SINGAPORE - As the country adjusts to a new era of more dangerous and troubled times, Singapore must ensure a strong and credible armed forces, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Saturday.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) must be one that can give weight to Singapore’s voice on the international stage, enable the nation to stand firm in defence of its interests, and keep the nation safe and secure, he added.
Globally, there is great change and uncertainty with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the tense US-China relationship as well as other threats such as terrorism, violent extremism and cyber attacks, said Mr Wong at an Officer Cadet Commissioning Parade at the Safti Military Institute in Jurong, where he was the reviewing officer.
“Here in Asia, flashpoints like Taiwan and the South China Sea have become more dangerous and the risks of an accident or miscalculation have increased significantly.”
He noted that Asia has enjoyed relative peace and stability for nearly 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, and it may be hard for us to imagine how things can be different.
“But as Europe’s experience shows, things can easily go wrong – conflict can break out, and war in Asia is a scenario that we cannot rule out,” said Mr Wong.
He noted: “We are entering a world where countries think less about mutual benefit and more about their own national security. We must, therefore, be prepared for more shocks that can severely disrupt the world and our region, and surely Singapore.”
He said Singapore will continue to build a network of friends to advance shared interests and strengthen its partnerships with all the major powers to keep them engaged in the region. “We will strive to preserve our sovereignty and the right to determine our own future, as we have done since our independence.”
The parade on Saturday marked the completion of 38 weeks of rigorous training at the Officer Cadet School (OCS).
Of the 370 graduands, 269 came from the army, 50 from the navy and 51 from the air force.
Addressing the cadets on Saturday, Mr Wong said there had been steady investment in the SAF’s capabilities over the years, with leading-edge capabilities across its services, including its new Digital and Intelligence Service set up in 2022.
“But the strength of the SAF lies not just in its capabilities alone. Because in the end, it’s really about the spirit of our people – it’s about our collective will to defend our country and protect our way of life,” he said.
Among the SAF officers commissioned on Saturday was Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt) Hariz Irfan Iszeraj, 22, an infantry officer who was one of eight Sword of Honour recipients. The award is given out to the top cadet of each vocation.
Raised in a strict household by two police officers, he is the third of four boys, and officer-like qualities such as respectfulness, resourcefulness and self-awareness were instilled in him from young, he said.
2nd Lt Hariz said he wanted to be an officer as he wanted to be a leader.
“Through my training in OCS, I came to realise leadership is not just commanding people to do things. Leadership, to me, means having the ability to win the hearts of others. It means putting others before yourself,” he said.
He hopes to be such a leader to his team and inspire in them the same values that OCS had taught him and more, he added.
