Strong SAF key to peace, security Singapore has enjoyed for almost 60 years: SM Lee

SINGAPORE – Without a strong armed forces, Singapore would not have experienced the peace and progress that it has had for almost six decades nor enjoyed such stable and friendly relations with its neighbours, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The existence and readiness of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have been a major contributing factor to the country’s peace and stability over the last 60 years, he added.

As a result, the SAF has never had to fight a war to defend Singapore, SM Lee said in a speech on July 26 at a dinner marking SAF Day at the Safti Military Institute.

But the price of peace is eternal vigilance, and SAF servicemen are on guard every day, around the clock – in the air, on land, at sea, and in the digital domain, he said.

Whenever Singapore has needed the SAF, it has always delivered, SM Lee said at the dinner, where he was honoured for his support and contributions to the progress of the SAF and Singapore as prime minister over the last two decades. 

He noted that the SAF has conducted deterrence patrols, counter-terrorism operations and

security deployments for extraordinary events like the Trump-Kim summit,

and proved its mettle in overseas operations.

It has mounted swift and effective responses to regional and international humanitarian crises and disasters, he said. 

These include delivering much needed relief supplies to Banda Aceh in Indonesia after the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, and airdropping humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in March 2024.

“Very few other organisations in Singapore have the capability, readiness and resourcefulness to respond to any situation at short notice, and make things happen, like the SAF,” SM Lee said.

“And so it gives great reassurance and confidence to the Government and to Singaporeans that we have the SAF at the nation’s disposal, ready to respond whenever the need arises.”

SM Lee recounted how the SAF, like newly independent Singapore in 1965, started off with precious little – just two infantry battalions, two wooden boats, and no air force.

There was great urgency to build up the SAF to defend Singapore in a dangerous world, and the country’s founding leaders moved quickly, introducing national service and creating new SAF formations, he said.

The air force and navy were created and, over the years, the SAF learned to operate and fight as a combined arms force, and then as one integrated, tri-service force.

Today, Singapore is a successful, developed nation, and the SAF is a professional, credible and respected force, SM Lee said. 

But the work of building Singapore and upgrading the SAF never ceases, and it is transforming itself again into the next-generation SAF, operationally ready to handle all sorts of new threats, he added. 

Paying tribute to the former prime minister in a speech, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said SM Lee had on many occasions initiated or pushed for initiatives that made the SAF stronger.

“SM Lee recognised that a strong defence with the SAF as backdrop, as an instrument of state, provides political space for its leaders when dealing with other countries. It gives an edge because the political leadership can do so from a position of strength and security,” Dr Ng said.  

In his speech, SM Lee said he benefited enormously from his time in the SAF.

He joined the SAF in 1971 and received the SAF Overseas Scholarship to read mathematics at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. During his 13-year military career, he held key appointments, rising to the rank of brigadier-general before leaving to enter politics in 1984. 

SM Lee said he learnt lessons in the SAF which proved invaluable to him in government, and have lasted him a lifetime.

These include getting to know and understand fellow servicemen from all walks of life, learning how to work as a team, how to lead and take care of men, and taking on command responsibility, he added.

Also lifelong are the friendships and bonds formed in the military, he said, adding that it is always heart-warming to run into an old comrade or be approached by a fellow soldier who served alongside him in the past.

“It means he is proud of his service in the SAF, he is proud to have known me and served with me, and we share something intangible and powerful that will always bind us together.”

This camaraderie and pride is the reason NS is so important to the Singaporean identity and social cohesion, and makes the SAF a national institution that Singaporeans identify with wholeheartedly, he added. 

The SAF must always retain the trust and support of Singaporeans, SM Lee said.

It is a heavy commitment to fulfil NS duties, and for its part, the Government will always ensure that SAF personnel are well equipped, well trained, well led, and kept safe, he said. 

SM Lee added that Singapore could not have built a strong SAF without the hard work and sacrifices of its servicemen, and the strong backing of their families and of Singaporeans in general.

In an increasingly dangerous and turbulent world, Singapore cannot confidently predict another 60 years as peaceful as the last, nor assume that events will turn out as favourably and peacefully as they did for the country to thrive, he said.

“While we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst,” said SM Lee, adding that Singapore must never let itself be lulled into complacency or caught by surprise.

“We must continue to stand up for ourselves, to keep our defences strong and ready, and to work with friendly neighbours on regional security,” he said.

“That demands a credible SAF that is respected both overseas and domestically, and enjoys strong support from the population that it is defending.”