STRENGTHENING SUPPORT FOR NS & DEFENCE

Singapore's defence advisory council, ACCORD, has 18 initiatives to boost support for NS and Total Defence. Here's what it means for you.

For Singapore's male population, National Service (NS) is a rite of passage. At some point in their lives, every fit male Singaporean will don the uniform to serve the country.

For women, their knowledge of the nation's defence may be less rich because they do not serve NS. Boosting their awareness of and support for NS was one of the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence's (ACCORD's) focus areas.

Their 18 initiatives come from months of extensive engagement with three key groups - Family and Community (F&C), Employer and Business (E&B), and Educational Institutions (EI). These are also the names of the three main ACCORD councils when it was restructured in August last year.

The Ministry of Defence has accepted these initiatives, said 2nd Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing in Parliament on 5 Mar during the Committee of Supply debate.

More engagement

Under the initiatives targeted at better engaging women in the community, women will have more opportunities to understand the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Total Defence (TD). They will get access to regular small group information-sharing sessions.

ACCORD member Claire Chiang said: "What we (women) see are the uniforms and the shining of boots and how tired the men are when they come back on the weekends."

Added Ms Chiang, who co-chairs the F&C Council: "But there are no concrete platforms for women to bridge this gap for a deeper understanding." Hence, the idea to conduct sharing sessions for women was born.

The idea is to tap into existing women organisations to conduct these sessions. "It's going to go a long way in exciting the community once again that defence counts on each and every one playing their roles," said Ms Chiang, who is Senior Vice-President of Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd.

Better transition

Most university-going Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) of yesteryear will remember their first day at school after serving the nation. After two years of being away from academia, it can be hard to catch up with the rest.

This is why one of the 18 ACCORD initiatives is for Institutes of Higher Learning to better support the transition for NSmen when they re-enter the education system.

"This could come in the form of putting some course materials online so that students can catch up in the interim time before the beginning of their first semester," said Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President of UniSIM and also member of the EI council. In coming up with the ideas, the EI council worked closely with schools in Singapore, added Prof Cheong.

Another initiative is to immerse students in TD programmes so that they have a better understanding of Singapore. Younger students can also look forward to more TD outreach programmes.

For example, cohort TD experiences and National Education programmes will be organised for Primary Six students. This builds on current efforts such as Primary 5 students attending the National Day Parade.

There will also be other ground-up initiatives in schools, both local and private institutions, to help students better understand NS and the need for defence.

Supporting NSmen

NSmen, too, will receive more support. For example, the collaboration with the Ministry of Social and Family Development will tap on the ComCare programme so that eligible Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) can receive financial aid beyond their two-year NS stints.

One of the initiatives is to encourage employers to sign up online to receive early notification of their NSmen employees' ICT call-ups.

The business community will be happy to see more employers utilise this online initiative, said Mr Teo Siong Seng, Managing Director Pacific International Lines and member of the E&B council. "With ample notice, this supports the planning for better business operation efficiency."

Feedback gathered by the E&B council also showed that both employers and employees welcomed the notion of more seminars to promote awareness of NS and TD. "Employers will be informed of (and better appreciate) the training activities that their employees go through," added Mr Teo.

Another of the initiatives will see enhanced career fairs co-organised with Trade Associations and Chambers of Commerce to help NSFs move into the next stage of their lives.

"I think that these 18 initiatives are a good start and we have sufficient to work on for now," said Prof Cheong. "There will always be new and good ideas, and we will take them up. It's a continuous process of trying to improve."

ACCORD's Proposals

The Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) was restructured in August last year with the aim of deepening engagement with various stakeholders to increase support for National Service (NS) and Total Defence (TD).

Here are the 18 proposals.

Employers & Businesses

1) Encourage employers to sign up for early notification of ICT call-up dates
Encourage employers to sign up online for early notification of their employees' ICT call-ups to help companies plan ahead.

2) Provide feedback to employers
Provide performance feedback to employers on their employees' performances in Leadership Training Courses to better recognise and employ the skill sets of NSmen.

3) Create NS mark
Provide more public recognition for companies with pro-NS policies and Human Resource practices.

4) Revamp TDA
Revamp the Total Defence Awards (TDA) to also recognise individuals and organisations that are supportive of NS.

5) Organise NS seminars
Co-organise seminars with Business Community to help new companies and Human Resource managers understand NS policies which affect their employees.

6) Plan enhanced career fairs
Co-organise enhanced career fairs with Trade Associations & Chambers for NSFs transiting to the workforce.

Family & the Community

1) Engage women on NS and defence
Hold sessions to help mothers, wives and young women understand and support NS and defence matters.

2) Encourage community recognition
Partner community organisations and small businesses to show appreciation for our servicemen by offering discounts and benefits.

3) Strengthen support by families
Collaborate with Families for Life to create greater support for NS among families of NSFs and NSmen by raising their awareness of NS and national defence matters.

4) Engage new citizens and PRs on NS and defence
Raise awareness and appreciation for NS among new citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) by working with People's Association, clans and associations.

5) Facilitate financial assistance
Work with the Ministry of Social and Family Development to support NSFs who require financial assistance beyond full-time NS.

Educational Institutions

1) Support transition back to schools
Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to support returning NSmen's transition back to school after two years of full-time NS by reviewing currently available programmes.

2) Help manage ICT call-ups
IHLs to help NSmen manage their NS ICT call-ups and academic commitments.

3) Encourage SAFVC participation
Encourage participation in the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) and groom volunteers to become ambassadors of the Corps.

4) Enhance TD experience
Partner Ministry of Education and Singapore Discovery Centre to create a TD experience for all Primary 6 students.

5) Enhance NE
Enlist help of staff and alumni to better engage secondary school students on National Education (NE) topics.

6) Pilot fitness programme
Post-Secondary Education Institutions to pilot a programme to enhance fitness of their pre-enlistee students.

7) Increase understanding of NS
Help pre-enlistees in Foreign System Schools & Privately Funded Institutions and their parents to gain a better understanding of NS through engagement sessions.