103 honorary aides-de-camp appointed by President Halimah

SINGAPORE - Major Elle Lee from the Republic of Singapore Navy had always been intrigued by the role of the President, and how presidential events such as state visits and ceremonies are organised and executed.

Keen to have first-hand experience serving the highest office in Singapore, she signed up and was shortlisted in 2022 to be an honorary aide-de-camp (HADC) to the President.

However, she had to forgo the opportunity as she was deployed as an operations officer on board a frigate. Now based in Singapore, Major Lee decided to have another go at becoming a HADC.

HADCs support full-time aides-de-camp (ADCs) with planning, managing and executing functions and events attended by the President. These include visits by foreign dignitaries or the Istana Open House, when people can enter the Istana grounds.

Major Lee, 33, who is now with the naval operations department, said the skills she has learnt on the job have equipped her for the HADC role. “I get to interact with foreign delegates, or plan and organise events on a multilateral scale. I’m able to see the big picture, and be meticulous about small details,” she said.

Major Lee was one of 10 women who were newly appointed as HADCs by President Halimah Yacob at a ceremony at the Istana on Tuesday evening. These include two women from the Digital and Intelligence Service, the fourth service of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) that was inaugurated only in 2022. There were six new female appointments in 2022.

A total of 33 women were appointed as HADCs at this year’s ceremony. Madam Halimah said she was pleased to see more women stepping forward to join the corps.

In total, Madam Halimah appointed 103 HADCs, of whom 23 are new to the role. The rest were reappointed.

Drawn from the SAF, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force, HADCs serve for three years and take on the role on top of their professional work.

The corp’s history dates back to Singapore’s pre-independence days, when Mr Yusof Ishak was the country’s Yang di-Pertuan Negara, or head of state. He started appointing HADCs to help execute state functions.

Aspiring HADCs undergo several rounds of interviews, and are selected based on various qualities including leadership, service, teamwork, and the ability to work well under pressure. They can be reappointed as long as they remain in service.

Madam Halimah told the HADCs they have an important responsibility to ensure that each function of their role is executed smoothly.

“You are also expected to demonstrate the highest professional standards, as well as the qualities of leadership, empathy and resourcefulness at each function. I am confident that your strong spirit of service, volunteerism and camaraderie will see you through,” she added.

Newly appointed HADC Military Expert 4 (NS) Dave Singh from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is excited to get started in his new role.

The 36-year-old commercial pilot had worked closely with members of the corps during the RSAF’s golden jubilee celebrations in 2018. Impressed and inspired by the aides’ sense of service, honour and pride they had in carrying out their roles, he was determined to join them.

“Any opportunity for me to serve my nation or pay it forward is an achievement in itself. I also hope to be a good role model and an example to my four-year-old twins when the time comes for them to serve Singapore,” he added.

Madam Halimah also paid tribute to the 25 HADCs who are retiring in 2023, thanking them for their “years of dedicated service and invaluable contributions”.

She commended Major (Ret) Ridzwan Abu Bakar, 50, from the Singapore Army, who was an HADC for 17 years and served three presidents.

He rose through the ranks to hold leadership positions in the corps, and led the Static team many times during the National Day Awards Investiture Ceremony.

Madam Halimah said: “Everyone sees a very well-planned, organised National Day Investiture, and it’s such a huge-scale (event). But people don’t realise that there’s so much effort and work.

“It’s because of the HADCs and ADCs. I think Singaporeans, and the different ministries and agencies, ought to appreciate that.”

Some of Major (Ret) Ridzwan’s other duties included being a vigil guard at the state funerals of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and former president S R Nathan. He also accompanied Madam Halimah on a state visit to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

He said that he would miss the camaraderie among the aides, and even the staff at the Istana. Often, he would mentor junior aides on how to perform the role well.

“It’s tradition that we help the juniors. When they do well, I feel the satisfaction that I did well myself,” he added.

When asked if he had any advice for the new HADCs, Major (Ret) Ridzwan said, without missing a beat: “Always be ready to serve the President.”