SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (Recruitment of better quality personnel)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health how the Ministry of Defence will ensure that, in its programme to recruit better quality personnel into the Singapore Armed Forces, it will not deprive the public and private sectors of their fair share of such personnel.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong (for the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health): Sir, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining peace and security. It is therefore important that some of our best brains in Singapore be put in charge of this crucial national task. The salary increases for SAF servicemen last year reflects MINDEF's concern that it is the civilian sectors which have been depriving the SAF of its fair share of better qualified personnel, and not the other way round. This is because a military career is very onerous and very demanding, much more so than most civilian jobs. Obviously, we must try to strike a correct balance. I would like to assure the Member for Punggol that the problem that he envisages will be continually monitored.

Sir, our target is to have approximately 100 graduates join the SAF each year. Given an average output of approximately 2,500 graduates coming out of the National University of Singapore over the next few years, it is unlikely that the civilian sector will be deprived of qualified personnel.