SERVING THE PRESIDENT WITH POISE AND PRIDE

This year, Madam Samsiah Binte Hashim probably received her best birthday present yet when her son, Captain (CPT) Muhammad Helmi Bin Khaswan, was appointed as an Honorary Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the President.

Together with 90 other officers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force and Civil Defence, CPT Helmi received his Certificate of Appointment from President S R Nathan at the Istana on 6 May.

Of the 49 SAF officers who were appointed as Honorary ADCs, 39 of them have served as an Honorary ADC for a year or more, while CPT Helmi and nine others were newly-appointed.

Said CPT Helmi after the appointment ceremony: "Being able to serve in the President's Office is a privilege that not many people have, and I really appreciate the Army for nominating me."

"My mum is very proud of me. As she just turned 51 on 26 Apr, she said my appointment was like a birthday present to her. So I guess this must mean quite a lot to her," said the platoon commander from the Officer Cadet School.

An ADC is a personal aide of the President. Currently, there are three full-time ADCs who accompany the President at official functions, as well as plan and coordinate events such as state receptions, dinners and investitures.

Honorary ADCs assist full-time ADCs in duties that range from coordinating functions, receiving guests, serving as liaison officers for VIPs and as masters of ceremonies at official events.

A full-time ADC serves a tour of duty for two years, while Honorary ADCs are appointed on a year to year basis, but they generally serve for three years.

ADCs are first nominated by their respective Services, after which nominees go through stringent interviews that assess their social skills and intelligence. Those selected will then attend training sessions to prepare them for their role as an ADC, where they learn about various protocols in interacting with foreign dignitaries and other VIPs.

Besides having exceptional social skills and intelligence, Honorary ADC Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Foong Kok Pun added that ADCs should possess another important quality.

The Commanding Officer of the Underwater Demolition Group in the Naval Diving Unit said: "An ADC has to be proud to be a Singaporean. That way, you'll make it a point to know more about your own country and be able to perform the role of a diplomat much better."

Now into his eighth year as an Honorary ADC, LTC Foong shared with cyberpioneer his most interesting assignment thus far - to accompany Chinese President Hu Jintao during his visit to Singapore last year.

"Through interactions with President Hu and his team, I found a lot of meaning in my ADC appointment, because I got to see how other countries view Singapore," said LTC Foong, who is part of the core group of ADCs, having served more than four years.

"Although we are a tiny red dot, the recognition given to us by other larger countries made me feel very proud to be Singaporean."

While the perks of being an ADC include the opportunity to meet many dignitaries, there are challenges as well, such as having to be ever ready to respond to last minute changes, as Military Expert (ME) 4 Edna Goh pointed out.

Now into her second year as an ADC, she recalled being the Master of Ceremony for an event where the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was present.

"I was worried I would get his name wrong! I kept on repeating his name in my head so I would be able to pronounce it properly," said the Deputy Head of the Air Force Logistics Centre, who hopes to have the opportunity to serve as Mrs Nathan's ADC-in-Attendance in the future.

For LTC (NS) Lim Jit Mee, who is the Head of Operations in Headquarters Armour, being an ADC has helped him develop a more outgoing personality.

"As an ADC, you have to interact with people from all walks of life, ranging from heads of states to the general public. In a way, I'm now quite adept in engaging different kinds of people," he said.

LTC (NS) Lim, who is the director of a trading and marketing company, also explained why he chose to continue as an ADC for the eighth year: "I've gone through quite a lot with fellow ADCs after doing this for some time, so there are bonds built that I wish to keep."

Summing up his past seven years of experience in one sentence, he said: "It has been a pleasure to serve the President's office."