NEW SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE VISITS BMTC

On 13 Oct, Senior Minister of State for Defence Ong Ye Kung visited the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Pulau Tekong. This was his first visit to a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) camp since assuming the defence portfolio on 1 Oct.

He observed recruits - who had just enlisted a week ago - undergoing circuit training, and Singapore Assault Rifle (SAR) 21 weapon handling practice. He also spoke to recruits to find out more about their perspective on training.

Speaking to the media after the visit, Mr Ong - who last visited Pulau Tekong in 1988 when he enlisted for National Service (NS) - shared about the changes he observed in the training of Full-time National Servicemen. For example, recruits now use computer tablets to learn about the stripping and assembly of weapons, before going for practical training. "The methods, the curriculum, the methodology - the way we train them progressively - all of this has seen a lot of advancement," he said.

But what had not changed was how NS brought together boys from different ethnicities and family backgrounds. "There is equity amongst everybody. You train, you sweat, you cry, you laugh side by side. That is the beauty of NS, and this is where the pride of defending our nation begins. Ultimately, NS remains the cornerstone of our defence."

When asked about his priorities for his portfolios in defence and education, Mr Ong, who is also Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills), sees synergy between both.

This is because most young men enlist for NS after their education, and many further their studies after completing their full-time NS, he noted.

"I am glad to have the chance to see through (these important parts of) a young person's life," added the 45-year-old father of two teenage children.