President Halimah Yacob greeting Military Expert 1 Alvin Yoong during a reception yesterday at the Istana for about 500 personnel from the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Among the guests were Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Senior Ministers of State for Defence Heng Chee How and Maliki Osman, and Chief of Defence Force Melvyn Ong, as well as senior Mindef and SAF officers. President Halimah spoke to full-time national servicemen, operationally ready national servicemen, regulars and defence executive officers who shared their perspectives on national service, among other issues. The reception was first held in 1992 to recognise the commitment of Mindef and SAF personnel and their contributions to Singapore's defence.