NATIONAL SERVICEMEN (Deployment at construction sites)

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NATIONAL SERVICEMEN:

(Deployment at construction sites): 8.

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether it is true that National Servicemen are being deployed at construction sites to serve their National Service duty.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, there are currently 74 full-time National Servicemen in the Construction Brigade of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The numbers have declined significantly. No SCDF NSF has been posted to the Construction Brigade since November 2002.

The SCDF's mission is to save lives and property. In an emergency or war-

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time situation, this includes fire fighting, rescue and assisting agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board, in providing essential services and repairing damaged buildings.

To fulfill this role, the SCDF needs trained manpower. The regular SCDF staffing would not be sufficient in an emergency situation. National Servicemen, both full-time and operationally-ready, are trained in the various vocations to supplement the SCDF regulars in performing these tasks. One of the vocations of the SCDF full-time National Servicemen is that of Technician specialising in Construction. These NSFs, trained in construction skills, form the SCDF Construction Brigade. During peace-time, these NSFs, on top of their rescue and construction skills training, are deployed to construction sites to give them practical experience in handling actual construction work.

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, are the parents of the NSmen serving in the construction sites counselled as to why their sons are posted to construction sites for National Service training, because some parents are not happy about it?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, there have been no problems so far. As I have said, the numbers have declined. But in terms of where they are posted to, many parents would not be happy about where their sons are posted to, whether it is to the Construction Brigade or other vocations. I think we should leave it to the SCDF to decide, based on set criteria, who to post to the various vocations.