this and certainly want to improve in this area.

A follow-up question, Mr Chairman. I wonder whether the Minister would consider setting up a NS memorial to recognise the sacrifices of our sons to NS and also to recognise the efforts that they have put in over the years since NS has been set up. A central part of memorial can be to pay tribute to those who have died while in service. It could be training-related deaths or could be from operational duties. But there is no shame for us to acknowledge that there have been deaths in NS. It is a fact for militaries all over the world, whether they are conscription or whether they are regular standing army, that military training involves danger. And that is why we pay special tribute to our NSmen. Having a national memorial could also help to give some closure to the bereaved families of those who have lost their sons.

I am open to these ideas and what the Member says makes sense. But I also want Members to recognise that we take reference from other militaries with a much longer history. We have an army museum. We have other elements that we can use. What I am trying to say is this is a very sensitive subject. There are countries with a very long history, who have fought real wars. We do not know whether in our history that one day, as we have in the past, we may have to fight another war. I take the grief of individual families but I think we also want to give a certain perspective to the different circumstances of sacrifice and heroism. They mean different things in different contexts.

So, we should be a little circumspect because we are still a very young nation. It is not for want of wanting to do it. We certainly want to respond to their acts. Indeed, each injury and each sacrifice is a loss. But I think Members can understand that heroism and sacrifice may mean different things across a country that is 50 years old, across a country that is 200 years old, across a country that is 500 years old.

We fully agree with Ms Irene Ng on the importance of teamwork. In fact, I think for all NSmen that have gone through NS, they know the first rule in BMT that they were taught is the buddy system, from the very first day. The buddy system. You never walk alone, you never do things on your own but you always do things in pairs. This is something that is very valuable to us in the military and we expect all our people to do so.

On the specific case in this particular instance, I think we will let the investigations wrap up. If there is any mistake made by the individuals concerned, we will apply the military justice system accordingly.