STANDING UP FOR TOTAL DEFENCE

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) featured strongly in this year's Total Defence Awards to recognise the contributions and sacrifices of employers and civil resource owners in support of National Service.

Out of the 10 Minister for Defence Awards - the highest accolade to be awarded - that were presented on 30 Jul, three were picked up by the smaller companies.

"I think it is a mental block when you say that being a smaller company I cannot contribute towards Total Defence," said Mr Danny Lien, Managing Director of Amos International (S) Pte Ltd, one of the Minister for Defence Award recipients.

His procurement and logistics management company has 60 employees, of whom 15 are Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen).

"The bulk of the economy consists of SMEs, if every SME thinks 'not me, someone else can do it', then in time to come, we will have no more defence."

Mr Lien, an NSman himself who commands an armoured regiment, believes in integrating the concept of Total Defence into his business operations.

"Success and security goes together," he said.

Like the other award-winning companies, Amos International discourages requests for in-camp training (ICT) deferment, plans well in advance to spread out the workload of NSmen, and even hands out monetary incentives and sponsors exercise initiatives to ensure its staff keep fit.

The special effort taken by businesses, especially the smaller ones, to keep company operations running when their employees are called up for their ICT or mobilisation exercises was not lost on Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean."Your support and commitment has enabled the SAF to effectively conduct regular in-camp training, mobilisation and requisition exercises - crucial elements in keeping the SAF operationally ready at all times," he said at the awards presentation ceremony."This is important because when the SAF is fully mobilised, 300,000 of the 355,000 fully-armed and trained servicemen are Operationally Ready National Servicemen. These are the men who will stand shoulder to shoulder at the front line with our regular soldiers to fight to defend our country."A total of 244 companies were honoured for their outstanding contributions to Total Defence, and among the award recipients were 74 SMEs. Coping with comparatively less resources to maintain competitiveness, these companies have continued to pledge their support to Total Defence, and the number has grown steadily over the past few years, from 39 SMEs in 2005. Minister of State for Defence, Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee, was also at the ceremony to present the Meritorious Defence Partner Awards and Distinguished Defence Partner Awards to the companies.This year's Total Defence campaign theme is 'Total Defence: It's Personal. Play Your Part'.