HEAD J - MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Head J - Ministry of Defence

Regional and Maritime Security

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Chairman, I beg to move,

That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates be reduced by $100.

If I may touch on the topic of Regional and Maritime Security. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for Defence for an update on our regional and maritime security. The reason for the existence of the SAF is the safety, security and protection of Singapore. However, the external threats are not constant. In the 60s and 70s, there was communism. This changed over the decades to various other visual instabilities. Most currently, the key threat to Singapore and our security is that of terrorism. Nobody can say that we do not live in an exciting neighbourhood. What this means though is that the regional security scenario is not static. It is changing every day, every month. The SAF exists to meet these external threats and because the external threats change from time to time, a clear analysis of regional security is necessary to ensure that we are well positioned to meet any of the security challenges that face Singapore.

Sir, I would be grateful if the Minister could share with us MINDEF's assessment of the regional security situation so that Singaporeans can understand better what it is that we are looking at and in what way we should be prepared. In this connection, I would just also like to ask the Minister if he could comment on an assertion that was made by an Indonesian official that the RSAF is flying over the Riau Islands without clearance from Jakarta. It would be appreciated if MINDEF could give us their perspective on this comment.

I would also like to touch briefly on maritime security. The Straits of Malacca and Singapore are amongst the busiest Straits in the world. It is estimated that half of the world's oil supply and a third of global trade passes through the Straits each year. Security of the Straits is therefore of paramount importance to the region and to Singapore in particular, given our role as an international commercial hub and being one of the busiest ports in the world. Piracy continues to be a problem in regional waters and this can have a very detrimental impact if it is not addressed.

There is also of course the ever constant threat of terrorism. Any act of terrorism in the Straits or regional waters would have a devastating effect on our commerce. At one time, I recall Lloyd's has classified the Straits of Malacca as a war-risk zone even though no terrorist incident had taken place and this of course had an immediate adverse effect on commercial shipping, most notably on the insurance cost. Subsequently, I understand that after enforcement and surveillance, Lloyd's has in fact changed this and has delisted the Straits of Malacca as a war-risk zone but the potential for the threat in terms of terrorism or piracy remains and consequently the threat to our economy remains as well. It will be appreciated therefore if the Minister could update us and give a comment on the security situation as far as the Straits is concerned and what the SAF is doing to make the Straits a more secure place.

Security and Defence Relations

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Just as the threat of nuclear arms development in North Korea has subsided, the concern in the Asia-Pacific region has shifted to the potential arms race among the big powers. China's decision to boost its defence spending by 17.8% this year has already drawn a reaction from the United States which has called for transparency in China's military spending and this may complicate relations between the two big powers. Japan and Taiwan are likely to react to China's plan by increasing their own defence budget. Bearing this in mind, what is MINDEF's assessment of the security situation in Asia Pacific? What would be the consequences of such military build-up to Southeast Asia? Apart from that, have there been any escalation of military activities in the South China Sea that could threaten the security of littoral states in particular and other Southeast Asian countries in general, including Singapore?

To avert any conflict in the region, especially one that could involve or affect us, we have to continuously work on defence diplomacy and cooperation with other countries. What has MINDEF done to boost defence relations with other countries in the region and outside? Can the Minister also inform the House of the progress and problems in multilateral defence cooperation like the Five Power Defence Arrangement?

Maritime Security

Dr Ong Chit Chung: Mr Chairman, Sir, maritime security is of vital importance to Singapore, particularly the passage through the Straits of Malacca.

The bulk of our trade flows through the Straits of Malacca. It is therefore in the interests of all trading nations that the sea lanes of the Straits of Malacca be kept open, and be kept safe and secure for shipping, and piracy and terrorism be kept out. It is of utmost importance for Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore to cooperate closely to keep the sea lanes open.

I would therefore like to ask the Minister whether there is scope for further cooperation, and whether he is satisfied with the state of maritime security.

Training Facilities

Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast): Mr Chairman, with the limited military training ground on our shores, it has not prevented us from developing and growing a credible defence force.

From as early as the 1960s and 1970s, we have put our minds into exploring and developing more training facilities for our troops. Due to limited space within Singapore's territorial land and waters, some training programmes and facilities are located overseas. In the early years, we developed and established overseas training bases for our SAF in Thailand, Brunei and Taiwan. In fact, many of the male colleagues in this House probably had served at least one stint in one of the three overseas training facilities. This has also in no small way added to the increased mutual understanding between our countries and added much to bilateral cooperation on many fronts, not just military.

Sir, I understand that we have over the last few years managed to extend cooperation with new countries for more training facilities. Some of these countries are Australia, New Zealand, France and even the US and India. Having new areas of defence cooperation, including joint training facilities, supplement existing bilateral cooperation. I was therefore puzzled to learn that our training facilities with Indonesia are not on the same footing as the other arrangements with so many other countries. I am further puzzled as to why the Indonesians would sacrifice closer cooperation activities that go beyond military, like economic, and most of all for Indonesia, humanitarian activities. I note that our cooperation in the past on frequent military exchanges with our Indonesian neighbours had yielded good results too. It had facilitated, for instance, our boys in uniform helping out in Aceh smoothly and without any glitches. The coordination in such efforts cannot come about without close cooperation and working side by side with different forces during peacetime.

Sir, military-training facilities overseas are beneficial in more ways than one. It serves to enhance the peace and stability of the region and it is vital for our economic growth. I urge MINDEF to continuously search for more and greater overseas training cooperation with countries that share our holistic view.

Humanitarian and Disasters Relief

Dr Lam Pin Min (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, Singapore has been a responsible member of the international community by contributing to many United Nations peacekeeping and related activities as well as numerous humanitarian and disaster relief operations in recent years such as the Taiwan earthquake in 1999, tsunami relief in Aceh and Thailand in 2004, just to name a few. Similarly, many VWOs and NGOs also take part in search, humanitarian and disaster relief missions; often times, duplicating the efforts provided by the military. Humanitarian and disaster relief often requires collective, multi-agency response. Depending on the scale of the catastrophe, collective national or even international responses may be required. The Armed Forces can play an important role in a coordinated response to humanitarian and disaster relief contingencies, especially in large scale and acute disasters as they are disciplined, operationally ready and can contribute valuable assets. I would like to ask the Minister if it is feasible for the Ministry to set up a central coordinating body within MINDEF to coordinate and amalgamate the many ad hoc contributions from the NGOs and VWOs with those of the military so as to optimise the efforts and limited resources available.

3G SAF

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Chairman, I would be grateful if the Minister could outline or explain to us exactly what the 3G SAF is. We have heard a lot about the 3G SAF but it is a little bit like the four men trying to describe an elephant. If you are looking from the front, you think it is long, like a tube. If you are looking from the back, it is a short little tail. If you are looking from the side, it is a big solid wall. I think we have heard a lot about it.

We know that the SAF is being transformed in all the tri services but it would be useful if we could understand exactly what it means. How does this translate into implementation? What is the practical consequences for the SAF? And also I understand from speaking to people, both in the SAF as well as NSmen, that the pace of change is tremendous. So the question is, what about those NSmen who are not regulars? How do they keep up with the change? Because if the day comes when we have to push the button and everybody needs to be mobilised, they have to be able to react just as quickly as the regulars. They have to work together as a team. So how are they being kept updated in terms of training, in terms of knowing what is going on in the transformation of the SAF? Also, what attracts a lot of attention in the press and the media is the hardware - these nice, new, shiny weapons (the big planes and big tanks). But I think everybody knows that at the end of the day, it is the people behind the machines that matter. It is the quality of the officers, the personnel, and the quality of their thinking that make a big difference between the kind of Armed Forces that we have and the armed forces anywhere else in the world.

So I would be grateful if the Minister could elaborate a little more on what we are doing in terms of manpower and human resource development in the SAF as well as update us on the hardware.

Dr Ong Chit Chung: Mr Chairman, Sir, I will leave the Minister to describe the elephant, but I would say that the SAF has embarked on what some call a "Revolution in military affairs", employing IT and state-of-the-art technology to transform the SAF into a 3G fighting force: I believe, a decisive force, an effective deterrence against any would-be aggressors against Singapore.

The SAF has been upgraded with submarines, frigates and Apache attack helicopters. Soon, it will be beefed up with powerful Leopold tanks, as announced, and advanced F15 SG fighters,

the latest. SAF will have tremendous and awesome firepower and great mobility, and would be a cutting-edge force to be reckoned with.

May I therefore ask the Minister if the transformation of the SAF is going according to plans and which are the areas that need further improvements, and whether the officers and men are trained and prepared sufficiently for the new phases of war, not just in terms of technology and, as Ms Indranee Rajah said, prepared mentally and physically and in terms of manpower and management?

Mr Arthur Fong: Sir, we have invested much resources in our country's defence. I understand that, in some areas, we are at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. This has even raised some concerns by some countries. Nevertheless, just as the knife blade needs constant sharpening, our armed forces need constant evolving to be kept abreast of emerging security challenges. On this score, I notice that the SAF too is evolving, especially in terms of changes being made to our Third Generation Army. The changes being introduced to our 3G Armed Forces are rather profound and wide ranging. The backbone of our defence force rests with our 300,000-odd operationally ready National Servicemen, 20,000 regular servicemen, another 30,000 NSmen. It is always therefore that the main bulk of our defence force rests with the 300,000 servicemen who are no longer on active duty. While I note the transformation to the 3G forces, I also wonder if the 300,000 servicemen who have left active duty are in sync with the new operational demand. This point was so eloquently put by the Chairman of our GPC, Ms Indranee Rajah.

One of the declared principles under the 3G armed forces is the reliance on leaner and meaner forces, that is, lesser amount of troops would be needed. Along this line of 300,000 servicemen who have been trained to operate with more personnel when called to duty, their combat readiness might certainly be compromised if the training is not up to speed.

Finally, retired Chief of Australian Defence Force, Prof. Peter Dennis, was quoted in an interview that history has shown that there is no substitute for boots on the ground when it comes to military superiority. In other words, technological advancement cannot be replacement for soldiers. We still need the numbers. Hence, I would like to hear from the Defence Minister what our 3G armed forces combat readiness and evaluation is.

Research and Development

Mr Zainudin Nordin: Sir, it can be seen, in recent wars, that science and technology have emerged to be important elements that characterise the battle. In light of these developments and also our constant effort to develop a formidable fighting force, may I know whether there are sufficient resources that have been allocated for our defence R&D? What is the guiding principle in deciding between acquiring versus developing our own technologies? How do we compare to other modern and advanced forces in other developed countries?

Sir, may I know also what is the role of DSTA in ensuring that we are up-to-date in our technological defence capabilities? How will the investments and work in the DSO National Laboratories be translated into tangible benefits to our defence and also defence industry in general?

Defence Spending

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: Every year, the Defence Ministry gets a lion's share of the Government budget. This year is no different and with a further increase over last year's budget. I do not question the need to build and maintain a strong SAF. I also fully support the approach of consistent investment, rather than a feast-and-famine approach. I am only too aware that we live in an unpredictable neighbourhood with bigger neighbours which show a predilection for picking on Singapore because of its small size. Indeed, witnessing the recent bully tactics and bizarre antics of Indonesia and Thailand towards Singapore, I am tempted to ask if the defence budget is sufficient.

Sir, we need to have the wherewithal to withstand the pressures that come our way. Some Singaporeans however have expressed concern if our defence spending is prudent and if the budget allocated is spent wisely. It is difficult to ask for KPIs, given the nature of deterrence. But can I ask the Minister on the priorities for defence and how he ensures that it is spent prudently? Several analysts have also warned that, with the current pace of military modernisation programme in this region, the arms acquisition can quickly become competitive and may lead to conflict if the relatively benign climate of political relations deteriorates. There have also been fears of an arms race being started in the region, leading countries to spend more on defence than necessary rather than on the social and economic development of their own countries. Can I ask the Minister to comment on this?

Training and Safety

Ms Indranee Rajah: Sir, may I also ask the Minister on the SAF training and safety records, in particular, for the past three years? I would be grateful if the Minister could tell us what are the most common types of accidents during training, whether the SAF takes note of the causes of the accidents and whether, as a result of that, steps are taken to ensure that such accidents do not happen again. Here, when I ask about the training and safety record, I am also very conscious of the need to balance between having realistic training in order to prepare our SAF personnel and, at the same time, to ensure that there is safe training. We certainly do not want our SAF officers to under-train or for the training environment to be so protected that it is unrealistic. Obviously, if we are going to send them into battle at some time or into whatever sort of operation, they need to be prepared and adequately trained. But at the same time, there is also a question of ensuring that these men and women who serve in the Armed Forces are also taken care of because we expect much from them. Because we expect much from them, it is also important that we do our part to ensure that their training is safe.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, every year, cohorts of young man join the SAF to perform their National Service. Having 40 years of experience, Singaporeans have embraced the importance of National Service and parents willingly let their sons go, albeit with some levels of anxiety. Certainly, at the top of every parent's mind is the safety of their sons. It is understandable for MINDEF to prepare parents for the reality that, in preparing their sons to be soldiers, parents cannot expect 100% accident-free situations. In fact, I think in every NSman's experience, he must have had some kind of injury, otherwise he would want to know what he actually did during his NS.

Sir, there is a Malay saying. It says, " Malang tidak ber bau ", or misadventure has no smell, that is, we cannot predict or anticipate misadventure. However, we can do all we can to try to prevent these misadventures from happening. If it does still happen, then really, no smell.

Sir, in this regard, I would like the Minister to update us on the rate of major training accidents in the last three years. What is MINDEF's assessment of the rate of such major training accidents? How many of these accidents in the last three years had been fatal?

Sir, while we understand that MINDEF will do all it can to prevent misadventures and accidents, we must make sure that the training conditions do not end up being artificial or severely contrived. In this regard, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how has MINDEF continued to ensure training safety, yet not at the expense of critical elements of realism in the training. What is MINDEF's public education effort in reaching out to parents to appreciate the fine balance that MINDEF has to strike between these two opposing forces?

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Sir, in maintaining a people's army like ours, it is natural that the public pays particular attention to the safety record of the SAF, particularly in training involving NSF and NSmen. A good safety record will boost the confidence of every parent whose son is in or will be in the Army or National Service.

Can the Minister inform the House about the SAF's safety strategy and give an update on the SAF's safety record for military training? It is important that the SAF take near accident misses seriously in order to prevent accidents in the future. So, can I ask the Minister: has there been an increase in the number of near misses reported and how it deals with non-reporting of near accidents?

While safety must be a key concern of the SAF, it would not be beneficial if it adversely affects the effectiveness of our NSmen, NSF and units. I would like to know how the SAF achieve both training safety and operational readiness of our armed forces.

National Service

Mr Arthur Fong: Sir, the responsibility of defence, especially total defence, of a country is every citizen's duty. I quote George Washington who declared, "It must be laid down, as a primary position and the basis of our (democratic) system, that every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free government owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal service to the defence of it." Although I have argued in this House for a shorter stint for our NS, it has not in anyway dented the belief in the essence of George Washington's declaration.

The cornerstone of our defence force - the SAF- relies heavily on the conscription of our youth from the young age of 18 years. Our conscripted defence force had undergone quite massive transformation. We are into our Third Generation and a new military philosophy. Globally, there are views that the end of the conscripted army is near. They argued that military labour is now more complex and has demanded increasing professional personnel. Secondly, technological advancements have proven to be an effective force multiplier that can substitute, to some degree, physical soldiers in the battlefield.

Hence, here in Singapore, the maturity of our citizenry in recognising the institution of National Service is the chief reason for the SAF's success.

National Service promotes universal values, inculcation of discipline and patriotism in citizens. It is especially beneficial for youth in character-building and it occurs at a time when they are more susceptible to outside influences. I believe that many parents shared in this belief as well as in the benefits not only to the country but also the overall development of their sons. Notwithstanding this, I am also sure that many parents also welcome a shorter stint for their sons in the service to the country.

Sir, it is two years since we have reduced the stint of most of our NSmen to two years. It is timely to ask for an evaluation if the shorter stint has any effect on the operational readiness of our defence force. The Minister may also share with Members the adoption of more sophisticated technologies as the proverbial force multiplier that allows us to manage with a smaller number of men in the SAF.

The Chairman: Mr Siew Kum Hong is not here. Dr Ong Chit Chung.

40th Anniversary of National Service

Dr Ong Chit Chung: Sir, National Service has become a rite of passage for our young men. It is part of nation-building. It has bonded our people with all serving, regardless of race, religion, social standing or wealth. It has become our way of life.

National Service has made our nation strong. The commitment and sacrifices of our young men in arms have deterred aggression and provided all Singaporeans with 40 years of peace and security, and laid the foundation for our prosperity.

This year, Sir, we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of National Service. This is a historic milestone, and we as a nation and people must take this opportunity to honour and appreciate the sacrifices of generations of our National Servicemen. I say generations, as many of us here have two generations who have served in National Service, including myself and my two sons, and it would be interesting to find out whether there are families with three generations in National Service or volunteer service. I therefore hope that MINDEF would not let this occasion pass without giving due recognition and prominence to this important milestone.

The Chairman: Mr Michael Palmer, I am sorry I had skipped you earlier. You have altogether two cuts now, total 7 minutes.

National Service

Mr Michael Palmer: It is all right, Sir. I hope I would not need that time, but let me not speak too soon.

Sir, there is no doubt that National Service is an important and intrinsic part of our society and national security. I, for one, support National Service. And it is my view that general public opinion lies in favour of National Service and our citizens realise the importance of National Service.

Whilst we have a small professional army, our population size does not provide enough people to support a sufficiently large enough professional army to satisfy our national security and defence needs.

National Service supplements our professional army and provides the manpower needed to maintain a sufficiently large army for our optimum defence requirements.

That said, some opportunities only come once in a lifetime and, sometimes, we need to seize these opportunities when they present themselves, otherwise we may miss a chance of a lifetime. That is what pianist Melvyn Tan said when he decided not to return but instead pursued his career in music at the Royal College of Music in London.

Another opportunity of a lifetime presented itself to Stanley Aw when his team had the opportunity to take part in the Singapore finals of the World Cyber Games championships. The most recent of once-in-a- lifetime opportunity was violinist Ike See who was offered a place in the Curtis Institute of Music, but who had his request for deferment initially turned down.

4.30 pm

In the case of Stanley Aw, MINDEF allowed Mr Aw to defer his enlistment by three months to take part in the competition. In the case of Mr See, MINDEF initially refused to allow Mr See to defer enlistment

to pursue his musical training. MINDEF said in a statement that, "To do so would be unfair to others who have put their personal aspirations and goals on hold to serve National Service when called upon to do so." The statement went on to say that MINDEF was prepared to grant deferments to pursue university studies "under very exceptional circumstances". Subsequently, MINDEF allowed Ike See to take up a two-year course instead of the original three-year course which he was offered.

Deferment is not limited to our young seizing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the advancement of their education. It is also important to some of the male population in our workforce who are liable for annual National Service Reservist Training. In some circumstances, they may need to defer their reservist training in order to finish a particular project or deal which only comes around once in their careers or business.

Could I ask the Minister to please clarify MINDEF's policy on deferment, both pre-enlistment and during reservist training liability period? When will MINDEF grant deferment from National Service enlistment and annual reservist training? What are the very exceptional circumstances that were referred to by MINDEF in the Ike See's case? Could the Minister please clarify whether preference is given to athletes, particularly athletes who are part of the Project 0812, ie, athletes that show promise for Olympic medals? If so, what is the rationale for the preferences for athletes as opposed to artists and musicians or, for that matter, anyone else?

Last year, MINDEF, also announced changes to its disruption policy, in view of the shortened National Service term. What is MINDEF's current disruption policy? When will disruptions of active National Service be permitted and when will they be refused? More importantly, what is the rationale behind the disruption policy? As I understand it, there is a particular need or desire to maintain cohort integrity when granting or refusing disruptions. Would the Minister please explain this cohort integrity policy and why such a policy is necessary?

40th Anniversary of National Service

2007 marks the 40th year of National Service in Singapore. On 27th February 1967, the National Service (Amendment) Bill was first read in this House by the then Minister for Defence, Dr Goh Keng Swee. During his speech on the Second Reading on 13th March 1967, he said: "I consider it to be wrong to believe that there is nothing we can or should do about defending ourselves, even though we cannot achieve complete invulnerability by our unaided efforts." After a spirited debate, the Bill was finally passed on 14th March 1967. But not all people shared the same sentiments of the need for a people's defence force that would be ready to defend Singapore. After the Act was passed, there were anti-National Service marches in various parts of Singapore. People took to the streets and the most serious one took place along New Bridge Road. These demonstrations saw some 300 people having to be dispersed with teargas and about 13 demonstrators detained.

Thereafter, between 28th March and 18th April 1967, registration for National Service began in earnest. This marked the beginning of our citizens' army and National Service has since become an entrenched way of life for every male citizen in Singapore. Our army has transformed itself in the last 40 years and our regular Armed Forces, together with our active National Servicemen and reserve forces, form a formidable defence force. It is, therefore, timely for MINDEF to update us on the following issues:

(1) What is the state of our National Service today?

(2) How has it been transformed over the last 40 years?

(3) As we move into our Third Generation army, what part do our National Service personnel play in the 3G army, and has that transformation been complete?

(4) How many NSmen have the SAF trained over the last 40 years and how many NSmen stand ready for combat at any one time?

(5) What does MINDEF consider to be the key achievements of National Service and have we achieved what we set out to achieve in this House 40 years ago?

(6) What is the support level for National Service amongst our population? How has the support varied over the last 40 years, and what does MINDEF intend to do to raise that support level?

(7) How has globalisation affected the commitment of Singaporeans to National Service, and how does MINDEF intend to commemorate the 40th anniversary of National Service?

The Chairman: Mr Siew Kum Hong, do you want to take your cut now, since you are here and the reply has not been given?

Mr Siew Kum Hong (Nominated Member): Much obliged, Mr Chairman.

Mr Chairman, Sir, all NSmen face reservist liability. I understand that PES-C NSmen, including clerks, are subject to NS call-ups as well. I was told of a case where a company was deciding whether to locate an investment in Singapore. But they could go ahead in Singapore only if a PES-C NSmen could get a deferment from his ICT. He was crucial to the project, if it was to happen in Singapore. But his ICT clashed with an important deadline. Despite repeated requests, he was not granted a deferment. He went for his ICT and his company located the project in China.

Sir, I can understand the rationale if this NSmen was a key appointment holder and essential to the ICT. But he was not. I would like to ask the Ministry what is the value of calling PES-C NSmen for reservist training and whether more flexibility can be introduced in considering deferment for NSmen who are not key appointment holders and, especially, if they are clerks? Is there sufficient consideration given to the actual benefit derived from calling up an NSmen compared to the potential opportunity cost to his employer and his career?

Sir, there is a wider dimension to this. Many NSmen seem to believe that NS liability has adversely affected their career prospects. There is also some anecdotal evidence about employers discriminating against Singaporean males to do their NS liability and in favour of foreign talent. I hope that the Ministry will also state its position on this issue and explain what measures are in place to address such discrimination.

Mr Ang Mong Seng: ( In Mandarin) : [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A.] Mr Chairman, Sir, National Service (NS) was introduced in 1967 by the then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew to prepare Singaporeans to defend Singapore. NS has been implemented for 40 years. Whether it is in the Air Force, Navy or Army, it has achieved remarkable results. To commemorate the 40th Anniversary, I believe that the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) will have a celebration this year to mark this significant milestone. The achievements over the past 40 years have been remarkable and personally I do feel proud having completed 2½ years of NS. In this regard, I would like to know if the Government will give recognition to our NSmen and give them some form of incentive. I would like to know what are the measures taken to ensure our security and safety and what is our role in safeguarding the regional safety and security of Singapore.

Mr Ang Mong Seng: 4.33 pm

Over the past 40 years of development, we have innovated and developed high-quality weapons and arms. Recently, I visited our NSmen who are training in New Zealand. According to the training officer, the 155-mm artillery that we are currently using is developed by DSO National Laboratories (新加坡国防科技研究院). The shooting range is between 24 and 30 kilometres. Being a small country, it is thus not possible for us to use long-range weapons in our military exercises within Singapore. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister, with advanced weapons being developed, whether we will have enough opportunities and training grounds for our NSmen to carry out military exercises accordingly, so as to improve their fighting techniques and combat skills. This will include our Navy, Air Force and Army. In this regard, I would also like to ask the Minister which are the countries that our army forces have been for military exercises. And what is our relationship with these countries in terms of military alliance?

*Cols. 2827-2828.

New Citizens

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, we have heard so much about our population policy and how we have to open our doors to immigrants, given our low fertility rate. We are even attracting many of them at a very young age, giving them scholarships and, subsequently, PR status. We know that we require them to do National Service, to be fair to other Singaporeans.

Sir, National Service is about a sense of commitment and patriotism to Singapore. It is about ownership of a country that one is born and raised in. It is about defending and protecting what belongs to oneself. We know our citizens feel this way. Can we expect our PRs, who are required to do National Service, to feel likewise?

Part of the unique NS experience is the blending of cultures and backgrounds into one common vision. Young men from different ethnic groups and socio-economic backgrounds are put together to live, learn and prepare to defend the nation together. With immigration, an influx of new PRs and naturalised citizens, I would like to ask the Minister how is the SAF managing the integration of these naturalised citizens through the NS experience. Have there been instances of naturalised citizens having difficulty adjusting, and how has the SAF managed such instances? A related question, Sir, is whether there is a difference between the adjustment and NS performance of naturalised citizens with Asian and those with non-Asian origins.

Mr Chairman, Sir, we heard recently that Government scholarships are awarded with PR status tied to it. With this PR status being offered at such an early age, what happens if they change their minds and revoke their PR status midway? What happens if later, when they are more mature, they decide to reapply for PR status and are prepared to serve their NS then? What is MINDEF's policy position for such cases? I understand that ICA's consideration for such cases is dependent on MINDEF's willingness to support.

Sir, this issue has a greater implication on how naturalised citizens and PRs are assimilated and acculturated into the Singapore society, including our institutions like National Service. I would like to ask the Minister how MINDEF works with ICA in ensuring that this important component of our society is stressed to each PR and new citizen.

Mr Zainudin Nordin: Mr Chairman, Sir, with the focused efforts to increase Singapore's population through the different alternatives, including naturalisation of foreigners, there have been questions about loyalty and commitment of naturalised citizens vis-a-vis Singapore-born citizens.

There has been feedback from Singaporeans about how these foreigners get equal opportunities to education, jobs and a shot at a good and stable life in Singapore but yet these same foreigners are not happy and willing to have their sons to do National Service.

May I ask the Minister how do our naturalised citizens contribute to Singapore's overall defence generally and National Service specifically? What is the level of performance of the naturalised Singaporeans in National Service? How supportive are the parents of these young naturalised citizens to the NS duties and obligations?

Sir, there are also foreigners who became naturalised citizens later in their lives and, due to their age and other reasons, may not be eligible for NS. Over time, we will have more of such citizens, as long as we continue to remain open and welcome talents to our shores. If we have more of such citizens, the difference between those who serve in National Service and those who do not will become more pronounced. This difference, if left unattended, may not be healthy.

Would the Minister consider a new or different form of National Service for male naturalised citizens if, at the moment they become citizens, they are no longer eligible for the traditional National Service obligations? In my view, it would be beneficial both for our country and also the new citizens.

Firstly, they could feel proud that they have contributed, like all the other male Singaporeans, to the country's defence and, in the process, build stronger bonds and ties to their new homeland.

Secondly, our country would be able to optimise on the addition of those new citizens for our defence manpower needs and tap on their skills and talent.

Mr Arthur Fong: Mr Chairman, Sir, this year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the SAF and we thank all our citizens who have served and who are serving National Service. Many of us in this House have served NS. Whether we were operating a keyboard, shooting with a rifle, toggling the risers of a parachute or rappelling down a helicopter, we serve National Service.

Sir, we are planning for a 6.5 million population and, increasingly, we will have more new citizens who may not need to serve National Service. These new citizens would be working shoulder-to-shoulder with soldiers, eg, colleagues, bosses and subordinates who have served National Service. We need them to understand the flavour of National Service. As I mentioned, we are planning towards a 6.5 million population. The integration of our citizens is more important when it comes to National Service and I think National Service is a great integrator.

Sir, could MINDEF modify perhaps a short stint or introduce a kind of National Service where these new citizens who, for some reason may not need to serve National Service, can do a stint in NS, say, a very modified, diluted or watered down form, so that they could understand first-hand the raison d'etre of National Service of the SAF?

Financial Control

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Mr Chairman, Sir, MINDEF incurs the largest amount of Government expenditure budgeted for the current year, at $10.6 billion. It is alarming that, given a multi-billion-dollar budget managed by MINDEF, the latest report of the Auditor-General revealed three cases of procurement irregularities. I am of the view that public confidence in MINDEF should be addressed.

The following are reported by the Auditor-General. In one case, an overseas consultant was engaged to prepare tender documents, evaluate tenders and certify completion of work for an overseas renovation office project

costing more than $200,000. Five companies were invited to participate in the tender. Audit found that the consultant was also the General Manager of the company which was subsequently awarded the contract. This is clearly a conflict of interest.

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In the other two cases, three companies were invited to submit quotations for overseas office renovation works amounting to more than $20,000. Two companies, A & B, out of three shared the same address and telephone number. The best part was that the stamp of company A was used by company B that acknowledged receipt of payment by MINDEF. How could the quotations from the two companies be considered as competitive?

I understand that MINDEF has convened an investigation. I would like to ask the Minister for the status and outcome of the investigation and what measures have been taken to ensure Government procurement procedures are adhered to. What steps have been taken to mitigate the risk of such occurrences that undermine the Government's procurement system?

Sir, MINDEF's budgeted expenditure does not decline even when our other Ministries are subject to budget cuts during recession. Given the ever-increasing amount of public monies being poured into defence, how do we ensure Singaporeans that public interest is protected and that MINDEF will have an efficient internal control mechanism to effectively scrutinise their expenditure in accordance with established Government financial procedures?

National Day Parade

Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister: for as long as I can remember, the National Day Parade has been held either at the National Stadium in the past with a capacity of 55,000, or at the Padang with a capacity of 26,000. This year, it would be held at the Marina Basin with a capacity of about 27,000. NDP is one of the most important events that helps Singaporeans to feel a great sense of national pride and strengthens our bonds as a people and many of us look forward to it.

I have two questions for the Minister. Does the resiting of the NDP comprise the quality or experience for Singaporeans? What are the plans to ensure that the NDP remains the same signature event it has been in the past? I share Mr Low's concern that we must spend money in the right ways and I do believe that he will also agree with me that the NDP is one such event.

The Minister for Defence (Mr Teo Chee Hean): Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to thank the hon. Members for their comments and questions, and also for their commitment to Singapore's defence and security. I know Mr Low is also very committed to Singapore's defence and security even though he did not state so today.

Ms Indranee Rajah and Mr Hawazi Daipi asked about developments in Singapore’s security environment. Uncertainty and complexity define the strategic and operational environment today. The future strategic architecture of our region is now being shaped. With the end of the Cold War, old alignments have dissolved and new relationship patterns are forming.

The US is pre-eminent today and will continue to have a key role to play in the stability and security of our region in the future. However, globalisation is changing the contours of the geo-political landscape.

By embracing international trade and foreign investment, the world's two most populous countries, China and India, have experienced a dramatic transformation. In the period 1993-2004, China’s GDP grew by an average of 9.7% a year, and India's by 6.5%. The economic rise of China and India is changing their security outlook. They are no longer inward-looking.

As they grow, they will naturally seek to protect their economic interests, such as access to energy, markets and trade routes. They are engaging countries in the region, and expanding their influence by participating actively in regional organisations, deepening bilateral relationships, and strengthening economic ties.

This translation of economic weight into a larger political and military role is driving a re-adjustment by the US and other major powers like Japan. There will be a period of uncertainty as they work out a new modus vivendi . In this more multi-polar world, the region is becoming a complex mosaic of actors. The stage will increasingly be shared between countries like the US, Japan, China and India. And other countries like Australia, a resurgent Russia, and a Europe that is seeking to expand its influence in this economically dynamic part of the world, will also want to play a role. ASEAN will have to work more closely and cohesively together if it is to retain its place in the driving seat of developments in our region.

As strategic re-alignments take shape, we are maintaining friendly defence relations with each of the key players in the Asia-Pacific and engaging them to enhance regional stability. With the US, the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) signed in July 2005 provides the foundation. Within this framework, the Strategic Security Policy Dialogue between MINDEF and the US DoD, where both sides exchange views on security issues and explore areas for cooperation, was inaugurated last year. We continue to enjoy close and deep ties with the US. We train together in many bilateral and multi-lateral exercises, and US forces are able to make use of our base facilities, including Changi Naval Base. Our F-16, Apache and Chinook detachments have high-end training in the US, and they will soon be joined by an F-15 training detachment.

We are establishing a policy dialogue with China, and stepping up exchanges of visits between the SAF and PLA and the attendance of each other's courses. Our defence relations with India continue to expand in scope, with an annual policy dialogue between MINDEF and the Indian Ministry of Defence. The SAF conducts significant exercises with their Indian counterparts both in India and in Singapore.

With Japan, MINDEF and the Japanese Ministry of Defence conduct regular policy dialogues, while the SAF and the Japan Self-Defence Force have staff-level talks at both the Joint and Services level and increasing interactions in multilateral and bilateral activities. These interactions underline our commitment to an inclusive regional security architecture anchored on a strong US presence.

Globalisation undermines old certainties in other ways as well. Businesses are more mobile, communities less rooted, the gaps between skilled and unskilled, rich and poor widening. All this creates dynamism, but also dislocation and sometimes a sense of grievance that breeds conflict.

In an inter-connected world, the aftershocks of conflict or extremist ideology in one country can radicalise people in other parts of the world. The Middle East will persist as a source of international terror if governments cannot fight the roots of extremism and radical Islam on their own soil. In Southeast Asia, domestic faultlines centred on religious and ethnic affiliation, if left unchecked, could emerge as potent forces that straddle countries and borders.

Furthermore, compared to the certainties of the Cold War, today's threats have become more complex and fluid. Terrorism is transnational and driven by non-state actors. It adopts asymmetric strategies and uses technologies in unanticipated ways. This means that in the future, our military will not only be called upon to carry out traditional combat operations, but will also have to respond to security contingencies that manifest in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. It is against this backdrop of international uncertainty that we continue to pursue diplomacy and deterrence - the twin pillars of our defence policy. We have made important advances on both fronts.

On the diplomatic front, we promote our security by building relationships with friendly countries and armed forces, and contributing to a stable co-operative regional environment and international order. Ms Indranee Rajah asked about the state of defence cooperation in the region. We have focused on building an open, inclusive regional security architecture that constructively engages extra-regional countries. We are working with our ASEAN neighbours to build confidence and facilitate dialogue amongst ourselves and also to engage countries beyond the region that have a stake in regional stability. The establishment of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in May last year was a historic development. It was the first time the ASEAN Defence Ministers met.

The ADMM will guide the development of an ASEAN defence community that facilitates concrete forms of practical cooperation among regional armed forces. It can also help entrench the open and inclusive ethos of the evolving regional security architecture, by institutionalising the engagement of key extra-regional countries in practical and constructive ways. Singapore will have the honour of hosting the second ADMM later this year.

We play an active role in other regional groupings that enhance security, like the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The FPDA brings together Malaysia and Singapore and anchors its extra-regional partners Australia, New Zealand and the UK in the region. By widening its scope to include cooperation against non-conventional threats such as in maritime security, the FPDA has proved to be an adaptive organisation, relevant to the changing strategic environment and the needs of its members. In June 2006, the FPDA Defence Ministers further agreed that the FPDA could explore cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

Mr Arthur Fong asked about how our defence relations, particularly with Thailand and Indonesia, have affected SAF exercises and training. The SAF currently conducts exercises and training in about a dozen countries around the world, including Australia, Brunei, France, India, New Zealand, Thailand and the US. So Mr Ang Mong Seng need not be unduly concerned because we do have enough places where we can exercise and train with our various systems. The friendly and mutually beneficial relations which the SAF has with the armed forces of these countries add an important dimension to the overall bilateral relations that we have with them, even if, from time to time, our relations with a particular country may go through a rough patch.

Mr Fong asked about our relations with Indonesia and Thailand. The SAF and the Royal Thai Armed Forces have, for the last three decades, cooperated closely in many areas for mutual benefit. The SAF deeply appreciates and values this close cooperative relationship and the opportunities that this provides for the SAF to train and exercise in Thailand. We are similarly happy to welcome our Thai friends for visits, exercises and training in Singapore. For example, the Royal Thai Navy is one of the most frequent users of Changi Naval Base, where its ships call for replenishment as they deploy between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The SAF and the Royal Thai Armed Forces have also worked together in humanitarian relief operations. Following the floods and landslides in Thailand in May 2006, three Chinook helicopters were deployed to assist the Thais in their humanitarian relief efforts.

In view of the close defence ties, the RSAF transferred seven F-16A/B fighter aircraft to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in 2004. Close defence ties have brought substantial professional and practical value to both our armed forces. Recent developments notwithstanding, both Singapore and Thailand continue to share the view that defence cooperation between our two countries is in the long-term strategic interest of both countries.

Singapore and Indonesia also have a long history of defence cooperation, and have trained together regularly since the 1970s. In fact, I had the honour of taking part in the first military exercise between Indonesia and Singapore - the Exercise Eagle in 1974. The SAF and TNI conduct regular bilateral exercises across all three Services. TNI and SAF officers regularly attend each other’s command and staff colleges. Twelve TNI officers have received postgraduate scholarships to attend Masters courses at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. Currently, Indonesian pilots undergo G-tolerance and helicopter simulator training in Singapore. Over the last 10 years, 200 Indonesian Air Force pilots have benefited from such training.

Familiarity with operating together, as well as strong personal ties between our officers, has allowed the TNI and SAF to work closely in times of need. The combined relief operations that the SAF conducted with the TNI following the tsunami and earthquake in 2004 and 2005 were on an unprecedented scale. The TNI and SAF have a long history of working together in challenging situations, such as when the TNI provided invaluable assistance to Singapore in the search and rescue operations following the SilkAir MI 185 crash in Palembang in 1997. The TNI and SAF also worked together in hostage rescue operations in West Papua in 1996. An SAF Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) detachment worked closely with the Indonesian special forces in Timika in West Papua, providing surveillance which proved crucial in facilitating the successful rescue of Indonesian and foreign hostages

taken by the Organasi Papua Merdeka or Free Papua Movement.

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To further strengthen defence cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Yudhoyono agreed in October 2005 to conclude a Defence Cooperation Agreement, which will be negotiated in parallel and concluded together as one package with the extradition treaty.

The DCA will be an important symbol of the close ties between Singapore and Indonesia, and will provide a framework to enhance our defence cooperation to mutual benefit. The DCA will encapsulate our existing defence cooperation, and allow us to work together on new projects.

We will be able to resume our cooperation in joint projects, such as the Air Combat Manoeuvring Range and Air Weapons Range in Sumatra, which were of significant professional value to both our air forces, as well as re-start the Combined Fighter Weapons Instructor Course - a top gun course - to allow fighter pilots from both air forces to train together to improve their skills.

Defence officials from both sides have been discussing the DCA, and making progress towards concluding the agreement. While some outstanding issues remain, both sides have shown flexibility and have narrowed differences over these issues in the course of the negotiations. There is a convergence of views on many issues in the DCA. We look forward to working with Indonesia to successfully conclude this Agreement.

Ms Indranee Rajah asked about allegations of violations of Indonesian airspace by RSAF aircraft. Sir, I can say categorically that there is no truth in this report. In fact, the Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, Air Chief Marshall Djoko Soeyanto, was reported in the Batam Post as saying, "The minute Singaporean fighters take off, they would have passed the border." So, since 1980, the designated military training areas 1 and 2 are in the South China Sea and in Batam for RSAF aircraft.

He described the manoeuvring of Singapore F-16s to the border as natural and having nothing to do with provocation or intimidation in response to the sand ban. He added that there had been no reports of any violations by Singapore, and all Singaporean military activities in Indonesia are currently carried out in coordination with PangKohanudnas, ie, the Indonesian Air Defence Command.

Apart from building strong defence ties, we are also making important contributions to international and regional security. We are playing an active role in multilateral efforts to enhance maritime security.

Mr Hawazi asked about the situation in the South China Sea. There has been no recent escalation in military activities in the South China Sea. In 2002, the 10 member states of ASEAN and China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The signatories affirmed freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea in line with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and undertook to resolve territorial disputes by peaceful means through friendly consultations and negotiations, and such consultations and negotiations continue.

Ms Indranee Rajah and Dr Ong Chit Chung asked how we are cooperating with neighbouring countries to ensure maritime security. Over the last three years, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have jointly launched air and sea patrols to safeguard the Malacca Straits. These efforts have met with encouraging success.

In August 2006, the London-based insurance body Lloyd's removed its war risk rating for merchant ships using the Straits of Malacca. In November 2006, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) has an Information Sharing Centre (ISC) which was also officially launched in Singapore. This is the first time regional governments have institutionalised their efforts to combat piracy and robbery against ships in the form of a permanent body with full-time staff.

Dr Ong asked about measures to ensure our ports are safe. Singapore has adopted a comprehensive approach to port security. Since 2003, Singapore has subscribed to the Container Security Initiative. Under this initiative, the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority works with its US counterpart to screen US-bound containers for material which could be used in weapons of mass destruction.

As risks to our ports can also originate upstream in the supply chain, Singapore established the National Supply Chain Security Programme in July last year. In terms of the physical security of our ports, Singapore has a network of sensors ashore and afloat that has been put in place by the Maritime and Port Authority, Police Coast Guard and the Republic of Singapore Navy. This network enables us to detect potential threats and mount a coordinated response in a timely manner.

Dr Lam Pin Min observed that the SAF has made significant contributions to disaster relief missions in recent years, and suggested that MINDEF set up a coordination centre between the SAF and Singaporean volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) for such future missions. Dr Lam assumes, of course, that the VWOs want to be coordinated by MINDEF.

The SAF deployed for a number of relief operations over the past year. In May 2006, the SAF sent a medical team, together with the SCDF, to Yogyakarta on a relief mission following the earthquake in Central Java. Over the eight days of relief operations, the SAF medical team treated over 1,400 patients in a field hospital and through mobile medical teams together with the Indonesian authorities.

During the same period, the SAF's C-130 and Fokker-50 aircraft also contributed to relief efforts, transporting equipment and emergency aid from Singapore to Yogyakarta. During that same period, the SAF was involved in another relief operation in Northern Thailand. Three of our Chinook helicopters were deployed there for flood relief efforts. We also sent SAF medical staff to one of the affected villages, to treat the villagers.

The SAF currently cooperates closely with VWOs for relief operations, eg, with the Singapore Red Cross and Mercy Relief, during the tsunami relief operations. Given that there is already a good working relationship between MINDEF and VWOs during such operations, setting up a MINDEF-led central coordinating body may not be the best approach. VWOs may also decide to carry out humanitarian or relief work on their own where it may not be necessary or appropriate for the SAF to deploy and vice versa.

The SAF also maintained its commitment to peace support operations last year. SAF peacekeepers and monitors were deployed in Aceh in Indonesia and Timor Leste. Our Landing Ship Tank RSS Endeavour carried out a three-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf, followed by a three month deployment of a KC-135 tanker aircraft.

Since 2003, we have made three deployments of LSTs and three deployments of KC-135 tankers and one C-130 aircraft deployment to the Gulf.

The outcome of the ongoing efforts to stabilise and reconstruct Iraq and Afghanistan will affect us all. Should the international community fail, the repercussions will be far-reaching. Southeast Asia will not escape the fallout. In today’s interconnected world, security and stability are responsibilities that must be shared by all countries that want to live in peace.

The battle against terrorism cannot be won overnight. Neither can the battle against terrorism be won by force alone. We must also win the struggle for hearts and minds. For this reason, Singapore is preparing to provide humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan. Developments in Afghanistan have an impact on Singapore’s security. Several of Singapore’s JI detainees received their terrorist training in Afghanistan. They were part of a terror cell plotting to carry out attacks on targets in Singapore.

Terrorism operates without regard for national borders. Singapore is thus prepared to work together, within our means, with some 40 other countries currently working in Afghanistan to build the institutions, infrastructure and services that will bring brighter prospects to the people of Afghanistan.

The SAF will thus be undertaking two humanitarian and reconstruction projects in Afghanistan as part of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan Province in central Afghanistan. The SAF and the New Zealand Defence Force know each other very well and have previously deployed together in the UN mission in East Timor. The New Zealand Defence Force has operated in Bamiyan Province since 2003. Their personnel have built up a strong foundation of trust with the local community and provincial government.

For the first project, the SAF will deploy a five-man medical team to Bamiyan hospital to set up a dental clinic. The SAF team will bring specialised equipment, set up the clinic, and train local Afghans to take over the clinic on a long-term basis. Separately, under the Singapore Co-operation Programme, training will also be provided to the Afghans in dentistry and basic healthcare so that they can build up sustainable capabilities.

For the second project, a five-man SAF combat engineering team will undertake bridge construction and repair work, together with the New Zealand Defence Force and local Afghan contractors. The SAF assessed these projects would be most helpful to the Afghan people after consulting the New Zealand Defence Force and the Afghan Government as well as local Afghan authorities during a site visit made to Bamiyan province late last year.

Each team will be deployed for three months. We are currently working out the details with the parties involved, including the New Zealand Defence Force, NATO and the Afghan government.

Mr Chairman, Sir, the Singapore Government will continue to contribute within our means to international peace support operations, as well as relief and reconstruction efforts where the SAF can usefully play a role. But the primary mission of the SAF will still be to defend Singapore. Our security is our top priority.

Ms Indranee Rajah, Dr Ong Chit Chung, Ms Irene Ng, Mr Arthur Fong and other Members asked about our priorities and the SAF’s transformation efforts. On the military front, we are developing the SAF to meet the full range of potential threats to our security - from an assault on our sovereignty and territory, to dealing with low-intensity conflicts, to fighting terrorism - while simultaneously transforming the SAF for tomorrow. These are our priorities.

We continue to acquire and deploy cutting-edge weapon systems and information technology so that the SAF's operations will be characterised by speed, precision, knowledge and integration. These leverage on our strengths and allow us to overcome the constraints of our small population and size.

The SAF's acquisition of advanced military hardware - such as the F-15SG, Seahawk naval helicopters, the Primus self-propelled howitzer, as well as the recently announced acquisition of the Leopard Tanks - replace older, less capable systems and add important new capabilities.

Ms Indranee Rajah asked me to describe the elephant. We have leopards, we have eagles, we have seahawks, we have pumas - super ones - we have falcons, we have zebras and, indeed, we have elephants too, and some mythical animals like the Pegasus, the winged horse.

What we are trying to do in the Third Generation SAF is to harness all their vital qualities, bring them together, make them work together in a networked way so that we can draw on all their capabilities together to defend Singapore. The strength of the Third Generation SAF is not from having more platforms or specific platform capabilities alone. The strength of the Third Generation SAF is multiplied by our ability to network the various systems and capabilities, so that the overall fighting system is much more capable than the sum of the individual parts. Advanced command, control and communications, enabled by information technology and networking, now allow rapid dissemination of information, to give commanders and their subordinate units better awareness, and enable them to exercise better control and self-synchronisation in order to operate as a tightly integrated system.

In the Third Generation SAF, the Army, Navy and Air Force operate jointly to leverage on each other's strike and manoeuvre capabilities to achieve the mission. On land, our capability comprises a network of unmanned sensors, precision missiles delivered by Apache attack helicopters, smart bombs delivered by fighter aircraft, and armoured forces on the ground.

In an air war, even navy frigates play a major role because their air defence systems are as capable as the Air Force's. We can thus find a target by multiple means, attack it at multiple points and in different ways simultaneously. The sensor-to-shooter cycle is reduced to a matter of minutes between the time a target appears, is positively identified, and is engaged and destroyed.

Elements within the Services have also become more tightly connected. The most recent development in the ongoing transformation of the Army into a leaner, closely networked force was the Battlefield Management System. This networked system enables the prompt sharing of information about locations and movements of friendly and enemy forces. It is basically a computer

screen, you can send messages, SMS-type messages, see the positions of friendly and enemy forces. It integrates the Infantry Fighting Vehicle Bionix II with an array of platforms, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the Primus Self-Propelled Howitzer and the Bronco Mortar Tracked Carrier. This capability provides ground manoeuvre forces the ability to increase their tempo of operations and their area of influence, and also allows Headquarters to command and control its forces more effectively. A picture is, of course, worth a thousand words and I invite the Members of the House to go and watch the DVD that we have provided to you in your little packages - these little 3G packages that have been distributed.

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To sustain our technology edge, Mr Zainuddin Nordin rightly pointed out that sufficient resources and manpower need to be allocated for defence R&D. Today, we have in MINDEF, the Defence Science Organisation National Laboratories and the Defence Science and Technology Agency, and we have some 3,000 engineers and scientists in these two organisations. We invest about 4% of our defence budget on R&D. Within Singapore, we leverage on our defence industry, research institutes and institutes of higher learning to multiply our own capabilities. We also collaborate with international R&D partners. Our ability to attract world-class partners such as DARPA - the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency - and the French Directorate of Armaments on win-win collaborative projects, shows that our R&D effort has generated world-class technologies that renowned defence research agencies also find valuable.

A good example is the combat information system on board the RSN's new Formidable-class frigate. This highly complex integration work and writing of the system software was carried out by our DSO and DSTA engineers. The system integrates all the combat systems together and provides the crew of the Formidable with state-of-the-art real-time decision-making tools.

Another example is our Underground Ammunition facility, which will be commissioned later this year. More than 10 years ago, DSTA, together with our R&D partners in NUS, NTU, Norway, Sweden and the US, embarked on R&D in underground rock cavern design and construction. The knowledge gained from this pioneering project resulted in several benefits. It freed up scarce surface land space for other uses. The expertise built up, enabled DSTA to advise other agencies such as Jurong Town Corporation on its recently announced project to build underground storage facilities for Jurong Island. The excavation for our underground facility also contributed a good supply of granite for construction.

Technology is only one dimension of our transformation efforts. We are also making significant organisational changes to ensure we are nimble and responsive in a complex and evolving operating environment. The revamp of the command structure of the RSAF announced in January this year, is the most recent example. The new structure is flatter, with greater decentralisation of decision making and lateral communication. This reflects the more varied tasks the air force has to perform today.

The establishment of the first of the five new commands, the Air Defence and Operations Command, will allow more effective management of the full spectrum of air operations. The army organisation has also been restructured. I will not go into that. There is a nice figure inside the Pioneer Magazine or Army News .

At the heart of these transformation efforts is an innovative military. We can expect potential adversaries, both state and non-state, to be agile and adaptive, and we must constantly think faster and run ahead. We must be enterprising and adapt quickly. But superior organisation and technology alone do not guarantee this. We can only achieve a sustainable edge over our emerging threats by also pursuing qualitative superiority and motivation, initiative, proficiency and the improvisational skills of our people. One example is this NDP that is going to be conducted on Marina Bay. The idea came from our Singapore combat engineers. They put it to us and we agreed. It was a very creative and innovative idea. We all look forward to it this year.

As Ms Indranee Rajah pointed out, the strength of the SAF lies in the quality of our people and how well we train them. The SAF is committed to developing the full potential of all our people - NSFs, NSmen and regulars - and how we keep our NSmen up to date is why we place so much importance on ICT (in-camp training). 3G concepts, new training methods, new weapons and systems are systematically infused into our ICT training. And our technology-savvy and highly educated population is a great advantage in being able to transform the SAF because our people pick up technology so quickly. The SAF will continue to invest heavily in the training of our regular Servicemen. We will continue to send them overseas to learn, observe and bring home knowledge and experience. This will also ensure that the SAF always keeps abreast of the latest technology, operational concepts and training developments worldwide and benchmarks itself against the best in the world. We will also be enhancing the education and training opportunities for our Warrant Officers and Specialists Corps to develop further as specialists in their respective functional areas.

Ms Ng asked whether Singapore's defence expenditure might be too big or might it even be sufficient? It does not make sense for a small country such as Singapore to have aggressive intentions towards any other country. Our defence posture is designed to deter military interference or pressure against Singapore, and to defend ourselves if our survival or vital national interests are at stake. A capable and operationally ready SAF ensures this. Other countries in the region are also putting emphasis on defence. According to the US Congressional Research Service, from 2002 to 2005, five Asian countries were among the top 10 developing country arms importers - China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Pakistan. Singapore, too, needs to prepare itself to meet the eventualities that may arise from the more uncertain and complex strategic and operational environment.

Ms Ng and Mr Low asked how we ensure that the defence budget is prudently utilised. MINDEF has rigorous checks in our budget process to ensure we use the money allocated to defence prudently. Overall, long-term force development plans are carefully drawn up and scrutinised in a process involving the three Services, the Joint Staff, MINDEF's Policy, Technology and Defence Management groups. They challenge each other. Operational needs and priorities, alternative force structures, and resource implications are studied in a rigorous iterative process to arrive at a long term plan which then has to be presented to the Minister and is subject to his approval. These plans map out the overall force structure requirements and match them to resources available, but that is not the end of the process.

Each individual acquisition programme has to be carefully scrutinised to determine need, evaluate options and decide on the most cost-effective solutions. MINDEF's acquisition process is well respected and recognised internationally for its professionalism, thoroughness and probity. Indeed, MINDEF's process for analysing the costs and benefits of competing proposals was adapted for use in the selection of our Integrated Resorts.

MINDEF is mindful of its responsibility to spend wisely, and buy equipment carefully. We only buy what we need, and what is most suitable and cost effective for us. We buy very sophisticated and highly capable equipment only when it is needed. Often, we do not need to buy the latest piece of equipment, when upgrading or refurbishing can do the job. When we replace older equipment with more modern ones, we often do not need to replace them on a one-for-one basis. For example, our A4 Skyhawks first came into operational service in refurbished condition in 1974. The Skyhawks subsequently underwent an engine and avionics upgrade in the late 1980s. When they retired from operational service recently, the Skyhawks had served the RSAF for 30 years and we replaced them with smaller numbers of more modern fighters. The SM1 tanks which are now being gradually retired, were bought as second-hand AMX-13 tanks from various countries in the late 1960s and refurbished. In the late 1980s, they were upgraded to SM1 standard and only now are we beginning to phase them out after over 40 years in the SAF. We have close to some 300 SM1s. We are replacing the first batch of the SM1s with the refurbished Leopard 2A4. We recently bought 66 with another 30 spare tanks from German army stocks. We will replace the remainder of the SM1s in the coming years, but not on a one-for-one basis as the Leopards, which are replacing the SM1s, are more capable. Certain prime equipment that the SAF uses are also refurbished. Our KC-135 tankers which we have deployed several times in the Gulf are refurbished tankers from the US Air Force. Our Challenger class submarines as well as the Vastergotland class submarines we have contracted for, are also refurbished.

The SAF also has mechanisms in place to control our operations and personnel costs very tightly. We control our operations cost by constantly seeking to streamline our orbat so that more cost-effective and capable systems replace less capable and less cost-effective ones. To limit personnel cost, we have maintained zero growth in establishment since 1986. We seek to extract the best value for money and maximise our defence capability for each defence dollar.

Although the Government has stated that, as a policy, it is prepared to spend up to 6% of GDP on defence, in practice, defence spending in the last five years has been kept to between 4.5% and 5% of GDP. That is slightly lower than the 5% to 5.4% in the previous five years.

Is defence budget sufficient? The Ministry of Finance has provided MINDEF with what it has asked for. I will not hesitate to ask for more if I feel I need it. I am confident that I will be able to persuade my colleagues in the Ministry of Finance to provide it to me if I do because there is strong commitment for defence in this Government and also strong support from this House. By spending smart, we will continue to preserve the SAF's edge, and with it the peace and security which provide the foundation for the progress we have enjoyed these last 40 years.

Let me touch now on National Service.

We mark 40 years of National Service this year. The commitment of our 300,000 Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) has been the cornerstone of a strong SAF. We will continue to need National Service for the foreseeable future, as there is no other way in which we can build an SAF that is of sufficient size and capability to defend ourselves, given our small population. As Mr Arthur Fong has said, we still need the numbers. Although we go for quality and we try and keep the numbers down, as one military observer has said, "Quantity has a quality all of its own."

Our NSmen play a critical role in making the SAF a credible deterrent and fighting force. Since its inception, National Service has become a national institution and a rite of passage for all Singaporean men. More than 700,000 Singaporeans have served, or are serving National Service. Their common experience during National Service has helped forge robust bonds, a strong national identity, and, importantly, the collective will to defend ourselves. In a survey of NSmen conducted last year, an overwhelming majority of NSmen indicated that they will defend Singapore if it should come under threat and they will risk their lives to fight for Singapore in a war. We also have about 360 NSmen who have volunteered to extend their operationally ready National Service. One of them is LTC(NS) See Tow Pak Onn, an NSman for more than 20 years and he voluntarily extended his NS commitments for close to six years todate. He will be our NDP Commander this year. We are thankful to have dedicated NSmen like Pak Onn in the SAF.

Our investments in technology, systems and people in defence are our investment in a secure future, and they have paid off. Despite being such a small and vulnerable country, we have maintained our freedom and independence. A strong SAF serves as an effective deterrent, so that we prevent attacks and deter foreign interference.

I was gratified to read the recent series of Forum page letters to the Straits Times on defence spending. They show that many Singaporeans understand the need for a strong defence. Xiao Fuchun wrote in the 30th January edition that Singapore's "tiny size makes it a tempting target and only a strong SAF keeps potential aggressors in check. Such a capability does not come free". And Lu Junwen framed the issue well when he wrote that "our armed forces have taken away aggression as a viable option of political intercourse with Singapore.

Having a capable defence force means its leaders can sit at the negotiating table and expect a fair negotiation session, instead of having conditions dictated to them by their counterparts”.

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He added, "one cannot expect to have a capable military on call when one does not continually invest in its capabilities" because "military capabilities, once sacrificed as a result of funding cuts, can take an inordinate amount of time to restore".

It is for these reasons that we are prepared to invest steadily in defence. This enables Singapore to have a credible military built around a relatively small standing force of conscripts and career soldiers, and a much larger force of NSmen who are well-trained, experienced and available on short notice. It also ensures we have the means to train and equip our NSmen in the best possible way, so that if they have to fight, they will win and come home safely. These investments ensure that we and our families can live our lives in peace and security and determine our own future.

I will now ask Dr Ng to speak on the important subject of safety, particularly, and also Prof. Koo to speak more about National Service.

The Second Minister for Defence (Dr Ng Eng Hen): Sir, some Members have asked about training safety in SAF. When I listened to the speeches of Ms Indranee Rajah, Dr Mohamad Maliki, Mr Hawazi Daipi, I was very gratified that they understand that while we have to do everything that is possible to make training safe, we should at the same time ensure that there is realism in training, that realistic training is not compromised. All of us understand that we need to put our men and women in the SAF through realistic scenarios, and that means that you have to do it at appropriate levels of physical rigour, in varied terrain, so that when they enter the operational arena, they do so with the well-founded confidence to fulfil their missions and, as the Minister said, to win. However, even as we train realistically, let me assure this House and the public that the SAF values every soldier and will do our utmost to ensure his safety and well-being. As Members of this House said, we recognise that it is someone's son or relative. To achieve this, SAF adopts best practices and a comprehensive safety system.

There are three fundamentals that drive this safety system. First, safety management receives attention at the highest level. Second, we resource it adequately, and, third, there are open reporting and tracking mechanisms in place, as Mr Hawazi alluded to. Let me start with the first point, top management attention. The Chief of Defence Force chairs a Committee that promotes safety efforts, and it comprises all the Service Chiefs and Senior Officers of the Joint Staff. This Committee develops and drives strategies and measures to promote safety consciousness, and it regularly reviews the safety records of the various formations and units. This extends down to the Services, Formations, training institutes and units, where similar management focus is paid. Both overseas and local training, in both of these, safety is a key consideration in training design and execution.

We substantially resource these efforts to improve safety. Safety officers are specially appointed to actively assist units to oversee training safety and implement the best practices. Audits and inspections, including surprise runs, are carried out regularly to make sure that the units comply with authorised regulations. So, for example, last year, over 2,000 safety audits were carried out and most units showed improvement compared to previous years. These results are reported to the Service Chiefs.

Our basic underlying approach is not to wait for incidents to occur, but to reduce risks to minimise the chance of these incidents occurring. And this is the reason why we have instituted open reporting and tracking mechanisms. In other words, units are actively encouraged, commanders encourage their soldiers to report hazards, near misses, safety breaches and at-risk behaviours. And this allows us to take immediate corrective action. In addition, trends are analysed to identify potential trouble spots where we can take corrective actions. Mr Hawazi asked whether this has taken root. One sign is that there is an increasing number of near misses reported. We take it that this shows that an open reporting culture is indeed taking root in the Army.

There are Division and Formation Safety Hotlines, where the identity of the caller is protected, and this underscores the open culture that we want to inculcate and it provides servicemen with an alternative channel to report safety breaches and training safety issues without fear. Calls to the safety hotline will receive attention and action. And for cases assessed to be high-risk, the Formation Safety Officer will conduct the investigation and complete the safety report within 24 hours.

As a result of these systemic efforts, the number of overall training incidents has decreased. Members have asked for an update, let me give some figures. It has decreased from 111 in work year 2004 to more than half, 55 for the current work year, as of January 2007. Ms Indranee Rajah asked for the hot spots, what the common types of injuries are. Analysis of trends had indicated that the common types of injuries are heat-related injuries or fractures suffered during physical or field training. And we have taken precautionary safety measures and there is a declining trend for both of these injuries over the past three years. Members have asked for the number of fatalities over the last three years. Let me give figures. In 2004, there was one death, due to training or operations, and there were four in 2005. This work year, there has been one fatality during special operations training. Each loss of life in training is one too many. We will do our utmost to ensure that none occurs but, unfortunately, from time to time, fatal incidents can occur.

We will not let up in our quest to achieve zero fatalities, and the SAF remains committed to strengthening its safety system through regular or targeted reviews based on trends of incidents and injuries. For example, we commissioned a review of special operations training last year. We are implementing the recommendations which have included rigorous formal instructor preparation courses, independent assessments of safety structures and features for special operations training, and devoting more supervisory, medical and safety resources for special operations units. And these measures will enable us to better manage the risks of special operations training.

Other areas also receiving attention relate to sudden cardiac death and heat injuries. Here, we are guided by professional inputs to put into place internationally-accepted best practices. We have introduced Automatic External Defibrillators for immediate use when strenuous physical training is conducted. Our cardiac risk screening regimes are consistent with best practices. Heart rate monitors have also been brought in for use by obese BMT recruits and for NSmen during IPPT Preparation Training and Remedial Training. To prevent heat injury, the SAF is working with the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute to produce a personal heat strain monitor that keeps tabs on a user's core body temperature and warns him, not warms him, when it gets too high.

In the area of occupational health and safety, the SAF has also adopted the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Schemes 18001 certification standards as an independent benchmark.

Mr Hawazi asked whether training safety has adversely affected the SAF's operational readiness. We train with other armed forces elsewhere as a result of our bilateral and multilateral engagements, and we use those opportunities to benchmark our performance. In 2005, I visited Operation Forging Sabre, which is conducted in Mojave Desert, in Arizona. And Brigadier-General Douglas Stone, who was the Commanding General of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, had this to say, unsolicited, it was an interview, and I quote, "The Singaporeans are highly disciplined and highly skilled. They put rounds right on the target(s), and that's very, very hard to do, and to be able to put it all together (he meant the UAVs, special forces, Apache helicopters, F-16s, artillery) is just a remarkable compliment to the professionalism of these forces." We do not go around soliciting for reassurance or compliments, but when these remarks are uttered, it is a quiet confidence that we are a capable armed forces that has won respect and recognition, and our recent humanitarian assistance deployments to Thailand and Indonesia also demonstrate that our servicemen are always operationally ready.

Looking forward, the ongoing SAF transformations will see greater decision making by individual soldiers. So we have to emphasise that every individual has to take personal responsibility, because safety is an individual, team and command responsibility, requiring efforts at every level.

Let me now move on to two-year NS, which Mr Arthur Fong brought up. He has asked us for an assessment on how the reduction by six months has affected our abilities and our ability to use force multipliers.

We reduced NS by two years in 2004 after carefully considering various factors. Larger cohort size was expected over the next 10 years based on demographic trends and we benchmarked ourselves against the best training methodologies. We were also confident to manage the transition to these two years, because we have been able to achieve better training outcomes in shorter durations.

But this shortened NSF period does require our training to be more focused and tightly aligned to the operational competencies required in units. So what we have done is adopt a standards-based training methodology where units that have performed well can shorten the time on particular modules, and now we can optimise the time and resources we commit to different units and to different training needs. Where we can, as Members have mentioned, we employ technology to enhance and speed up learning. For example, we use simulators in the Individual Marksmanship Trainer in BMT. Likewise, the Gunnery Tactical Simulator has helped us optimise the limited training time for live firing and increased overall effectiveness. The Army has also introduced the new Battlefield Instrumentation System that can track two-sided soldier engagements, providing feedback on performance. In this way, more is learnt in each exercise. In other instances, we have used some case studies and new problem-based learning methodologies, as is done in the OCS now to improve learning.

We are preparing ourselves for the larger cohort of NSFs who will join us in the coming years; greater training capacity in our training schools has been planned for. Instructors and commanders have also been increased. We have also factored in additional training resources, so that limited training time is optimised.

As a result of these measures, I am happy to report that SAF has maintained its training standards, as shown by the consistent evaluation results for both basic soldiering skills and unit proficiency. Our operational standby units have also achieved good results during the operational audits conducted by our inspectorates. Our soldiers have risen to the challenges thus far. And their strong commitment and motivation, as well as the better educational profile, have allowed us to attain this required level within the two-year NS duration.

Nevertheless, I want to remind Members of this House and the public, that the unit training requirements and the need for a standing force to be deployed for operational duties, such as protecting key installations, mean that we cannot further reduce the two-year full-time NS duration. We owe it to them to make sure that they have adequate time to train to reach the professional and proficiency standards required to fulfil their missions.

Mr Michael Palmer asked several questions related to deferment and disruption; deferment of National Service. Let me just say the three principles governing our approach to these issues; deferment and disruption, I include disruption here. The first is that NS must be for meeting a critical need - to ensure our national security and survival, that is why we can call them up. The second is universality - with this National Service responsibility, it is the duty of every male Singaporean fit to serve. The third is equity or fairness in implementing the liabilities and duties of NSmen. These three principles are critical to preserve the integrity and strength of our National Service system.

Therefore, all NS-liable males may be enlisted at the earliest opportunity upon turning 18 years. And this was provided for by the Enlistment Act, as young and fit enlistees can better withstand the rigours of military training. More importantly, as Members have noted, as NSmen form the backbone of the SAF, enlisting them young enables the SAF to be an energetic and able-bodied defence force optimised to fulfil its mission.

However, MINDEF does exercise flexibility by allowing students to defer full-time NS to complete their studies up to the first education bar. The first education bar is the GCE 'A' level, the polytechnic diploma, or their equivalent, if that person does not exceed 19 years old as at 1st January of the course commencement year.

Mr Palmer asked about deferment for exceptional talents. MINDEF does defer full-time NS for exceptional talents, whether they are sportsmen, musicians or those in other categories, based on the merits, of course, of each case. In assessing them, MINDEF considers his past achievements, his potential in his chosen field and the need for the deferment.

As this is applied only to rare and exceptional talents, only a very small number had been deferred in the past. The most recent is a national sailor, Maximillan Soh, who has been granted deferment from full-time NS to August 2008 to allow him to train full-time for the 2008 Olympic Games. Maximillan has proven himself an exceptional sailor by winning gold medals at the recent Doha Asian Games and the 2005 SEA Games and as a potential Olympic medallist. Like everyone else, such individuals still have to serve NS and contribute to our defence after their deferment period.

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The same principles articulated apply to deferment for Operationally-ready NSmen (ORNS). Granting deferment from ORNS has to be balanced with the need to maintain unit cohesion and operational readiness of the NSmen's unit. We ultimately hold the unit commander responsible for the unit's readiness and performance. In other words, if the button is pushed, he is responsible. Therefore, that unit commander should be given the authority to decide on deferment requests. They do so only when the deferment does not disrupt the unit's effort to build up operational readiness, fighting capabilities and team spirit.

Our NSmen are given many months' advance notice on their NS call-ups so that they can plan their commitments and avoid the call-up periods. Therefore, deferment for NSmen is given sparingly. In general, NSmen may request for deferment on grounds of new employment, newly established businesses, studies and examinations, and on compassionate grounds, including the birth of a child, marriage and death of a next-of-kin. To ensure the regularity of training, NSmen granted deferment will be scheduled for make-up training. Disruptions from NS call-ups and training are granted to all NSmen who are away on overseas employment or studies for a continuous period of one year or longer.

Mr Siew has asked how we can actively engage employers, and we do, so that they can better understand the needs for NS and see how we can better address their concerns. For example, MINDEF organises employer visits where employers can witness what their NSmen do during in-camp training. I was in one such visit where an employer says, "Thank you very much. I thought my employees were having a good time during their ICTs. But I realise they are really doing serious training, and that helps." This has helped employers appreciate the role of their employees and how they have a role as citizen-soldiers. And, indeed, quite a few employers have also told us that the certificate of service for full-time NS is really useful to them when they want to employ prospective job candidates. They look for it because, if this person can succeed as a commander, they think he can add to their organisation. They look more favourably on a candidate if he has been a commander, because it reflects capable leadership and initiative.

Mr Siew has also asked us about our policy on PES-C clerks' or reservists' duties. Let me first state that, through National Service, every serviceman is responsible for and expected to contribute to the defence of Singapore, the principle of universality I articulated earlier. The 3G SAF, as with all modern armies, requires servicemen of different vocations and specialisations to work together to fight as a cohesive unit. Therefore, we need frontline soldiers who need the critical combat support and combat service support sustainment to achieve their victories. Our NSF and NSmen are assigned to duties according to their Physical Employment Standard (PES). But let me remind Members and the public that a lower PES grading cannot and does not mean that less is required of that soldier. The responsibilities they are asked to shoulder in their vocations depend on their aptitude, motivation and demonstrated leadership qualities.

Service-fit servicemen or those graded PES-C, as alluded to by Mr Siew, therefore, can and do play important roles. We do deploy them on a diverse range of vocations, including doctors, technicians, signal operators, medics, drivers and clerks. Each one of them, in their own significant way, is a vital link in the defence of our nation. To enable our servicemen to carry out their duties, we need to call them back for annual in-camp training to refresh their skills and ensure that they are always operationally-ready. Otherwise, they will put the safety of their own lives and the lives of their comrades at risk. For these reasons, it would not be possible to exempt every PES-C NSman who is assigned to be a clerk. We do need them to carry out their duties in their units, and it would erode the cohesiveness of units if we were to disrupt them. Also, it is not equitable to exempt all PES-C clerks from in-camp training.

In summary, Mr Chairman, Sir, the training of our soldiers and units is of paramount importance to the operational readiness of the SAF, and a capable SAF is vital to the security of Singapore.

The Minister of State for Defence (Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee): Mr Chairman, Sir, I will now answer the remaining questions on the 40th anniversary of NS, new citizens, financial control and National Day parade.

Sir, Dr Ong Chit Chung, Mr Ang Mong Seng and Mr Michael Palmer asked about the key achievements of National Service (NS) and how it has been transformed over the years. Mr Michael Palmer is a young man but he remembers his National Service days well. He also read up. It is true that in the early days when the NS Act was first moved, there were pockets of demonstrations. So there was not unanimous or even consensual support. And how has it transformed over the years? Well, 40 years have passed and we are very pleased to report that the support for NS has been overwhelming. Survey after survey show that support for NS within the NSF ranks, NSmen and the public is well over 90%. In 40 years, we have today over 300,000 NSmen, not mentioning those like Dr Ong Chit Chung and myself who have been demobilised. The SAF would not be what it is today without the NSmen over the 40 years.

But NS began very humbly. When the first batch of 900 recruits was enlisted on 17th August 1967, Basic Military Training (BMT) was a rude shock for some and an anxious time for many parents. Enlistees were then driven off in 3-ton trucks, and parents were only allowed to visit their sons in camp after two to three weeks. I remember I took a bus from my HDB flat to CMPB, was bundled up a 3-tonner, shouted at, went to two or three camps to collect my boots, uniforms, went to 1 SIR, and then we were given a dressing down by the sergeant. But times have changed. Today, we begin right, and it is a positive experience right from day one.

There is much less anxiety about enlistment today. Today, enlistees are accompanied to the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) in Pulau Tekong or the units by their parents. Their parents come along with them, a proper send-off. Parents get a tour of all the facilities, eg, where they live, train, shoot and eat, and witness their sons' oath-taking and experience a typical meal at the cookhouse with them, where they eat together. By providing the parents with more information and enabling the parents to share in the NS experience, we reduce much parental anxiety about NSmen. We also allow the NSmen to call their parents when training is not in session, and NSmen can also contact their friends, girlfriends, parents, and now we are trying to use the Internet.

Our philosophy of recruit training has also changed from the early days. Today, BMT takes a progressive, positive approach in training our soldiers, both physically and mentally. Our methods of physical training are also much more scientific, reducing the risks of injury.

Take a typical route march, for example. Before our recruits attempt the 24-kilometre route march, they go through shorter marches starting at four kilometres, then moving on to eight kilometres, 12 kilometres, and so on. There will be proper medical care, water-drinking drills, and so on. With this progressive approach, our recruits gradually build up their proficiency levels and graduate as confident soldiers at the end of BMT.

We seek to make NS a challenging and positive experience for our young men. But that does not detract from our objective of developing rugged, operationally-ready citizen-soldiers. Making NS a positive experience is a highly significant way in which NS has been transformed.

Sir, another area of tremendous change is that of NS administration. The National Service Affairs Department (NSAD) was established in 2001 to improve the management of NS affairs. Last year, we launched the NS Portal, which is an on-line portal providing services and information to the NS community. This is a one-point one-touch service. I have got the front page of the NS portal. It is easy to remember and is so attractive. Today, NSmen can conveniently inform MINDEF of their overseas travel via SMS or the Internet, and conduct other transactions with ease - a one-point service.

Members have also asked how MINDEF has recognised the services of those who have contributed to NS over the last 40 years. The Minister, Mr Teo Chee Hean, earlier spoke about the importance of NS to our security and nation building, and of the strong commitment of our National Servicemen, well over 90% support across the board. It has, therefore, been a priority of MINDEF to give recognition to our NSmen. MINDEF regularly reviews the recognition that should be accorded to our NSmen. A committee to Recognise the Contributions of Operationally Ready NSmen to Total Defence (RECORD) is convened once every five years for this purpose. Over the years, MINDEF has implemented many recommendations put forth by RECORD.

MINDEF is committed to implementing the recommendations of RECORD IV, the latest RECORD, which put forth its recommendations in early 2006. Last year, MINDEF implemented the 40th Anniversary NS Bonus as part of the Progress Package, which was given to all who have contributed to National Service. This year, we will be providing a higher quantum of NSmen Tax Relief for NS command and staff appointment holders. We will also be giving the ORNS Completion Award to NSmen who have completed their Operationally Ready NS training cycle. These are just some of RECORD IV's most recent recommendations.

As announced by the Second Minister for Finance during his Budget Speech, our NSFs, ie, National Service Full Time and NSmen, including those under 21, will receive an additional $100 of GST Credits as part of the recent GST offset measures.

SAFRA is an integral part of the NS story and NS experience. After full-time NS, they move on to become NSmen and they receive this bundle of benefits as well. Through SAFRA, MINDEF aims to recognise the contributions of our NSmen and to facilitate cohesion among them, the units and the families. SAFRA achieves these objectives by providing members with quality facilities and attractive benefits at very, very cheap prices. Today, 35 years after inception, SAFRA has more than 230,000 members. Its growing membership is an indication of SAFRA's continued relevance to our NSmen. As part of RECORD IV's recommendations, a sixth clubhouse is currently being built to serve NSmen who live in the western part of Singapore, in Jurong. SAFRA will also be re-developing its Toa Payoh Clubhouse, the first clubhouse, and upgrading the Tampines Clubhouse.

How do we commemorate NS40? NS40 is not just events but a whole series of experiences over the last 40 years. But events are landmarks that we want to commemorate. There will be a calendar of events this year to record some of the important milestones over the 40 years. Highlights include an exhibition on NS, a commemorative book and a series of open houses. The Army and the Navy will each be opening one, and the opening of the Army Museum. The organising committee will be announcing the full slate of events very soon.

Sir, Dr Maliki Osman and Mr Zainudin Nordin asked about the contribution and commitment of new citizens to NS, and how they are integrating and adjusting to military life. Each year, we have a number of new citizens in full-time NS. They are born foreign nationals, they took up permanent residency, but have since been naturalised as Singapore Citizens. Like those who are born Singaporeans, they are enlisted for full-time NS upon reaching enlistment age and contribute to Operationally Ready NS thereafter. Others enlist as permanent residents and subsequently take up citizenship during or after full-time NS.

How do we integrate these new citizens and PRs, as asked by Dr Maliki and Mr Zainudin? To start off, new citizens often have a limited understanding of National Service, as their fathers may not have done National Service. MINDEF, therefore, recognises these issues and organises visits for new citizens and their families to BMTC (Basic Military Training Camp) to allay any concerns that they may have prior to enlistment. Such visits have allowed many of our new citizens to transit smoothly into military life. I host these visits personally and want to assure these new citizens that life in BMTC is only slightly different from civilian life. There is a smooth transition from civilian life to military life. Similar visits are also organised for permanent residents and their families prior to enlistment. These take place after the boy has registered for NS.

NS serves to provide new citizens and permanent residents with a first-hand experience of Singapore's diverse social fabric. This common experience has also helped bond new citizens and permanent residents to other Singaporeans and to Singapore.

Sir, Dr Maliki asked whether there is a difference between Asian NSmen and Non-Asian NSmen. We treat all NSmen the same. In fact, many non-Asian NSmen have transited into NS very well. And also among Asian NSmen, some are not so Asian. In fact, I just received an email from a schoolmate. He said, "Dear Tsai Kee, I have not seen you for 30 years. My son is now 22 years old. He has never been to Singapore, never studied in Singapore. He has just finished his university education in Stanford. He is coming back to Singapore. Can you help to enlist him early?" So, this is a case of a Singaporean who has worked overseas for the past 22 years and his son has been in a foreign environment. He probably speaks American but he is coming back. He is Asian, but he may not be so Singaporean. Nonetheless, we will find a way to transit him into National Service. We treat Asians and non-Asians as just NSmen. We are colourblind.

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Sir, my encounter with new citizens serving NS has been very positive. I have done many of these visits and, each time, I find interesting NSmen. I recently met 3SG Jagdeep Singh when I visited BMTC. Jagdeep was born in India, but has since taken up citizenship. After graduating from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Information Technology, he was enlisted into BMTC, trained as an infantry specialist and was subsequently posted back to BMTC as an instructor, where he now trains future batches of recruits. He is a very interesting character and a very positive NSman.

Over the last few years, an increasing number of new citizens have contributed to National Service. Mr Chairman, I see that the time has run out.

The Chairman: This being a very big budget involved, I will give you more time. Please give time for clarifications.

Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Thank you, Mr Chairman, for your indulgence.

Over the years, as I have said, an increasing number of new citizens have contributed to National Service. But it is not just the number gained. Many have also volunteered their services beyond their call of duty and, in doing so, have demonstrated their commitment to Singapore's defence. Let me give you some examples.

LTA(NS) Wong Hong Ting was a permanent resident (PR) who became a citizen during National Service. He volunteered to participate in Operation Flying Eagle, that means, the Tsunami Relief Operation, to provide relief to residents of Meulaboh, after it was struck by the tsunami in December 2004. He has since completed his full-time NS and is now pursuing a Degree in Science at the National University of Singapore.

Another example, Sir, SSG(NS) Siu Yeung Fuk came to Singapore from Hong Kong when he was nine years old. He is 43 years of age today and has volunteered his services beyond the statutory age of 40 to continue serving as a company sergeant in an infantry brigade. Mr Siu is a dedicated NSman and was awarded the SAF's NSmen of the Year in 1998. The SAF is very proud to have dedicated servicemen, such as 3SG Jagdeep Singh, LTA Wong, SSG Siu and many others like them. Welcome to the NS community.

Sir, on the Modified NS for "First Generation" New Citizens, Mr Arthur Fong and Mr Zainudin suggested that we introduce a modified form of NS for new citizens who were formerly first generation PRs to imbue in them the importance of national defence because they do not have a chance to do National Service.

The People's Association (PA) has existing programmes to integrate new citizens and permanent residents into Singapore society. MINDEF will work with the PA to see how the programme can include elements that will help new citizens and PRs to better understand the importance of NS and national defence.

Sir, on the important issue of financial controls asked by Mr Low, I want to thank him for that question. Mr Low asked about our findings on the cases of procurement irregularities highlighted by the Auditor-General's Office.

Sir, there were three cases highlighted by the Auditor-General's Office. All three were incurred in the same overseas office, and involved the way that three contracts were awarded for renovation and minor works. Although industry practice overseas may differ from practices in Singapore, our officers performing such functions overseas still have to comply with the procurement rules and procedures that were established for the Singapore context.

MINDEF had investigated the cases thoroughly and found that the irregularities arose due to human lapses and negligence that led to breaches in the Government's standard procurement rules. The Government's procurement procedures would have been effective if they had not been breached due to human lapses and negligence. The individuals who circumvented the controls have been disciplined and no longer hold appointments with such responsibilities.

Sir, to deter such problems, MINDEF has sent reminders to its overseas office to strictly abide by the procurement rules. The disciplinary action taken would also send a strong signal that such lapses are taken seriously.

Sir, I would like to reiterate that there are strong and sound financial controls in place in MINDEF. The irregularities reported were due to human lapses and have been seriously dealt with.

Sir, on National Day Parade, Mrs Josephine Teo has asked for an update on the plans for National Day Parade over the next few years, while the new Kallang Sports Hub is being built. A temporary multi-purpose facility with a seating capacity for 27,000 spectators has been constructed next to the Esplanade, overlooking a floating platform anchored in Marina Bay. The concept of such a floating platform came from the SAF's Combat Engineer Formation which has the honour of organising this year's National Day Parade. The platform was built with engineering expertise from DSTA working in partnership with the industry.

Apart from hosting other mass spectator events, from this year, the facility at Marina Bay will be used as a temporary site for National Day Parade until the new Sports Hub is ready. The seating capacity of the temporary facility is comparable to the number of people we can seat if the National Day Parade is held at the Padang. In keeping with the tradition, we will continue to hold the National Day Parade at the Padang once every few years. This also allows a mobile column to be on parade - a sight many Singaporeans take pride in and look forward to.

This will be the first year that the National Day Parade will be held at the Marina Bay. The parade organisers plan to make use of the available water and air space along the floating platform to put on an exciting and memorable performance, one which will strengthen our bond as a people.

Mrs Teo asked how we ensure that the NDP will not compromise on quality. We would not compromise on quality. We will ensure that it will be as well-run as those that were held in the Padang and Kallang Stadium. This year, we are going to Marina Bay, so we have the water features to overcome. But we are confident that we will give all Singaporeans an exciting birthday party.

How do we ensure it as a signature event, as Mrs Teo asked? A signature event will come when we bond all Singaporeans. We will involve as many Singaporeans as we can over the next few months. In fact, even before that, we have consulted Singaporeans and we will make sure that every National Day we will have this special effect of "the lump in the throat" feeling.

The Chairman: We have some time for clarifications, after which it has been indicated to me that we carry on with the next cut. Ms Indranee.

Ms Indranee Rajah: May I seek the following clarifications from the Minister for Defence?

A lot of emphasis has been placed on high technology for the SAF. But in the context of the current security threats, especially terrorism, the terrorist approach appears to be low-technology, high-impact, such as September 11th, for example. My question is: what is the SAF doing in anticipated response to that kind of situation and appreciating of course that there has to be coordination with the Home Team? But, the SAF, of course, has its own specific areas of responsibility. That is the first clarification.

The second is that: the Minister mentioned the regional conference between the Defence Ministers. I would like to ask the Minister what was the main achievement at the end of that conference and what does he look forward to being achieved in the upcoming conference?

The third clarification I wish to seek is in the context of training in India. Given that the terrain there is quite different from the terrain in Singapore and the immediate Southeast Asian region, what kind of training do we do there and what is the benefit that we get out of training in India?

Mr Teo Chee Hean: The SAF's role in combating terrorism is carried out in very close coordination with the Home Team. We provide certain very specialised capabilities which may not be cost-effective to develop in the Home Team. For example, the Anti-terrorist Assault Unit. It resides with the Special Operations Force (SOF) in the SAF, and they have very specialised high capabilities to deal with terrorist threats which may present themselves in a very complex way where you have to storm a building, an aircraft or a ship. And there may be multiple threats, not just the typical explosives or hostage threats, but threats from other kinds of capabilities that terrorists today may possess. The SOF will deal with that.

We also take care of the low-tech threats which Ms Indranee talked about. We help the Home Team during very high profile events, such as the World Bank/IMF Conference. We took over the security in some of the more outlying areas so that the Home Team could redeploy policemen to places where they were needed, in Orchard Road and the area of the Convention Centre where it was more appropriate to have police officers, rather than to have a high presence of SAF personnel, although there were SAF personnel there in the background.

These are some of the other ways that we do this. And some of the low-tech things are, for example, ways that you can stop a vehicle which wants to crash into Jurong Island or polarise the spectacles so that sentries standing guard at the post can see more easily through the wound-up windows of a truck or a car. That helps with the security of these facilities. We have looked at all these things in great detail to see how we can help soldiers and, of course, our Home Team people, to operate in this kind of environment.

The ADMM is an evolving organisation. We had our first meeting in Kuala Lumpur last year and we will host the next meeting this year. What we want to do is to set up an architecture which will result in practical cooperation. Before the ADMM meeting, we already have had a number of different groups meeting amongst the ASEAN members. We have CDFs informal meeting, for example. And we have meetings of intelligence chiefs. We have meetings of various Service Chiefs. And we have a number of bilateral and multi-lateral exercises taking place in ASEAN. One of the things we want the ADMM to do is to provide some kind of overall guidance and structure to these various activities so that they can proceed with better direction.

The other thing which we want the ADMM to do is to develop an architecture where we can strengthen ourselves but, at the same time, engage extra regional countries which have something to contribute to the stability of our region. We know that our region occupies a very important position in Asia, at the confluence between India and China; at the confluence of major sea routes, air routes and also energy-rich. We know that other countries outside the region have an interest in the stability of our region in Southeast Asia and we want to engage them in a way which contributes to this stability. These are steps which we are taking along the way.

On training in India, it has a wide variety of terrain. It is a very large country. It has got mountains, jungles and deserts. And it has got very good training facilities. The Indian Army is a very experienced armed forces. Our interaction with the Indian Army has been a very useful and interesting one, because they also have a range of equipment which we do not usually get to exercise with. This provides SAF with very challenging exercises to do. We hope that the Indian Armed Forces are equally challenged when they exercise with the SAF.

Dr Ong Chit Chung: Mr Chairman, Sir, I am sure the Minister will agree that we all try to avoid an arms race in Southeast Asia. I would like to ask him how do the immediate neighbours of ours think about our defence capability and defence technology.

Secondly, earlier on in the sitting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seems to have its hands full dealing with some of our immediate neighbours' problems. But I understand from Minister Teo that our defence relationship is very good with our immediate neighbours' defence forces. Would it help in any way in our foreign affairs, or maybe, he can give some helping hand to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Inevitably, the relationships between countries have to be taken as a totality. So where we have good relations in the armed forces, it can help in the overall relationships with our neighbouring countries when things do go into a bad patch. But, on the other hand, it is also true that when things go into a bad patch, they can also affect the relationship between the armed forces of the two countries. So, I was a little saddened, for example,

that allegations of, say, violations of air space and so forth which are totally unfounded have come up, because they do not create an environment which is conducive for cooperation between the Armed Forces when allegations like that come forward.

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So I was very heartened to hear the very firm denial made by the Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces, Air Chief Marshall Djoko Suyanto to refute these allegations that came up. So it is true that good defence relations can help with the overall relations but it is also true that when the overall relations do take a downturn and when people exploit various kinds of situations, make allegations which are unfounded for whatever motivations that they may have, it can affect the overall defence relationship as well.

On arms race, I think each of the countries in our region are developing their own Armed Forces for their own purposes and reasons, and so too Singapore. I am glad to say that our friends in Malaysia, for example, Malaysian Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin recently declared that Singapore has the right to purchase arms for its Armed Forces and the newly appointed Malaysian Chief of Army has similarly said that Singapore has the right to purchase arms and that it is entirely not an armament race. I think that is the correct way to look at things. We each build up our Armed Forces to make sure that we can defend ourselves. That provides a more stable situation in the region. As the Indonesians themselves would say, when we have national resilience, we can have regional resilience.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, my first clarification pertains to the procurement irregularity I spoke about. Since this involves an overseas office, and I understand that MINDEF has more overseas offices in the past 10 years or so, my concern is how does MINDEF supervise their overseas offices pertaining specifically to expenditure of the overseas offices as well as procurement? Is there any specific oversight agency in MINDEF itself scrutinising expenditures and looking after the procurement procedures in the overseas offices?

Sir, the next clarification I have pertains to the Minister's speech about the 3G SAF. I understand that one of the features of the 3G SAF is actually network-centric and force integration. These two important features are dependent very much on computer and communications systems. I would like to ask the Minister for Defence what is the strategy that MINDEF employs in terms of ensuring the security and integrity of the communications system and I believe that communications system is going to be the backbone of the 3G SAF.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: May I take this opportunity to respond to the question of financial controls in MINDEF? We take this very seriously. I am glad that Mr Low has brought up this issue because it allows us to make an explanation.

First of all, I should say that the points that Mr Low brought up are actually the points which were brought up in the AGO's report and it shows that this is a very important line of defence that we have in our system. In fact, I am very happy that the AGO is reporting in this way and is taking such a thorough look at MINDEF's accounts and accounting procedures because it gives me, as a Minister, a lot of reassurance that somebody else outside of MINDEF, that is the AGO, is actually keeping a very close watch on what is happening in the Ministry of Defence. And this is on top of the internal processes that we have in place in MINDEF, both within MINDEF here and in our overseas deployments. We do have an internal audit department which audits MINDEF carefully and I look at the report regularly; and where we have irregularities or where there are weaknesses, we do correct those from the internal audit report. But as I said, I am very happy to see that the AGO scrutinises MINDEF and all the other Ministries so carefully because it shows that the checks and balances that we have in our Government system are fully in place.

On the subject of communications system, Mr Low is absolutely correct. Communications is the key. So we do have a very robust communications system. We have been strengthening up the corps of our communications system in the SAF over the years. We now have, for example, in the SAF, an officer who will be of Brigadier-General rank, who will be responsible for communications in the SAF, and that is across the three services. And that means communications by all means that we have available today, including satellite communications, terrestrial communications, broadband communications, and high-speed communications.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: A point of clarification. I think MOS Koo Tsai Kee has misunderstood the point that I have raised earlier with regard to the difference between naturalised citizens who are of Asian or non-Asian descent. I did not ask whether the SAF will treat them differently, because I am sure SAF will not treat anybody differently. The question I raised was whether, in relation to performance as well as adjustment issues, there are differences between naturalised citizens with Asian origin and non-Asian origin, given the context that we are predominantly an Asian society, whether those without Asian descent will have more difficulties and what does MINDEF do to try to help them assimilate and culturalise within our context.

Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Based on experience, there is no performance difference between the Asian NSF and non-Asian NSF, because the training in the BMTC and then subsequently SISPEC and OCS are systematic. So we bring them through a series of training sessions before we conduct assessment on them and only upon passing that assessment would they be allowed to go to the next phase of the training. With this progressive training regime, we bring everybody from different starting points to the same ending point.

Mr Siew Kum Hong: Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the Second Minister for the thorough responses to my questions. However, I am not sure that he addressed the specific issue of employers favouring foreign talent over Singaporean males due to NS liability. So I would like to clarify if the Ministry is aware of this perceived bias, whether it has investigated its existence and what measures are in place to address any such bias.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: Sir, first let me thank Mr Siew for bringing them up. As he said, these are anecdotal incidents. We have various committees. We have the ACCORD and we interact with employer organisations and we have awards for employers. Perhaps we should invite Members of the House to attend these to give a sense of how we engage the employers' community.

By and large, our feedback from them is that there is no, if you like, systemic discrimination against NSmen; in fact, the reverse is true. Many of them had fed back that they actually value, as I said, the Certificate of Performance. They want to know how Singaporeans have performed in NS. We have one story where the employer said he had so many applications, he wanted to shortlist them, so he said, "OK. Show me those who have done well in NS and I will just concentrate and start there." But if there are specific instances that Members know, then, of course, please forward them to us and we can look at them.

In terms of his question about calling up NSmen and losing out business opportunities, I admit there might be many instances where Singaporeans have to sacrifice, whether it is opportunity loss because of specific instances. We will try to reduce them because we give advance notice for deferment. But I accept that out there, in terms of our NSmen, there could be opportunities missed. That is why we choose other ways to recognise, through RECORD, through our NS bonuses, and, this year, in the GST offset credits. It is a very small token never commensurate with the sacrifices that our NSmen have to make but, nonetheless, there are certain ways that we can show that we appreciate their efforts and sacrifice.

Mr Zainudin Nordin: Mr Chairman, Sir, I am very happy and assured that the Minister is committed to R&D for defence. But I would just like to know what is the guiding principle between purchasing technology and developing our own technology as in the allocation of resources.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Mr Chairman, Sir, wherever we can, we buy because, more often than not, that is the more sensible thing to do. There are economies of scale and it is more effective and efficient to do it that way. Sometimes, we co-develop with others a certain product or system where we have requirements and needs which coincide. Where we go into research and development, it is in those key areas where we either cannot get access to the technology because people will not sell it to us or there are particular needs and requirements that we have which other people do not pay as much attention to. There are some unique defence requirements that we have. We are very small, we have very short reaction times. Our weather and terrain are also unique because we are very tropical and we may require very specific solutions because of our cloud cover, vegetation cover, and temperatures where the generic solution may give a satisfactory answer but may not give an optimised answer. And if we can find the optimised answer for some of these things, it gives our systems the extra edge. So when you look at a vehicle, whether it is a tank, a weapon, a gun, an aeroplane or a ship, it may look the same outside; but inside, what it does can be different and the extra 5% or 10% that our engineers can give can make a crucial difference, whether you win or lose the combat. And those are the types of things that we put our R&D on, not the general things which we can purchase easily off the shelf.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: Sir, the SAF did the heavy lifting when it comes to humanitarian missions to countries like Indonesia and Thailand. I wonder whether the Minister had heard feedback from the ground about our NSmen and regulars risking their life and limb in going to all these places, and they also had peacekeeping missions in Aceh, which was a dangerous place. Our residents had been asking why we had been going out of the way to help countries which have short memories and unfriendly when it comes to such important things like sand and granite. Can the Minister comment on this?

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Mr Chairman, Sir, I think when it comes to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief we do these things because we feel that it is the right thing to do. I know that when the tsunami struck all along the Indian Ocean rim, there was a tremendous outpouring amongst Singaporeans, they wanted to do something to help. It was palpable. We could see that in our community - residents' committees and community centres were gathering together to collect money, food and clothing. School children were lining up to make contributions, they were volunteering at relief centres to pack goods, and so forth. There was such an outpouring. And the assistance that the SAF gave was part of that outpouring of goodwill, friendship, a common sense of humanity with our friends and neighbours, particularly in Indonesia and Thailand. What the SAF was able to contribute during this operation was to allow an expression on the part of Singaporeans of that sense of wanting to do something to help.

I recall that the third LST that we sent - we sent three LSTs to Meulaboh in Indonesia - we brought along representatives of many of the NGO groups which had worked hard to make a contribution; and the commitment and dedication of those NGO and VWO volunteers when they got there was tremendous. It was something which has to be seen to be understood. I went to Meulaboh a couple of times and I saw them there; it was tremendous. So when it comes to humanitarian relief and disaster operations, we have to help because that was the right thing to do, and I still believe that it is the right thing to do despite the atmospherics that have happened in recent years. I am a little saddened by that. I suppose, in some quarters, memories can be short but, heaven forbid, if we were to be called upon again, I am sure that we will respond and Singaporeans will respond simply because it is the right thing to do, and Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines - these are all our neighbours and we are all brothers in ASEAN.

Mr Sin Boon Ann: Sir, I just want to ask for clarification in respect of MINDEF articulating its policy on releasing NSmen for training. I know that they have stated their policy on deferment, but what I would like to hear from the Minister is whether NSmen who ask for timeout for training under the various NSAs would be given timeout.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: Sir, as I mentioned in my reply, we do give deferments for training. I am not sure what particular instances Mr Sin Boon Ann is referring to. But in terms of, say, In-Camp Training (ICT) call-ups, because of the advance notice, we try to minimise the disruption. But the principle is, the unit commander, whom we hold responsible for the operational readiness of his unit, is given that responsibility and we give him the authority to decide who gets deferred. In general, we defer those who have contingencies, for example, a new job or a new baby comes along. So our commanders are not insensitive and, where they can, they do grant deferments. But as everyone understands, in order for them to be training effectively and to reach certain standards, we do it sparingly. If you talk to the servicemen, they do know that deferments have been granted.

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Sir, I just want to ask a question relating to NDP. I know that there are many rehearsals which are conducted. I just want to ask whether, from the Ministry's viewpoint, there is any conscious attempt to see whether we can cut down on the number of rehearsals because this comes at a great cost in terms of man hours, woman hours, and children hours.

Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Yes, that is one of our minor KPIs for the parade organiser, the combat engineers. So we have taken note of that public concern.

Dr Lam Pin Min: Sir, my point of clarification is with regard to training safety. I am aware that in the RSAF, there are reporting systems for both flying-related as well as ground-related accidents or incidents where the analyses and the lessons learnt are disseminated to servicemen. This initiative is commendable as it encourages open reporting and, hopefully, prevent similar recurrences. I would like to ask the Minister if similar open anonymous reporting systems are available in the Navy and the Army and, if it is so, whether such systems have been effective in preventing recurrences of accidents or incidents during training.

Ms Ellen Lee: Sir, I just want to ask, with so much effort and money spent on acquiring the state-of-the-art weapons and advanced technology, are there still any applications of those military strategies that are expounded in "Sun Tzu Bing Fa"? Because I think that is not very much money to be spent but a lot of philosophies to be employed in real warfare.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: First of all, as I have explained at some length during my reply, we do not just buy high-end expensive stuff. We also go for good but cheap stuff and we improve it along the way through a variety of means, including through our scientists and engineers. But, yes, these are timeless classics. We study Sun Tzu in our colleges, we study Clausewitz, we study military history as an important component of training our officers. Because they have to understand what is the human side of war in order to be able to wage war, because that particular element will not change even though the weapons of war may change.

The Chairman: Ms Indranee, do you wish to withdraw the amendment?

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Chairman, Sir, may I thank the First and Second Ministers for Defence and Minister of State for their comprehensive, thoughtful and in-depth replies. We are reassured that the rather large budget that we hope to approve in a short while has been put to good use to acquire not just an entire arsenal of weapons but a menagerie as well. With that, may I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $10,227,179,040 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $351,000,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.