Speech by President Halimah Yacob at The 127/22 Officer Cadet Commissioning Parade

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Defence

Graduands of the 127/22 Officer Cadet Course,

Parents and loved ones,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. I am delighted to join you and your loved ones on this special day at this parade in person. To the graduands this evening, a big congratulations on completing your training as Officers of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic as a country, we are faced with a global geopolitical landscape fraught with tensions. On the global stage, relations between the United States and China have deteriorated across areas of trade, ideology and politics. In Europe, the Ukrainiane war has ignited hostilities and soured relations. There is also a digital battlefield that we have to be prepared for, and threats in this realm continue to grow in scale, sophistication and organisation.

These developments underscore the importance of respecting the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity – principles that are fundamental to Singapore’s ability to exist as a small country. A strong SAF is thus critical to ensure that we can protect Singapore’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. As you embark on your leadership journey, I urge you to remain cognisant of this geopolitical context. We are at a crossroads of history, and there are many dangerous paths that the world could take. You and the SAF must be prepared for all eventualities, and provide Singapore with the defence and deterrence necessary to secure our future.

National Service (NS) is a critical enabler for defence and deterrence, and necessary for our future. This year commemorates 55 years of NS, and we honour the collective resolve and contributions of generations of National Servicemen. Many of you are serving your NS, and are joining this representation of our country’s collective will and commitment to stand independently as a nation. As you bear the mantle of responsibility as young officers, use this milestone as a timely opportunity to reflect on our history, the challenges ahead, and how we will continue to forge on.

We continue to find ways to maximise the contributions of NSmen, and optimise the deployment of our resources, to maintain NS as a core pillar keeping our defence strong. Beyond the ongoing review of our Medical Classification Systems which aim to ensure that our national servicemen are meaningfully employed, other new initiatives include the expansion of Work-Learn schemes where our national servicemen can receive professional accreditation and academic qualifications while serving NS.

These policies and initiatives are the tools we use to build up the SAF. Yet we must remember that a strong SAF and NS is ultimately contingent on the unity and morale of its fighting force. This is a duty that you as leaders must now bear. NS has been, and must remain, a great social leveller, and we must protect this cornerstone of our shared identity and a key thread of our social fabric. As the next generation of leaders, it is your responsibility to inspire and lead, and this includes keeping your soldiers united and resilient against extreme social changes or foreign actors who seek to divide our country.

We must also ensure that our SAF remains relevant, nimble and well-prepared to take on both traditional and nascent security challenges that lies ahead. I am heartened to know that the SAF has resumed overseas training this year such as the recent Exercise Wallaby at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Australia. I am also pleased that the Infantry cadets within this cohort were part of the first training frame in Brunei after a 2-year hiatus, as we resumed overseas jungle training. Such exercises provide our servicemen and women an added sense of training realism and expose our soldiers to new and challenging terrains.

The SAF also maintains operational readiness and excellence in multinational exercises. For example, our Air Force took part in Exercise Pitch Black which allowed our squadrons to sharpen their competencies and enhance coordination with other air forces. Our Navy took on a leadership role at the multinational Rim of the Pacific Exercise, where our command team led and directed warships from various navies in warfare missions.

This year, we are also proud to have set up the Digital and Intelligence Service to strengthen Singapore’s defence against threats in the digital domain. This will allow the SAF to better operate as an integrated force to deal with a full range of increasingly complex and “grey zone” threats – non-traditional operations that can stealthily and gradually destabilise our society. Much like how the SAF continues to improve and innovate to maintain a decisive edge over the years, you must also seek every opportunity to continuously improve to better contribute back to our country. This includes keeping this new domain of operations in mind as you lead your soldiers and continue your journey as officers in the SAF.

To the families and loved ones gathered here today, I thank you for your unwavering support to our graduands. Your unconditional care has crucially served as their guiding light through this long training journey.

To the graduands, I wish you success in the next phase of your leadership journey. As young officers of the SAF, you must remain adaptable to the complex and evolving operating environment. Your nation trusts you with its continued survival. May the Officer’s Creed continue to guide you in your future journey.

In these tumultuous yet exciting times, I am confident – to Lead you will, to Excel you shall, to Overcome you must. Thank you.