ACCORD (Progress)

Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence what is the progress made by ACCORD, which was set up in 1984 to provide measures through which the public can be persuaded and educated to give support and recognition to National Servicemen.

BG Lee Hsien Loong (for the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (better known as ACCORD) reviews and suggests improvements to current and new Mindef policies which affect the community at large.

Although ACCORD members serve in their personal capacities, they give good feedback because they come from a wide cross-section of the population. Among them are Members of Parliament, businessmen, school principals, community leaders, SAF reservists, a trade unionist, a journalist, a lawyer, a surgeon, the present President of Nanyang Technological Institute and the Director of VITB.

ACCORD's terms of reference are much wider than to foster public support and recognition just for national servicemen. ACCORD's role is to review and recommend measures to increase support and recognition for full-time national servicemen and reservists by the public, their families, employers and peers, and to create awareness and understanding among the general public of their role in the Total Defence of the country.

The following are some of the suggestions ACCORD has made. In preparation for National Service, ACCORD has suggested that Mindef should speak to the Ministry of Education and the schools on the importance of preparing schoolboys, both physically and psychologically, for National Service. Some areas which should be studied are: how to improve the physical education and swimming programme in schools; how to identify early, and treat, where possible, children who have poor eyesight; and how to educate students on Total Defence and the role of the SAF, through the school curriculum.

Another area is civil resource mobilization. ACCORD has suggested that the SAF should test out mobilization procedures, internally first, so as to minimize inconvenience to the public. Also, that Mindef should meet owners and operators of the civil resources to receive their comments and suggestions before finalizing the regulations and mechanics for mobilization.

On Open Mobilization of reservists, ACCORD has suggested that Mindef should give the public ample warning, so that they will not be alarmed by the Open Mobilization exercises. As Members would be aware from my answer yesterday, this is precisely what Mindef is doing.

On Total Defence promotional activities, ACCORD has suggested that, in addition to advertising and presentations to various interested groups, Mindef should also reach out to school children, for example, by distributing song sheets and cassette tapes of the Total Defence song "There's a Part for Everyone".

On employer involvement, ACCORD has suggested that Mindef should consider giving awards to employers who have enlightened personnel policies on reserve service.