DEFENCE COMMITTEE REVAMPED TO DEEPEN ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITY, BUSINESSES & YOUTH

Organise forums for Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) to share their journey with young Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and their parents.

This is one of the engagement ideas which ACCORD's new Family and Community Council (F&C) will be looking at to strengthen family and community support for National Service (NS).

ACCORD refers to the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, which serves as a channel for the public to share their feedback on defence matters. It has been expanded and restructured into three councils - the other two are the Employer and Business Council (E&B) and the Educational Institutions Council (EI).

The restructuring came about after a year-long public consultation effort by the Committee to Strengthen NS which started last May.

"This new restructured ACCORD is to really open up more platforms for engagement, and (build greater) awareness that Total Defence is the job and responsibility of everyone," said Ms Claire Chiang, Co-Chair of the F&C.

The Senior Vice-President of Banyan Tree Holdings was speaking to the media after the restructured ACCORD held its first meeting at SAFRA Toa Payoh on 25 Aug. She was also one of 52 new ACCORD members appointed in a ceremony following the meeting.

Speaking from the perspective of a wife and mother, Ms Chiang plans to work with various women's groups to help girlfriends and wives better understand what their partners go through in NS.

She also wants to change the mindset of some parents who think of NS as a phase that their sons have "to pass over and get over with".

To this end, she believes that NSmen who had gone through NS and went on to excel in life are the best advocates.

"We need a strong narrative, we need good champions and I think the NSmen will be our important resource, to come back to tell the stories."

The F&C will also focus on engaging new citizens and permanent residents, she added.

Tackling business issues

To help the business community to better support NSmen, the E&B will tackle issues faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). For example, SMEs, with their smaller workforce, may face a manpower crunch when their NSmen are away for In-Camp Training (ICT).

It will also find ways to help the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) collaborate more closely with the business community, help NSFs to better transit into the workforce, and have companies recognise NSmen's ICT performances.

To gather feedback effectively, the E&B is made up of business leaders representing the key trade associations and chambers, as well as SMEs and multinational companies (MNCs).

"It's going to be a good representation of the business community," said Mr Tony Chew, Co-chair of E&B.

"We can contribute inputs and make recommendations that would be useful in improving NS issues, as well as help to garner and encourage greater support from (the) business (community) for NS," added the Executive Chairman of Asia Resource Corporation.

Engaging the youth

Working with educational institutes is another focus of ACCORD as the youth are the NSmen of tomorrow.

Ms Indranee Rajah, Co-Chair of EI and Senior Minister of State for Education, said the EI will enable "leaders in the education sector to work more closely with MINDEF (Ministry of Defence) on the engagement of our students, parents and educators".

Ms Elim Chew, an EI member, added that there is a need to communicate the importance of NS to the youth.

"This generation of young people need to see a vision; they need to see a purpose," said Ms Chew, the founder of 77^th Street. She sits on more than 20 committees in the public service as well as youth and community groups.

"Today, we need to work together and show them a bigger vision of why they need to do NS to protect Singapore and also their own future in Singapore," she explained.

ACCORD is chaired by Second Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing and supported by Deputy Chairman Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman.

Seventeen existing members, along with the 52 new members, were appointed to ACCORD and its councils, while seven current members stepped down.

At the ceremony, Mr Chan thanked all past and present ACCORD members for their contributions.

"I really appreciate your effort in coming on board, because joining ACCORD to explore some of these issues to strengthen the support for NS and defence is the best testimony that we can ever have," said Mr Chan.