FULL-TIME NATIONAL SERVICE (Utilisation of skills of graduates)

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Defence, whether any special efforts are taken to utilize the technical and scientific skills of graduates while they are doing their full-time National Service.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence to provide a defence capability to safeguard the sovereignty and security of Singapore. To discharge its responsibility, the SAF must first and foremost have sufficient number of combat soldiers. They form the fighting edge of the SAF. Under our universal conscription, citizens who are physically and medically fit for combat are trained and deployed in combat units regardless of their educational qualifications. Those who are able and have leadership qualities would be trained and deployed as commanders and officers. The low national birth rate makes it even more critical for the SAF to deploy the available manpower resource to combat duties where they are most needed.

The population of graduates in the SAF has been increasing over the years. This is a positive development. Increasing educational levels of our soldiers add to our defence capability, enabling the SAF to exploit science and technology to multiply its effectiveness. With higher education, our servicemen would be better able to operate new and sophisticated weapon systems as well as be trained in more complex operations.

Non combat-fit servicemen would similarly be deployed in areas where they could still make a maximum contribution to support the SAF's fighting capability. Where appropriate and relevant, special skills and qualifications are used to augment and multiply our combat capability.