Welcome Remarks by President Halimah Yacob at the Aides-de-Camp Appointment and Appreciation Ceremony

Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State for Defence

Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development

Members of the Honorary Aide-de-Camp Corps

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good afternoon.

I am happy to host this afternoon’s Appointment and Appreciation Ceremony for our Honorary Aides-de-Camp (HADCs). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to postpone the ceremony in 2020 and 2021. Hence I am glad to have the opportunity this afternoon to express my appreciation to the 33 retired HADCs who have served the Presidency honourably for the past few years, and to welcome the 32 newly appointed HADCs.  

HADCs have come a long way since President Yusof Ishak appointed Mr Peter Joe Chia, then serving as a District Commissioner in the Boy Scouts’ Association, as a HADC from 1960 to 1970. President Benjamin Sheares later formalised the HADC Corps by appointing 15 HADCs from the Army and eight from the Police in 1971. The Corps has since grown from strength to strength over the years to become the current size of 103, with SCDF HADCs being appointed for the first time in 2007.

This afternoon, I am pleased to appoint 103 HADCs, 32 of whom are newly inducted to the Corps since 2019. As members of the HADC Corps, you serve the Presidency on a voluntary basis. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the spirit of volunteerism is even more commendable. Many of you were busy with the COVID operations back in your respective units, and yet you have continued to actively volunteer for various events. Your commitment to serve despite your busy schedules is commendable. I would also like to express my appreciation to your families and loved ones for their strong support, which has made it possible for you to dedicate yourselves to your HADC duties.

I am heartened to see that the Corps continues to attract officers of high calibre and from all walks of life. Among the new intake of HADCs, we have Assistant Superintendent of Police Irene Yong, who joined the force in 2004 as a Sergeant. Throughout her 17 years career, Irene has taken on additional duties to sharpen her competencies besides her core policing work — she was a career advisor and a SPF para-counsellor. It is indeed inspiring to hear how Irene rose through the ranks over the years and has now decided to join the Corps.

Among the new HADCs, we also have a couple of officers from the elite forces.  Major Kang Han Ting Alvin from the Navy and Major Kannan Selvaraj from the SCDF have both made noteworthy contributions to the nation. Major Kang was one of the few selected to attend the prestigious US Special Forces Qualification Officer Course in 2018, and later went on to serve in the Naval Diving Unit. Alvin had also volunteered as part of the Forward Assurance and Support Team in supporting the COVID-19 Operation at a foreign workers’ dormitory.

Major Kannan Selvaraj was with the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team that specialised in complex rescue incidents. Notably, Kannan was deployed to Laos for an overseas humanitarian aid mission as the Contingent Commander.

I am glad to see the finest officers from the various services, such as Irene, Alvin and Kannan, volunteer to serve in the HADC Corps.

We also have distinguished National Service Officers among the new intake for the Corps this year. Lieutenant Colonel (NS) Tay Wan Yuan from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was the RSAF Participation Command Formation NSman of the Year for 2019. During his active days, he has won numerous awards and is the Distinguished Honour Graduate for the US Army Captains’ Career Course in Fort Sill. Now an NSMan and a father of four young children, Wan Yuan still finds the time to volunteer as a HADC, thanks to the support of his supportive wife of 14 years.

Another NSMan is Commando-turned medical officer Major (NS) (Dr) Ramesh Wijaya. Since graduating from National University of Singapore in 2007, he has stayed in the public service, serving in various public hospitals. Amid his busy schedule as consultant surgeon with Changi General Hospital, Ramesh has further stepped forward to serve in the HADC Corps. According to Ramesh, it is about giving back, having gained much from his training in the Army. I appreciate their desire to serve and look forward to working with them in the coming years.  

We will be witnessing the presentation of certificates of appreciation to 33 HADCs who will be retiring from the Corps for the years 2020 and 2021. Of particular mention are Military Expert 7 (Retired) Chua Thian Cheong Daniel from the Army, Lieutenant Colonel Lim Tszu-Yin Rachel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, and COL (Retired) Eric Chua from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. All three officers have served the Presidency conscientiously for over a decade, 22 for Daniel, 18 for Rachel, and 11 for Eric.

Having served 22 years as an honorary ADC, Daniel is our longest-serving honorary ADC. Daniel’s attention to details and steadfast leadership helped to ensure many of the official events at the Istana went smoothly.

Appointed in 2003, Rachel is one of the most experienced officers in the HADC Corps and the longest-serving female HADC. Having been involved in numerous events over the last 18 years, Rachel played a leading role as the Medal Overall-In-Charge (OIC) for many major state events, such as the National Day Investiture Ceremony, Investitures for Distinguished Service Order (Military) and other award ceremonies. Like many working females, juggling work and family is a challenge. For female HADCs, this challenge is even more accentuated, as many of our HADC duties are in the evenings or weekends, taking precious family time away.

Eric was appointed in 2007 as one of the pioneer batch of HADCs from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Eric shared that while putting on the rugged looking and heavy-duty firefighting gear gives him a sense of pride and identity as a lifesaver, he is equally proud to don his ceremonial uniform and the aiguillette worn over his right shoulder when serving as a HADC. Eric had also taken the effort to share his experience during the HADC sharing sessions to inspire the junior HADCs.

I thank them, as well as the other officers who are retiring from the Corps, for their long-term service to the President’s office as well as to the nation.  I hope that you will one day reflect fondly upon the experiences and friendships forged over these years. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Of course, all of these would not have been possible without the support of the Chief of Defence Force, Commissioner of Police, Commissioner of SCDF, Service Chiefs and all supervisors. Thank you for nominating some of your finest officers into the HADC Corps and continuing to support these officers whenever they are called upon to serve the Office. Your recognition of their efforts will definitely motivate more outstanding officers to come forward and serve in the HADC Corps.

Thank you.