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SINGAPORE : Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is a much stronger organisation today due largely to the talented people in service.
He said that is why it is important to continue to attract bright young Singaporeans to serve in the SAF.
He was speaking at the SAF Overseas Scholarship Award Presentation Ceremony at the Istana on Wednesday evening.
When the tsunami struck Aceh in 2004, the SAF was there to help with relief supplies. When Singapore suffered the SARS outbreak in 2003, the SAF again helped in executing home quarantine orders .
Mr Lee said the SAF has established a reputation for itself as a highly professional and capable force through such operations. But it now faces new challenges like terrorism and evolving military technology.
Mr Lee said: "The SAF has reached a level of maturity where often it cannot find ready-made solutions elsewhere, but must do its own thinking and develop its own to stay ahead. This makes talent even more critical to the SAF.
"More than ever, the SAF needs leaders of the highest quality throughout the organisation, who can think ahead, conceive new ways of operating, (and) implement bold and creative plans and bring the SAF to the next level."
Mr Lee noted that the servicemen are well educated and know whether they are competently trained and led.
He said: "They are prepared to take tough training, but they have a low tolerance for army bull or for superiors who pull rank instead of commanding respect through their competence and personal example.
"Servicemen and their parents must have every confidence that should they ever be ordered into battle, the general and admirals commanding them count among the most able that Singapore has to offer."
Being part of the able team in the SAF are four new SAF overseas scholars. All aged 19, they will pursue their studies in the UK or the US.
The scholars are Wayne Ho from the Army, who will read Economics at the University of Warwick, UK; the Air Force's Conran Chia, who will read Economics at the University College London, UK; pilot trainee Jason Lau, who will read sociology at the University of Warwick, UK; and the Navy's Alex Ang, who will head to Cornell University, US to read physics.
That brings the total number of such scholars to 265 since 1971. The SAF Overseas Scholarship is the second most prestigious after the President's Scholarship. Prime Minister Lee himself was a pioneer recipient of the SAF Overseas Scholarship in 1971.
Opportunities are aplenty in this globalised world. So Mr Lee said Singapore must impress upon the young the importance of the SAF. And he hopes that young Singaporeans will then respond to maintain and enhance the security of this nation. - CNA/ms
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