CELEBRATING ADVENTURE, CHALLENGE AND SERVICE

More than 5,000 National Cadet Corps (NCC) officers and cadets, parents, school principals and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) attended the 104th NCC Day Parade held at SAFTI Military Institute on 17 Jul.

Officiating at the parade was Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, the Environment and Water Resources, Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee.

Assoc Prof Koo commended the NCC on its adventure spirit and its tri-service approach, which allows NCC cadets to experience training on land, sea and in the air.

The NCC is not just a core curricular activity, said Assoc Prof Koo.

It is also an investment in our youth. It has a series of experimental learning programmes that bring cadets out of their comfort zones and challenge them both physically and mentally, he said.

At the event, Assoc Prof Koo also presented awards to the top performing NCC units.

In line with its mission of developing resourceful, responsible, resilient and loyal leaders and team players, the NCC has embarked on a training philosophy that encompasses adventure, challenge and service.

And this is a training philosophy that the cadets are more than happy to undertake.

I'm more resilient, physically and mentally, because of the NCC, said Tajuddin bin Mohd Marhim, a Unit Sergeant Major from Victoria School, which won the Overall Best Unit award.

The basic skills the NCC teaches will serve as a good foundation for my full-time National Service days, he added.