Writer Of The Week

Mr Adrian Villanueva is interested in defence and security, having been a mobilised naval volunteer reserve officer during the Confrontation with Indonesia, and a security analyst.
Mr Adrian Villanueva is interested in defence and security, having been a mobilised naval volunteer reserve officer during the Confrontation with Indonesia, and a security analyst. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ADRIAN VILLANUEVA

Who: Adrian Villanueva, 75, a semi-retired business consultant.

My family: Married to a retired teacher, with two sons and a daughter, all three in their 40s, and four teenage grandsons.

My home: I live with my wife, sister-in-law and maid in a terraced house in Faber Hills Estate.

My passions: Reading, writing, chess and taking walks with my wife.

I started writing to the Forum page...: In 2013.

What I write about: Defence and security matters.

Why I write: Having been a mobilised naval volunteer reserve officer during the Confrontation with Indonesia (1963-1966) and, later, a security analyst at the Ministry of Interior and Defence, I have an interest in these areas.

I have written articles for the London Naval Club; and in 2013, I edited a book, Naval Reservists In Action: WWII (Far East) and Confrontation (1963-1966).

I also continue to update myself by reading up on defence and security issues in The Straits Times as well as defence/naval journals.

I read the Forum page because...: It is an important avenue for Singaporeans and others to express their opinions and raise issues.

In some cases, respondents would be expected to provide satisfactory explanations and take the necessary action, to satisfy the public.

My wish for Singapore: To have a strong Singapore Armed Forces and police/security force, with a young generation committed to the defence and security of our nation.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 24, 2015, with the headline Adrian Villanueva: Encourage the young to be committed to defence and security. Subscribe