Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen was in Switzerland from Oct 17 to 18 with a delegation from Singapore to study the country's conscription systems.
The group learnt how the Swiss Armed Forces strengthens employers' support for conscription through various engagement activities, said the Minstry of Defence in a statement on Saturday. They also visited Payerne Air Base and learnt how its operations are supported by conscripts, as well as interacted with Swiss reservists on their annual refresher training to see how they maintained their military skills and technical competencies.
The delegation from the Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS) included Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman and Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs Dr Lim Wee Kiak.
Speaking at the end of the trip, Dr Ng said, "The Swiss Armed Forces has an efficient conscript training system which takes into consideration conscripts' abilities, motivation and aptitude during the assignment of military vocations. Women can also volunteer for conscription. The CSNS will review the lessons learnt and consider ways to optimise the contributions of our servicemen."
The third phase of public consultation by the commitee will involve discussing proposals in more detail. Interested members of the public can find out more at www.strengthenNS.sg.
