STANDING TOGETHER FOR TOTAL DEFENCE

From an islandwide adventure challenge to a series of online crowd-sourcing initiatives, this year's Total Defence (TD) campaign will see Singaporeans coming together to live and share their experiences of uniting as one to overcome adversities.

Themed Will You Stand With Me, the campaign calls on Singaporeans to stand united against challenges.

Said Director Nexus Colonel Kelvin Koh at the TD media brief held at the Singapore Discovery Centre on 17 Jan: "The history of Singapore has shown that during crises, be it the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic which hit the country 10 years ago, or the economic downturn, Singaporeans have banded together, helping one another to survive the hard times.

"This is the spirit we want to show and encourage."

On TD Day which falls on 15 Feb, more than 150 Singaporeans from all walks of life will take part in the TD Challenge - a key component of the campaign which demonstrates how teamwork triumphs over difficulties. In the one-day adventure challenge that covers up to 40km in distance, about 30 teams of six participants each will take on a series of physical and mental challenges at various checkpoints around the island. They will embark on a route that starts at the Singapore Discovery Centre and ends at the Republic Polytechnic, where the TD Day Commemoration Event will be held.

The tasks of the Challenge, which are designed based on the five pillars of TD - military, civil, economic, social and psychological defence - will be revealed to the teams on the actual day. Upon completing the tasks, each team, comprising two students, two Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel, an individual with disability and a senior citizen, will be awarded points, which will be matched by a monetary value for charities supported by the Community Chest.

Participant Corporal (CPL) Prasanth Selvam, a full-time National Serviceman from the 1st Commando Battalion, found the team-bonding and fund-raising components of the Challenge meaningful. "I look forward to executing the tasks that will push the limits of our team and test how well we can coordinate and work together," said the 21-year-old on what he expected of the Challenge. "Not only that, we can help the less fortunate by raising funds at the same time."

To give the media a glimpse of how the Challenge will be conducted, two teams of participants completed a short obstacle course during the media brief. They attempted a series of tasks, like filling a large container to the brim to retrieve a key inside, unlock the chain-lock bundling some panels, and piece them together to form the campaign theme.

One of the participants, 58-year-old Mdm Kang Quek Ngoh, said: "I feel young and active playing the games together with the teenagers. They respected my suggestions and were enthusiastic in improvising them. I had a lot fun working with them!"

Members of the public can show their support for the teams by accessing the TD Challenge app on the ConnexionSG Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/ConnexionSG), where they will get live updates of the event when it takes place on TD Day.

Other online activities in which Singaporeans can participate include: "Let's Stand Together" photo montage, "My Friend In Deed" contest and a 21-Day Challenge hosted by local bloggers.

A representation of the campaign message about Singaporeans making a difference when they stand together as one, the "Let's Stand Together" photo montage invites members of the public to submit photos of themselves, with their arms outstretched, to the official campaign website (www.standwithme.sg). The photos will be linked to form the "longest online human chain" of Singaporeans joining hands together.

Another crowd-sourcing activity, "My Friend In Deed" contest, calls on Singaporeans to share their stories on the ConnexionSG Facebook Page about how someone stood with them to achieve a goal or to overcome a challenge.

This year, bloggers are also involved in driving part of the campaign activities. In the 21-Day Challenge, Dr Leslie Tay (www.ieatishootipost.sg) and Faz (www.thedramadiaries.com) will blog, tweet or post on Facebook a challenge a day for their readers to complete.

For those who enjoy watching the TD-themed animation clips produced by youths in the annual animation competition, N.E.mation!, they can log on to www.nemation.sg to view and vote for their favourite entries. Themed Together We Overcome, this year's submissions draw inspiration from superheroes, friendships and historical events such as the Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961. Voting will end on 7 Feb.

On 15 Feb, members of the public can make a trip down to the Republic Polytechnic, where the TD Day Commemoration Event is held from 9am to 6pm. There will be stage performances, static displays of the SAF equipment and experiential activities such as the mini-adventure challenge organised for visitors.

For more information on this year's TD campaign, log on to www.standwithme.sg. TD campaigns are organised by Nexus, a department in the Ministry of Defence which plays a key role in developing a shared sense of nationhood among Singaporeans.