SAF - READY AND DETERMINED, THANKS TO NSMEN

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) owes its strength and credibility to the spirit and commitment of the country's National Servicemen.

Thanks to this spirit, buoyed by successive generations of NSmen, the SAF stands ready to respond to the nation's call, determined to prevail in battle.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this at a dinner commemorating 40 years of NS, held at Leaders Square in Pasir Laba Camp.

The event, which marked the end of a five-month campaign celebrating this anniversary, was attended by over 1,200 guests.

Mr Lee noted that "without the defence capability that National Service made possible, Singapore may not have survived, let alone prospered" over the past four decades.

While recent developments point towards a positive outlook for Asia and the region, he warned against taking things for granted in a shifting strategic landscape.

"If things go wrong, we are not going to have 20 years of advance notice, much less 40 years. So we must never become complacent and let our guard down," said Mr Lee.

"Instead, we must continue to upgrade our capabilities and our equipment steadily year by year, in a sustainable and affordable way."

He also said that new cohorts of NSmen must be trained and inducted to "understand these strategic realities and prepare them for their part in defending Singapore".

Mr Lee added that an effective, deterrent SAF is Singapore's "guarantee for continued peace, progress and prosperity".

For their professionalism and dedication, 12 NSmen received the SAF NSman of the Year Award, which Mr Lee presented to them at the dinner.

He also launched 40/40 - 40 Stories & 40 Years of National Service, a commemorative book honouring the contributions of Singaporeans to national defence.

In addition, an online e-time capsule, which allowed NSmen to submit their NS-related pictures and tales for posterity, was sealed by Mr Lee at the event.

It had received more than 1,000 contributions since April this year, including scanned front covers of PIONEER magazine from 1972 to the present.