TOTAL DEFENCE (Public perception and support)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Dr Ong Chit Chung asked the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence what is his assessment of the public perception and support for Total Defence; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the need for Total Defence is not forgotten.

The Second Minister for Defence (Policy)(Dr Yeo Ning Hong)(for the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, the concept of Total Defence was introduced in 1984. Since then the Defence Ministry has conducted annual surveys each year. The surveys showed that most Singaporeans are familiar with the concept of Total Defence. They appreciate the importance of Total Defence and the need for every individual Singaporean to play his part. The latest survey was conducted earlier this year in January, and it showed 78% of Singaporeans agreed with the statement that "With Total Defence, we can discourage others from attacking us." 17% disagreed with that statement, and 5% said "they did not know."

At the community level, awareness of Total Defence is emphasized through a variety of programmes. They include:

(1) The various civil defence programmes and emergency exercises for distribution of food, water and fuel.

(2) Civil resource mobilization (this is when the owners of vehicles like lorries, 3-tonners and trucks bring in their vehicles to allow Mindef to use)

(3) Open Mobilization. (This is when family members participate by informing their sons, husbands, brothers or cousins that a particular Open Mobilization exercise is on, and get the reservists report quickly to their units.

In addition to these programmes, the Government also conducts a number of campaigns. They include the "Sing Singapore", "Courtesy", "Community Week" and "Productivity" campaigns, all with the objective of strengthening our Psychological Defence, our Social Defence, our Economic Defence. Overall, the response from the public has been encouraging. The public has demonstrated their support for these exercises and campaigns. We believe that Total Defence is now part and parcel of the individual Singaporean's way of life.

Taking the long term, we have to ensure that new generations of Singaporeans are familiar, and knowledgeable, about this concept. To do that we have enlisted the assistance and support of the Ministry of Education. We have worked our guidelines on the teaching of Total Defence worked out together with the teachers and principals. These guidelines are being issued to the principals and teachers in primary and secondary schools. We also encourage teachers to attend national education courses and Total Defence courses, so that they too will have a better understanding of what it is we are trying to achieve, and teach Total Defence to their children, answer their questions and help in the programme for encouraging every Singaporean to play his or her part in Total Defence.