Welcome Remarks by President Halimah Yacob at the Honorary Aide-De-Camp Appointment Ceremony and Appreciation Dinner

Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence

Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development

Members of the Honorary Aide-de-Camp Corps

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Evening. I am pleased to host tonight’s Appointment Ceremony and Appreciation Dinner for our Aides-de-Camp. This annual event gives us the opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Honorary Aides-de-Camp, or HADC, who have served the Presidency for the past year, as well as to extend a warm welcome to the 23 newly appointed ones.

The HADC Corps has grown from strength to strength. Its history dates back to our pre-independence days, when the then Yang di-Pertuan Negara Encik Yusof Ishak started appointing HADCs to assist in the execution of state functions. Over the years, the Corps has evolved to include female officers, National Service men and officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Last year, I officiated the inauguration of the fourth Service of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) – the Digital and Intelligence Service, or DIS for short, and I am delighted to welcome two of its female officers to the HADC Corps this year.

HADCs are the ambassadors of the President’s Office.  They play an important role in assisting the full-time ADCs in planning, managing and executing functions and events attended by the President. Our HADCs have consistently demonstrated a spirit of excellence, going above and beyond in their duties.

This evening, I am pleased to appoint 103 HADCs, 23 of whom are new appointments. Let me extend my heartiest congratulation on your new appointment. As HADCs, you have an important responsibility to ensure that each function is executed smoothly. You are also expected to demonstrate the highest professional standards, as well as the qualities of leadership, empathy, and resourcefulness at each function. I am confident that your strong spirit of service, volunteerism and camaraderie will see you through.

One of the newly appointed HADCs is Military Expert 4 Arvind Dave Singh from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). He shared that his most memorable experience was when he helped to plan RSAF’s golden jubilee celebrations in 2018, where I launched the RSAF50 at the Singapore Airshow. Dave was tasked to ensure a smooth movement plan and worked closely with the Corps, whose pride and service in turn inspired him to join the ranks. Dave is now an NSman and flies a commercial plane, but I have no doubt that his experience as a pilot and Air Force engineer will be an asset to the team.

This year, I am also pleased to see more female officers stepping forward to join the Corps. We have a total of 10 new women HADCs, and among them is Assistant Superintendent Siti Nur Nazihah. The former teacher joined the Singapore Police Force (SPF) eight years ago. With her rich experience in teaching, investigation and leading a team, as well as her current role in building strategic relationships with foreign dignitaries and stakeholders, I believe Siti is well-positioned to execute the duties of an HADC with excellence.

Major Lee Xin Ying from the Republic of Singapore Navy shared her excitement to serve the highest Office in the land, after having to forego the opportunity last year due to conflicting offshore duties. It is heartening to hear that Xin Ying quickly seized the opportunity to serve as an HADC once she has been rotated to an appointment ashore. Welcome, Xin Ying. I look forward to your contributions.

To the 25 HADCs who will be retiring from the Corps this year, I thank you for your years of dedicated service and invaluable contributions. Through it all, you have exuded warmth and hospitality, ensuring our guests leave the Istana with a positive and lasting experience. I hope that you will look back fondly at the exposure gained and friendships forged over the years, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

I would like to commend Major Ridzwan of the Singapore Army who had dedicated 17 years to the Presidency. He had conscientiously served for nearly two decades, rising through the ranks to take on leadership positions in the Corps. He had led the Static team ably as the Overall-In-Charge for many successful runs of the National Day Investiture Ceremony. I am sure many will miss his sharing and willingness to impart knowledge. Major Ridzwan shared that his late father, a retired Warrant Officer, was one of the key reasons he took up this appointment years ago. He wanted to make his father proud, and I am certain that he has done that.

Seated in our midst is also Lieutenant Colonel Neo Jia Qi, who served as an HADC for close to a decade. He was one of the many HADCs who served at my Swearing-In Ceremony as President in 2017. Despite taking on additional responsibilities in his main posting and personal life, Jia Qi went on to contribute his time and service at many high key functions and events over the years. I am confident that his learning journey as an HADC has been an enriching one.

To the Chief of Defence Force, Commissioner of Police, Commissioner of SCDF and our service chiefs, I thank you for your continued support in selecting your best officers for appointment into the HADC Corps. I would also like to take this chance to appreciate the spouses and supervisors seated amongst us, for allowing them to carry out their duties efficiently.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you once again for your strong support. We wish everyone a pleasant and enjoyable evening.