PM LEE VISITS SAF SOLDIERS TRAINING IN BRUNEI

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers undergoing jungle confidence and survival training in Brunei. During his visit on 25 Apr, Mr Lee interacted with troops at a jungle survival training site and witnessed officer cadets taking part in a river crossing exercise.

During his conversations with the trainees, Mr Lee emphasised the importance of National Service, and commended them for their professionalism and perseverance when going through rigorous training.

In an interview with media after his time with the troops, Mr Lee acknowledged the tough training conditions in Brunei: "... it's a different environment, much more challenging, much more physically demanding and I think psychologically, if you go through it, it gives you a lot of confidence... that you could go through the toughest training and you can make it.

"I think it does a lot of good for our soldiers, whether they are NSFs (Full-time National Servicemen), whether they are Regulars, whether they are NSmen (Operationally-ready National Servicemen)," he added.

Officer Cadet Najimudeen s/o Anwerudeen agreed that training in Brunei was a good learning experience. He said: "Here in Brunei...the vegetation is thicker, and the insects are double the size of what we find in Singapore... We learnt about jungle confidence and how to survive given the surroundings... it's all about getting comfortable in this environment and using the jungle to your advantage."

Mr Lee also observed that new generations of servicemen take their training seriously and understand the value of it, and he expressed satisfaction at their training attitudes: "Their morale is good and their commitment is there. I think they know there's a job to be done and this is really more than a job; it's a mission."

Singapore and Brunei share a strong and long-standing defence relationship through bilateral exercises and professional exchanges that have enhanced the professionalism and strengthened the ties between both armed forces. Besides that, SAF troops also conduct regular training in Brunei.

During the visit, Mr Lee was accompanied by his wife Madam Ho Ching, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Member of Parliament Low Yen Ling, Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Ravinder Singh and other senior SAF officials.

Mr Lee was also in Brunei for the 22nd ASEAN Summit, which concluded on 25 Apr.