WIDER REPRESENTATION IN ACCORD FROM NEXT YEAR

To better understand Singapore's maritime capabilities, and what agencies like the Police Coast Guard (PCG) do to keep Singapore's waters safe and secure, eleven members of the Advisory Council for Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) visited Headquarters PCG at Pulau Brani on 13 Dec.

Hosted by Minister of State for Defence and Education Lawrence Wong, the visit saw the ACCORD members touring the PCG's Integrated Tactical and Training Centre, which trains PCG personnel to operate the Coastal Patrol Craft (CPC). They also viewed a sea demonstration of how the PCG intercepts unauthorised vessels intruding into Singapore's territorial waters.

Mr Wong and his counterpart, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos Mohamad, also co-chaired a dialogue session for about 90 employers from the Singapore Business Federation and Singapore National Employers Federation.

To broaden support for Total Defence, Mr Wong said ACCORD will also welcome three new members next year. They are parliamentarians Mr Ong Teng Koon and Dr Chia Shi-Lu from the People's Action Party as well as Mr Yaw Shin Leong from the Worker's Party.

Attributing the success of ACCORD to its wide representation of members, Mr Wong said that the new members, who worked in industries like finance and health, were committed National Servicemen who would "add another dimension to (ACCORD's) representation".

The new members, Mr Wong said, will allow ACCORD to have "an ambassador, a voice to speak to people in the community and through this process... collectively help to strengthen commitment and public support for defence".

Comprising members who represent various sectors of society such as community and grassroots organisations, employers, educational institutes, the media, national servicemen and trade unions, ACCORD regularly visits the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) units to enable members to better engage the various groups they represent.

For example, ACCORD also visited the Republic of Singapore Air Force Open House in May this year, as well as the Republic of Singapore Navy's Navy Changi Command and Control Centre in September.

For ACCORD member Superintendent (NS) Darric Teo, the visit to the PCG was an opportunity for guests to witness the depth of involvement of national servicemen in the daily operations of the Singapore Police Force.

The businessman, who represents National Servicemen from the Singapore Police Force, said: "We listen to their views and share them with ACCORD. We also share MINDEF and MHA's messages and the direction that we are heading towards (with the NSmen) so that we are able to work in a concerted manner."