COMMITTEE TO STRENGTHEN NS HOLDS FIRST MEETING

At this year's Committee of Supply Debates in Parliament, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen announced that he would chair a Committee to Strengthen NS (CSNS). On 8 May, the CSNS held its first meeting at the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC), located on Pulau Tekong.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Dr Ng said that one of the key aims of the CSNS is to look into ways of ensuring that support for NS continues to remain strong.

"Commitment (to NS) is high but we want to continue to talk to different groups - employers, parents and NSmen (Operationally Ready National Servicemen) themselves - to see how we can increase this commitment."

He added: "We have to examine how we can help our NSmen fulfil their duties. Of course, they all have different aspirations and experiences, but we felt that the most important element is to find out how we can continue (to strengthen) this commitment to NS for this generation."

Although the members of the CSNS steering committee came from diverse backgrounds, they were clear of their objectives in these fledgling few months: to gather feedback and suggestions from the public on NS.

"The committee has just started coming together and it's not so much about what our suggestions are at this point of time. What we want to do is to start a conversation about NS with as many Singaporeans as possible," said Major (NS) Suresh Divyanathan, CSNS member and Partner at Oon & Bazul LLP. A lawyer in private practice, the 39-year old is a Commanding Officer (CO) of a Combat Engineer Battalion.

Another CSNS member, Master Sergeant (Vol) Allan Lim, said: "As an employer and an NSman myself, I know the challenges that NSmen face. Generally, the consensus is that NS is necessary and that it is a duty to serve, but how we are going to do it is the topic that we want to explore now."

As Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Biofuels, a company which focuses on clean energy, the 41-year old serves in an Armoured Brigade as a Volunteer.

Two other CSNS members - Dr Luisa Lee and Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (NS) Ridzuan bin Ismail - agreed on the importance of ensuring that the institution of NS remains a bedrock of confidence for generations to come.

"We are not starting from ground-zero. NS has gone through a lot of changes (through the years)... and (what the committee also wants to explore is) how we can build on past achievements through understanding the voices on the ground," said LTC (NS) Ridzuan.

A Chief Engineer at the Public Utilities Board, the 41-year old serves as the CO of an Infantry Battalion. He has also participated in the fifth committee to Recognise the Contributions of Operationally Ready National Servicemen to Total Defence (RECORD V).

These four CSNS members are part of the 20-member CSNS Steering Committee, which is supported by two Working Groups.

The first, "Support for NS", is headed by Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing, and will look at motivating and helping NSmen maximise their abilities and contributions to NS. Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman will chair the second work group, "Recognition and Benefits for National Service", which will explore ways to promote the recognition and appreciation of NSmen's contributions.

Over the next six months, focus group discussions and town hall sessions will be organised to gather perspectives and ideas from servicemen and the public. Details on how to register for public engagement sessions will be released at a later date.

Members of the public can also submit their NS-related ideas and feedback online. For more information, visit the Strengthen NS website at www.strengthenNS.sg.