DR MALIKI COMMENDS HIGH BATTLE READINESS OF SAF, NSMEN

Putting Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) on standby duties, alongside active servicemen, showed their high level of operational readiness, said Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman during his visit to NSmen on Army Standby Force duties at Jurong Camp 2 on 21 Sep.

The NSmen from the 755th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (755 SIR), showed their ability to rapidly deploy in response to a simulated incursion in Singapore through an activation exercise.

The exercise saw the citizen soldiers prepare rapidly for battle, which included going through quick weapon refresher training. The drills are conducted by Army units to validate their battle readiness.

Dr Maliki also noted that the SAF - including its citizen soldiers - stands ready to respond to any threats, including terrorism: "It (The SAF) watches over Singapore and guards over Singapore 24/7 so that we can go on with our lives, focus on our work (and) focus on our families."

Singapore is facing a heightened threat of terrorism. Just last month, militants were arrested in Batam for planning a rocket attack on Marina Bay.

While the SAF stands ready to protect Singapore, it is also the responsibility of all Singaporeans to stay vigilant, said Dr Maliki.

"Everyone has a role to play They cannot take our security for granted. The peace and stability that we have is a collective responsibility of everyone," he said.

The NSmen from 755 SIR were undergoing a two-week In-Camp Training which started on Monday. The Army Standby Force comprises units from across the various vocations including infantry, armour, artillery, engineer and transport units.