THERE IS one hard truth about Singapore’s existence: We cannot rely on anyone else to defend us when things turn for the worse for our country.
This is not only during hot wars like World War 2 (WW2). Then, Singapore fell to the Japanese because our British colonial masters infamously failed to defend us against invasion. More recently, we also faced unprecedented challenges such as the 2008-2009 Great Financial Crisis when Singapore entered its first recession in a generation. They also include the recent pandemic, where COVID-19 threatened lives and our national healthcare system as well as brought our economy to a standstill.
As a nation, we hold Total Defence Day each February 15, marking the anniversary of Singapore’s WW2 fall, and helping Singaporeans remember that Military defence is but one way to defend what we and our families have: Civil, Economic, Social, Psychological and Digital defence matter too.
Like our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said, “You cannot have a strong defence unless you have a strong finance. And you cannot have strong defence and strong finance unless you have a strong, unified, well-educated and increasingly cohesive society. They are all part of one whole.”.
In that spirit, here’s a quick peek at how some of our PAP MPs recently did their part to keep Singapore safe and stable:
Baey Yam Keng: Part of Exercise SG Ready
A cut-off water supply. Ready-to-Eat food rations. And a long (and orderly) queue alongside his office colleagues to get the latter. This was Total Defence Day for MP Baey Yam Keng (Tampines GRC).
His workplace at the Environment Building downtown implemented these sharp breaks in routine as part of the ongoing Exercise SG Ready; the Exercise is here to increase Singaporeans’ readiness for crisis and disruptions.
Source: Baey Yam Keng / Facebook
“Our involvement in the exercise was more than just a test of personal readiness; it highlighted our crucial role in protecting Singapore’s water and food supply, reinforcing our commitment to national security and the importance of our contribution to the nation’s resilience,” said MP Baey, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment.
Don Wee: Food security for Brickland
MP Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC) was out and about recently distributing nutritious and essential food rations (there was even fresh-baked bread) to over 600 Brickland residents during his ward’s first-ever Community Total Defence Food Security exercise.
He roped in heaps of people, including Fuan Temple, ITE College West students and the Keat Hong 253 Merchants Association to help too.
Source: Don Wee / Facebook
Singapore is highly dependent on food imports and these supply chains can get disrupted easily — just remember Malaysia’s chicken export ban back in 2022. Here’s to this rationing exercise reminding everyone how people can work together to support each other in times of crisis!
Chong Kee Hiong: Emergency preparedness and life-saving skills
First aid, CPR and fire extinguishing are good life skills to learn; you never know when you’ll use them to make a difference to others. The end-January Community Resilience Day Emergency Preparedness (EP) Carnival at Bishan East-Sin Ming taught residents these skills, and ward MP Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) was there supporting all these efforts.
“It was an informative event, spreading awareness on emergency preparedness & life-saving skills all in one afternoon at the fun-filled EP Carnival!” said MP Chong.
Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Encouraging diverse Civil Defence officers
“Although I had just landed back in Singapore in the wee hours of that morning from a work trip, I didn’t want to miss this,” said MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) about the Civil Defence Academy’s 27th Rota Commander Course (RCC) Commissioning Parade last July.
There, MP Zhulkarnain, who is also Deputy Chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, spoke about the importance of upholding high operational standards and how generations of SCDF officers have worked hard to nurture public trust.
These Parades are always big days; they are when the Civil Defence Academy commissions a new batch of Senior Officers.
“I had the chance to speak to our commissioned officers and their proud families. All of them came from diverse trainings and backgrounds. Almost half of them were females. We had 4 overseas cadets, and combination of NSFs and regulars,” added MP Zhulkarnain.
Source: Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim / Facebook
For some detail, nine Direct-Entry Paramedic Senior Officers were commissioned during the parade, and their initial expertise range from molecular biology to media research. They are proof positive that Singaporeans from all walks of life can do their part for Civil defence — just like how all other Singaporeans can pitch in, no matter their sector, to keep Singapore safe
