$100 vouchers for NSmen to mark 50 years of NS
By Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
All men who have served national service (NS) and those who are enlisting this year are set to get $100 of vouchers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this key Singapore institution.
In total, more than a million national servicemen will receive the vouchers, which can be used at selected retail and food and beverage outlets.
Those who have completed their full-time national service will also get a year's free membership in either the SAFRA or HomeTeamNS network of clubhouses.
The benefits were announced by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday, as he launched a series of events to mark the jubilee year of NS. Speaking at a ceremony on Pulau Tekong, where 100 enlistees were sworn in as recruits, he noted that Singapore built its armed forces from scratch through NS. "Together with the nation on the 50th anniversary of NS, young and old, parent or child, new recruit or old soldier, we want to reaffirm our collective and unwavering support for NS," he said.
A new HomeTeamNS Clubhouse at the Tampines Hub will also open next Monday, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said yesterday. In a letter sent through various platforms, including e-mail to all Home Team national servicemen thanking them for their contributions, he wrote: "The Home Team salutes you for all that you have done to keep Singapore safe and secure."
By Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
In total, more than a million national servicemen will receive the vouchers, which can be used at selected retail and food and beverage outlets.
Those who have completed their full-time national service will also get a year's free membership in either the SAFRA or HomeTeamNS network of clubhouses.
The benefits were announced by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday, as he launched a series of events to mark the jubilee year of NS. Speaking at a ceremony on Pulau Tekong, where 100 enlistees were sworn in as recruits, he noted that Singapore built its armed forces from scratch through NS. "Together with the nation on the 50th anniversary of NS, young and old, parent or child, new recruit or old soldier, we want to reaffirm our collective and unwavering support for NS," he said.
A new HomeTeamNS Clubhouse at the Tampines Hub will also open next Monday, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said yesterday. In a letter sent through various platforms, including e-mail to all Home Team national servicemen thanking them for their contributions, he wrote: "The Home Team salutes you for all that you have done to keep Singapore safe and secure."
* Eat and shop with NS50 vouchers at more than 6,000 outlets islandwide
By Annabeth Leow, The Straits Times, 18 May 2017
More than 270 merchants - from Krispy Kreme outlets and Paradise Group eateries to Golden Village cinemas and Fossil stores -will accept NS50 vouchers, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday (May 18).
In all, the vouchers can be used at more than 6,000 outlets across the island, including fashion retailers, shopping malls, grocery stores, telco outlets, cinemas and airlines.
The $100 worth of vouchers are part of the previously announced NS50 recognition packages - to be given to all former and current national servicemen - which also include one year's free membership for either Safra or HomeTeamNS clubhouses, as well as instructions on registering for a commemorative NS50 Passion Card with five years' membership.
On top of the one-year free membership, Safra and HomeTeamNS are offering an extra two years of membership, at no cost, to those who purchase another one year by June 30, 2018.
The moves are part of efforts to mark the 50th year of national service in Singapore.
The various merchants include 56 that did not participate in a previous round of vouchers given out for NS45, five years ago (2012). Some new merchants include Hush Puppies, Ted Baker, Tunglok Group, Singapore Airlines, JetStar and Switch by Timbre.
For the full merchant list, visit www.mindef.gov.sg/NS50/merchantlist.html
Packages are being posted from this month onwards. Those who have finished full-time national service but are not Safra or HomeTeamNS members will receive a letter by August with instructions on registering for their packages.
They will receive the package within two months of registration.
Registration will remain open until June 30, 2018, and the vouchers are valid until Dec 31, 2018.
By Annabeth Leow, The Straits Times, 18 May 2017
In all, the vouchers can be used at more than 6,000 outlets across the island, including fashion retailers, shopping malls, grocery stores, telco outlets, cinemas and airlines.
The $100 worth of vouchers are part of the previously announced NS50 recognition packages - to be given to all former and current national servicemen - which also include one year's free membership for either Safra or HomeTeamNS clubhouses, as well as instructions on registering for a commemorative NS50 Passion Card with five years' membership.
On top of the one-year free membership, Safra and HomeTeamNS are offering an extra two years of membership, at no cost, to those who purchase another one year by June 30, 2018.
The moves are part of efforts to mark the 50th year of national service in Singapore.
The various merchants include 56 that did not participate in a previous round of vouchers given out for NS45, five years ago (2012). Some new merchants include Hush Puppies, Ted Baker, Tunglok Group, Singapore Airlines, JetStar and Switch by Timbre.
For the full merchant list, visit www.mindef.gov.sg/NS50/merchantlist.html
Packages are being posted from this month onwards. Those who have finished full-time national service but are not Safra or HomeTeamNS members will receive a letter by August with instructions on registering for their packages.
They will receive the package within two months of registration.
Registration will remain open until June 30, 2018, and the vouchers are valid until Dec 31, 2018.
Goodies a token of recognition for priceless sacrifice: MINDEF
By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
More than one million men who have performed their national service (NS) and those who will do so this year will each get $100 in vouchers, which they can use at retail and food and beverage outlets.
The vouchers are part of a recognition package to mark 50 years of NS.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), which announced the goodies yesterday, said the token of recognition can never repay servicemen for sacrifices made in serving the nation.
MINDEF's director of manpower Lee Chung Wei said focusing on the dollar value of the vouchers and other initiatives rolled out this year to celebrate NS "cheapens" the institution. He said: "NS is priceless - you can't put a dollar value to it... If you focus on a dollar value, you are actually cheapening NS."
He was speaking to reporters at a media briefing last Thursday, ahead of yesterday's announcement.
The NS50 vouchers are funded by MINDEF and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and not retailers and merchants, said MINDEF.
Besides the Singapore Armed Forces, national servicemen are also enlisted into the Home Team, where they serve in the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force.
Mr Lee said: "What we want to achieve this year is for the community to step forward to show their appreciation, through their own events."
Aug 1 to 10 has been designated NS50 Week, during which there will be activities like an NS50-themed picnic in partnership with Families for Life, a non-profit organisation that promotes resilient families.
The Singapore Discovery Centre will run bus tours to sites of NS significance, such as Pasir Laba Camp, where the first batch of officer cadets were commissioned. Organisations and businesses have also planned pledge ceremonies to publicly declare their support for NS.
By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
The vouchers are part of a recognition package to mark 50 years of NS.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), which announced the goodies yesterday, said the token of recognition can never repay servicemen for sacrifices made in serving the nation.
MINDEF's director of manpower Lee Chung Wei said focusing on the dollar value of the vouchers and other initiatives rolled out this year to celebrate NS "cheapens" the institution. He said: "NS is priceless - you can't put a dollar value to it... If you focus on a dollar value, you are actually cheapening NS."
He was speaking to reporters at a media briefing last Thursday, ahead of yesterday's announcement.
The NS50 vouchers are funded by MINDEF and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and not retailers and merchants, said MINDEF.
Besides the Singapore Armed Forces, national servicemen are also enlisted into the Home Team, where they serve in the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force.
Mr Lee said: "What we want to achieve this year is for the community to step forward to show their appreciation, through their own events."
Aug 1 to 10 has been designated NS50 Week, during which there will be activities like an NS50-themed picnic in partnership with Families for Life, a non-profit organisation that promotes resilient families.
The Singapore Discovery Centre will run bus tours to sites of NS significance, such as Pasir Laba Camp, where the first batch of officer cadets were commissioned. Organisations and businesses have also planned pledge ceremonies to publicly declare their support for NS.
Retailers that offer NSmen discounts and promotions as part of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day on July 1 will also extend them all the way until NS50 Week ends.
Colonel Clifford Keong, MINDEF's head of the National Service Affairs Department, said he was heartened that many initiatives planned are ground-up efforts, with organisations coming forward with ideas. Col Keong said about 250 retailers participated in SAF Day last year, and he is confident more will join this time.
An NS50 portal (NS50.sg) will provide more details. It will also list the participating merchants where the $100 vouchers can be used.
Mr Lee said: "We should not take it lightly that we have achieved 50 years of NS. It is no easy feat and is something to be proud of.
"And it is not just MINDEF, but every NSman, their families, their employers... It has required sacrifice and support from all these stakeholders."
Ng Eng Hen: Much more to protect now than before
50-year NS milestone also a reminder that a strong defence is always needed, even in times of peace
By Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
Singapore's success means today's national servicemen have much more to protect than when national service (NS) was first instituted 50 years ago, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday as he launched a year-long series of events to commemorate 50 years of national service.
Painting Singapore as a modern metropolis in which a majority of citizens own homes and enjoy world-class education, healthcare and transport systems, Dr Ng told 100 recruits on Pulau Tekong moments before they were sworn in to begin their basic military training: "Your generation inherits a better Singapore, a stronger SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) and greater support for NS than the one the older generation started with."
But the milestone is also a reminder that a strong defence is always needed, even in times of peace, Dr Ng said.
For instance, Lithuania abolished NS in the belief that it was one of the fruits of the "peace dividend" derived from the end of the Cold War.
Barely 20 years later, Russia's annexation of Crimea and troubles in neighbouring Ukraine have undermined stability in the region.
"Today, Lithuania wants to reinstate NS in the face of bold aggression, but finds it almost impossible to raise a strong military when they need it most," he said.
Closer to home, the recent seizure of Singapore's armoured vehicles in Hong Kong has led some to question whether this would have happened if Singapore were a big country, said Dr Ng.
"We can never change the fact that we are a small country, but today, after 50 years of NS, we have built an SAF capable of defending Singapore," he said at the oath-taking ceremony, which was also attended by some of the first citizen soldiers to don the uniform of the country's nascent military.
These pioneers had to build up the SAF from scratch to meet the threat of Konfrontasi, the communist insurgency in the region, and a possible fallout from the Vietnam War.
Today, Dr Ng noted, SAF troops combat terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, participate in anti- piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and regularly conduct humanitarian relief efforts in the wake of natural disasters.
The evolution of NS as an institution is featured in the newly opened NS Gallery, a permanent exhibition that was also launched by Dr Ng at the Basic Military Training Centre.
50-year NS milestone also a reminder that a strong defence is always needed, even in times of peace
By Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
Painting Singapore as a modern metropolis in which a majority of citizens own homes and enjoy world-class education, healthcare and transport systems, Dr Ng told 100 recruits on Pulau Tekong moments before they were sworn in to begin their basic military training: "Your generation inherits a better Singapore, a stronger SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) and greater support for NS than the one the older generation started with."
But the milestone is also a reminder that a strong defence is always needed, even in times of peace, Dr Ng said.
For instance, Lithuania abolished NS in the belief that it was one of the fruits of the "peace dividend" derived from the end of the Cold War.
Barely 20 years later, Russia's annexation of Crimea and troubles in neighbouring Ukraine have undermined stability in the region.
"Today, Lithuania wants to reinstate NS in the face of bold aggression, but finds it almost impossible to raise a strong military when they need it most," he said.
Closer to home, the recent seizure of Singapore's armoured vehicles in Hong Kong has led some to question whether this would have happened if Singapore were a big country, said Dr Ng.
"We can never change the fact that we are a small country, but today, after 50 years of NS, we have built an SAF capable of defending Singapore," he said at the oath-taking ceremony, which was also attended by some of the first citizen soldiers to don the uniform of the country's nascent military.
These pioneers had to build up the SAF from scratch to meet the threat of Konfrontasi, the communist insurgency in the region, and a possible fallout from the Vietnam War.
Today, Dr Ng noted, SAF troops combat terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, participate in anti- piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and regularly conduct humanitarian relief efforts in the wake of natural disasters.
The evolution of NS as an institution is featured in the newly opened NS Gallery, a permanent exhibition that was also launched by Dr Ng at the Basic Military Training Centre.
The event on Pulau Tekong kicks off a year of activities to commemorate the golden jubilee of NS, including an NS50 Week in August, the same month during which the first batch of full-time national servicemen enlisted in 1967.
Since then, more than a million people have gone through what is now a rite of passage for Singaporean men, with about one in four serving in the police and civil defence forces.
"Indeed, over the past 50 years, NS has become an institution through which Singaporean males define themselves in their formative years, a crucial period where close friends are made for life; where values and character are deeply forged; where they begin to understand why and how they protect those that they love and what they cherish on this island home," Dr Ng said.
Recruit Jeremy Lee, 24, who was one of those sworn in yesterday, said he was excited to enter the military. His father also served NS and helped to prepare him mentally for his new life as a soldier. "I hope to do my father and family proud," he said.
Celebrating NS50: Thrown in at the deep end, NS first batch built up camaraderie
By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
Some did not have formal education, and others were fluent only in their own languages and dialects.
The pioneer batch of national service (NS) trainees - who were enlisted on Aug 17, 1967 - were not an easy bunch to train, recounted one of the instructors, retired senior warrant officer Ong Hui Pheng, 79.
"We went to the extent of forming a 'Hokkien platoon'," he added.
But they bonded as they worked towards the common purpose of defending Singapore: the start of an NS institution that has lasted 50 years.
Mr Ong, then a regimental sergeant major with the 3rd Singapore Infantry Regiment, said it was not easy to get the trainees to accept the concept of NS. Laws passed in March 1967 to make NS compulsory were initially met with resistance.
"Not every citizen accepted that (NS) concept... to serve for two years with an allowance of $60 every month," Mr Ong said yesterday.
Mr Ong was one of the 98 NS pioneers and their trainers invited yesterday to the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong to witness the launch of NS50, a year- long celebration to commemorate 50 years of NS.
By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
The pioneer batch of national service (NS) trainees - who were enlisted on Aug 17, 1967 - were not an easy bunch to train, recounted one of the instructors, retired senior warrant officer Ong Hui Pheng, 79.
"We went to the extent of forming a 'Hokkien platoon'," he added.
But they bonded as they worked towards the common purpose of defending Singapore: the start of an NS institution that has lasted 50 years.
Mr Ong, then a regimental sergeant major with the 3rd Singapore Infantry Regiment, said it was not easy to get the trainees to accept the concept of NS. Laws passed in March 1967 to make NS compulsory were initially met with resistance.
"Not every citizen accepted that (NS) concept... to serve for two years with an allowance of $60 every month," Mr Ong said yesterday.
Mr Ong was one of the 98 NS pioneers and their trainers invited yesterday to the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong to witness the launch of NS50, a year- long celebration to commemorate 50 years of NS.
Despite the initial resistance, Mr Ong found a way to motivate his recruits. "If I tell them to run, I will run first. If I tell them to eat, I will eat last. That was leadership by example," he said.
Retired lieutenant-colonel Albel Singh, 68, one of Mr Ong's trainees, said the enlistees built up a camaraderie because they were thrown in at the deep end.
Mr Singh, who later signed on, remembers being deployed as an officer cadet to conduct vehicle patrols in Tai Seng, in the Paya Lebar area, during the May 1969 racial riots.
Mr Singh, who was first in line to register for NS on March 28, 1967, said: "Foreign influences can affect the stability of the country and at any time cause problems."
Mr Singh, who was first in line to register for NS on March 28, 1967, said: "Foreign influences can affect the stability of the country and at any time cause problems."
Going the extra mile to serve in Home Team
By Seow Bei Yi, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
They may have long completed their full-time national service (NS) commitments, but Colonel Syed Abdul Malik Aljunied, 49, and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Darric Teo, 44, have chosen to go the extra mile.
The duo are among a group of NSmen who have taken on additional responsibilities in the Home Team.
Col Malik, for one, signed up to be involved in overseas missions with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in 2004, and still continues to be rotated on standby.
"Having been trained as a rescuer all these years, you have achieved competence... The next thing is the willingness to come forward to serve," said the father of two sons and two daughters.
In 2005, he was among the third batch of NSmen deployed for Operation Lionheart, SCDF's overseas contingent which mostly consists of regulars and helps disaster-hit countries. He was sent to Muzaffarabad for a search-and-rescue operation after an earthquake in Pakistan. Around 80,000 people were killed and many children were hurt.
Hearing how his father rescued schoolchildren inspired special constable Syed Isa Aljunied, 20, Col Malik's younger son. He joined the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps in secondary school, and is now doing NS with the police force. His elder brother, aged 22, served with the SCDF's marine command.
Like Col Malik, fellow NSman DAC Teo considers NS a meaningful journey. He recalled spending 14-hour days for more than two weeks as part of a team at Bedok police division helping to lead security operations during the 2009 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economic leaders meeting.
But there was some personal cost. "Income at my logistics company was down by half at the time and my family life was non-existent," said the father of one. "But my family has grown used to it. NS has been a very big part of my life. After all, this is our country."
DAC Teo now prepares NSmen for duties under the police's Protective Security Command unit, which handles location and events security.
By Seow Bei Yi, The Straits Times, 8 Feb 2017
The duo are among a group of NSmen who have taken on additional responsibilities in the Home Team.
Col Malik, for one, signed up to be involved in overseas missions with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in 2004, and still continues to be rotated on standby.
"Having been trained as a rescuer all these years, you have achieved competence... The next thing is the willingness to come forward to serve," said the father of two sons and two daughters.
In 2005, he was among the third batch of NSmen deployed for Operation Lionheart, SCDF's overseas contingent which mostly consists of regulars and helps disaster-hit countries. He was sent to Muzaffarabad for a search-and-rescue operation after an earthquake in Pakistan. Around 80,000 people were killed and many children were hurt.
Hearing how his father rescued schoolchildren inspired special constable Syed Isa Aljunied, 20, Col Malik's younger son. He joined the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps in secondary school, and is now doing NS with the police force. His elder brother, aged 22, served with the SCDF's marine command.
Like Col Malik, fellow NSman DAC Teo considers NS a meaningful journey. He recalled spending 14-hour days for more than two weeks as part of a team at Bedok police division helping to lead security operations during the 2009 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economic leaders meeting.
But there was some personal cost. "Income at my logistics company was down by half at the time and my family life was non-existent," said the father of one. "But my family has grown used to it. NS has been a very big part of my life. After all, this is our country."
DAC Teo now prepares NSmen for duties under the police's Protective Security Command unit, which handles location and events security.
Yesterday, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen launched a year-long series of events to mark 50 years of NS. The Singapore Police Force started full-time NS in 1975, while the SCDF, then the Singapore Fire Brigade, started it a year later.
In a letter, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam thanked Home Team NSmen for their contributions. In a media statement, he said NS "has been and will continue to be an important pillar in the Home Team's mission", adding that police and SCDF NSmen are deployed at the front line every day to ensure a safe and secure Singapore.
In a letter, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam thanked Home Team NSmen for their contributions. In a media statement, he said NS "has been and will continue to be an important pillar in the Home Team's mission", adding that police and SCDF NSmen are deployed at the front line every day to ensure a safe and secure Singapore.
Millions of reasons to honour NS50
Editorial, The Straits Times, 9 Feb 2017
National service would not have been the backbone of Singapore's defences for 50 years without the sacrifices of more than a million men over the decades who had served in the armed forces, police and civil defence. If they had not taken their tasks seriously and built credible resources from scratch, there would have been little assurance that tiny Singapore could stand tall to celebrate 50 years of independence, which it did two years ago. Now, it's the turn of NS to mark this important milestone. In doing so, the nation must also acknowledge the wholehearted support for NS shown by family members, employers and others in the community. They also deserve to be saluted, although for practical reasons, an NS50 Recognition Package of $100 in vouchers will go to only past and present national servicemen.
The amount is not important. What matters is the symbolic value of the package. It is a way of showing deep appreciation to those who built security so that a spatial gathering of mostly diasporic people could imagine themselves as a nation with a future, and a city-state could have borders that larger nations would be obliged to respect. Singapore's potent citizen army gave others a reason to give due regard to the small nation.
A large standing army would have been ruinous, not just for the cost involved, but also for the precious manpower it would have diverted from the economy. But anything less than credible deterrence could have made independence short-lived.
In the process of securing Singapore from external threats, NS also built a more secure country within. NS created new ways of coming together for male Singaporeans. It forged the camaraderie of comradeship, not only through the necessary rituals of peacetime - growing up in school together, and making lifelong friends in the community and at work - but also in the heat of preparing for security challenges. Differences of race, religion, education and status mattered less when life itself depended on the friendship, trust and support of others in one's operating unit. The habits of the heart cultivated during NS stayed on after the re-entry to civilian life. They strengthened the bonds that made all - Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians - Singaporeans first and last.
Half a century of that rite of passage for men has turned NS into a fact of Singapore life. An enduring institution, it makes demands of discipline and time from one's teen years to adulthood, while careers are built and new families are formed. It is to the credit of Singaporeans that they have accepted NS as a natural part of life and a challenge that must be met by adhering to the highest standards. It is arduous, but it also evokes much pride and tugs at the heart, especially when one sees many generations bound by the shared experience of NS over half a century.
Editorial, The Straits Times, 9 Feb 2017
The amount is not important. What matters is the symbolic value of the package. It is a way of showing deep appreciation to those who built security so that a spatial gathering of mostly diasporic people could imagine themselves as a nation with a future, and a city-state could have borders that larger nations would be obliged to respect. Singapore's potent citizen army gave others a reason to give due regard to the small nation.
A large standing army would have been ruinous, not just for the cost involved, but also for the precious manpower it would have diverted from the economy. But anything less than credible deterrence could have made independence short-lived.
In the process of securing Singapore from external threats, NS also built a more secure country within. NS created new ways of coming together for male Singaporeans. It forged the camaraderie of comradeship, not only through the necessary rituals of peacetime - growing up in school together, and making lifelong friends in the community and at work - but also in the heat of preparing for security challenges. Differences of race, religion, education and status mattered less when life itself depended on the friendship, trust and support of others in one's operating unit. The habits of the heart cultivated during NS stayed on after the re-entry to civilian life. They strengthened the bonds that made all - Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians - Singaporeans first and last.
Half a century of that rite of passage for men has turned NS into a fact of Singapore life. An enduring institution, it makes demands of discipline and time from one's teen years to adulthood, while careers are built and new families are formed. It is to the credit of Singaporeans that they have accepted NS as a natural part of life and a challenge that must be met by adhering to the highest standards. It is arduous, but it also evokes much pride and tugs at the heart, especially when one sees many generations bound by the shared experience of NS over half a century.
All national servicemen to get NS50 PAssion card
It is among goodies to recognise their contributions as Singapore marks 50 years of NS
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 10 Apr 2017
As Singapore marks 50 years of national service (NS), all national servicemen - past and present - will be eligible for a free commemorative NS50 PAssion card.
While this is a token of appreciation for their contributions, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday, "nothing can replace the hours that they have spent defending Singapore".
At separate appreciation ceremonies yesterday, Dr Ng, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam and Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung gave out NS50 recognition packages, including $100 in vouchers and also application instructions for the card.
The ministers stressed the importance of NS, which has fulfilled Singapore's need for security since 1967 and allowed it to progress.
"Without the SAF (and) NS to protect our sovereignty and way of life, there can be no progress," Dr Ng said at a ceremony in Toa Payoh.
He was citing comments by the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at a 2012 meeting with Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers on how a strong SAF was needed to ensure Singapore's sustained security and economic future.
The NS50 PAssion card offered by the People's Association (PA) comes with a five-year membership - which costs $10 to $12, depending on age profiles - and can be used at community clubs, Water Venture outlets and PAssion card merchants. Those with existing PAssion cards can still apply and use their cards concurrently.
Separately, real estate giant CapitaLand yesterday unveiled various privileges for national servicemen. For instance, it will offer them an exchange of their NS50 vouchers for CapitaVouchers, which can be spent at more than 2,000 retail outlets across 17 malls here.
More than one million men have served NS since 1967 in the SAF as well as in the police and civil defence forces, as part of the Home Team.
Among the first to receive the NS50 packages were more than 500 national servicemen, including father-and-son pairs, who attended the ceremonies yesterday.
Over these two months, the PA will be organising 52 ceremonies to hand out the packages. Many others will receive theirs by mail later this year.
On the father-and-son pairs, Dr Ng said yesterday that the idea fits the NS50 theme, From My Generation To Yours. "It is a simple theme, my generation to yours. There can be no stronger representation of one generation to another than fathers and sons," he added.
At a ceremony in Nee Soon, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, said: "It is wonderful to see so many fathers who have gone through national service here, with so many of their sons who are going through national service, supported by so many mothers, wives, girlfriends and sisters."
It is among goodies to recognise their contributions as Singapore marks 50 years of NS
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 10 Apr 2017
As Singapore marks 50 years of national service (NS), all national servicemen - past and present - will be eligible for a free commemorative NS50 PAssion card.
While this is a token of appreciation for their contributions, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday, "nothing can replace the hours that they have spent defending Singapore".
At separate appreciation ceremonies yesterday, Dr Ng, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam and Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung gave out NS50 recognition packages, including $100 in vouchers and also application instructions for the card.
The ministers stressed the importance of NS, which has fulfilled Singapore's need for security since 1967 and allowed it to progress.
"Without the SAF (and) NS to protect our sovereignty and way of life, there can be no progress," Dr Ng said at a ceremony in Toa Payoh.
He was citing comments by the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at a 2012 meeting with Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers on how a strong SAF was needed to ensure Singapore's sustained security and economic future.
The NS50 PAssion card offered by the People's Association (PA) comes with a five-year membership - which costs $10 to $12, depending on age profiles - and can be used at community clubs, Water Venture outlets and PAssion card merchants. Those with existing PAssion cards can still apply and use their cards concurrently.
Separately, real estate giant CapitaLand yesterday unveiled various privileges for national servicemen. For instance, it will offer them an exchange of their NS50 vouchers for CapitaVouchers, which can be spent at more than 2,000 retail outlets across 17 malls here.
More than one million men have served NS since 1967 in the SAF as well as in the police and civil defence forces, as part of the Home Team.
Among the first to receive the NS50 packages were more than 500 national servicemen, including father-and-son pairs, who attended the ceremonies yesterday.
Over these two months, the PA will be organising 52 ceremonies to hand out the packages. Many others will receive theirs by mail later this year.
On the father-and-son pairs, Dr Ng said yesterday that the idea fits the NS50 theme, From My Generation To Yours. "It is a simple theme, my generation to yours. There can be no stronger representation of one generation to another than fathers and sons," he added.
At a ceremony in Nee Soon, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, said: "It is wonderful to see so many fathers who have gone through national service here, with so many of their sons who are going through national service, supported by so many mothers, wives, girlfriends and sisters."
At a ceremony in Gambas, Mr Ong said the vouchers "are not just for the national servicemen, but for your whole family to enjoy, including wives and daughters".
A common theme touched on by the ministers was how the entire society - including the family and grassroots organisations like the PA - plays a part in keeping Singapore safe and secure from threats like terrorism and cyber attacks.
Noting how recent terror attacks in London, Stockholm and St Petersburg could also happen here, Dr Ng said: "It could happen tomorrow, it could happen years from now. When it happens, we must ask ourselves how Singaporeans will respond."
Group internal audit manager Ho Chin Thiam, 60, who was in the first batch of police officer cadet trainees, received the NS50 recognition package yesterday, and said he would be using his vouchers at the HomeTeamNS clubhouses.
"I feel honoured to receive this package, and that my contributions are recognised," he said.
"I feel honoured to receive this package, and that my contributions are recognised," he said.
Heritage marker honours pioneer NSmen
Former home toTaman Jurong Camp was where first batch was conscripted in the 1960s
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 7 Aug 2017
On the surface, Taman Jurong Greens might seem like just any other neighbourhood park.
But for Singapore's pioneer batch of national servicemen, the area, formerly home to the Taman Jurong Camp, is rife with memories.
It was here, on Aug 17, 1967, that the pioneer batch of 900 national servicemen in the 3rd and 4th Singapore Infantry Regiment were conscripted into the army, and a year earlier, the People's Defence Force was formed. And in February 1968, this was where the first intake of artillery national servicemen - "men of steel" - were conscripted.
Pioneer NSman, retired major Ivan Wong, 67, recalled with pride the years he spent in the artillery battalion. "We went through torturous training, bordering on ill treatment. But it was good, because the enemy is not going to mollycoddle you."
He was among the 500 Taman Jurong residents, students, SAF men and pioneer NSmen who yesterday flocked to Taman Jurong Greens to witness the unveiling of a heritage marker.
Speaking during the Taman Jurong National Day Observance Ceremony 2017, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that the heritage marker, which is part of the Jurong Heritage Trail and contains information about the army camp's history, would be "a way to honour our pioneer NSmen, and to remember their stories of duty and sacrifice, of hardship and friendship, on this field".
The Taman Jurong Greens area originally had several five-storey, one-room flats by JTC Corporation, which were converted into military barracks.
Despite the gruelling training, Mr Wong went on to carve a career in the Singapore Armed Forces' artillery unit.
During his speech, Mr Tharman said: "Today, we have peace, prosperity and a well-respected defence force because of the dedication of generations of NSmen. And we have melded together as a people, in no small part too, because of NS. We owe it most to the brave, pioneer batch of NSmen and their officers, and their families who supported them as they began a new journey for Singapore."
He added that the stories of pioneer NSmen will be recorded for the benefit of posterity.
Retired lieutenant-colonel Albel Singh, 68, who was the first in the queue to register for NS in 1967, said: "We built friendships, and some of us even meet today. NS didn't distinguish between colour of skin, religion or race."
Describing his accommodation at the camp as "makeshift", he added: "NS has progressed from very spartan beginnings, with limited resources, very little equipment, to one with a very sophisticated armed forces."
The nature of warfare has also changed, said Mr Singh.
"Those days, when you got into a confrontation, there was a front line, you faced the enemy across that. Today you can't even recognise the enemy, the enemy could well be within. Terrorists will not be wearing uniforms. I feel the NSmen today are facing greater challenges."
The ceremony at Taman Jurong took place during NS50 Week, which lasts till Thursday and features a slew of events to commemorate 50 years of NS.
Yesterday, NSmen and their families took part in the finals of the annual SAFRA Sprint Kids Xtreme race at West Mall, Bukit Batok. Stations - such as the apex ladder, dodging panels and tunnel - were inspired by the SAF standard obstacle course.
It drew over 1,200 participants, 65 per cent more than last year.
Former home toTaman Jurong Camp was where first batch was conscripted in the 1960s
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 7 Aug 2017
On the surface, Taman Jurong Greens might seem like just any other neighbourhood park.
But for Singapore's pioneer batch of national servicemen, the area, formerly home to the Taman Jurong Camp, is rife with memories.
It was here, on Aug 17, 1967, that the pioneer batch of 900 national servicemen in the 3rd and 4th Singapore Infantry Regiment were conscripted into the army, and a year earlier, the People's Defence Force was formed. And in February 1968, this was where the first intake of artillery national servicemen - "men of steel" - were conscripted.
Pioneer NSman, retired major Ivan Wong, 67, recalled with pride the years he spent in the artillery battalion. "We went through torturous training, bordering on ill treatment. But it was good, because the enemy is not going to mollycoddle you."
He was among the 500 Taman Jurong residents, students, SAF men and pioneer NSmen who yesterday flocked to Taman Jurong Greens to witness the unveiling of a heritage marker.
Speaking during the Taman Jurong National Day Observance Ceremony 2017, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that the heritage marker, which is part of the Jurong Heritage Trail and contains information about the army camp's history, would be "a way to honour our pioneer NSmen, and to remember their stories of duty and sacrifice, of hardship and friendship, on this field".
The Taman Jurong Greens area originally had several five-storey, one-room flats by JTC Corporation, which were converted into military barracks.
Despite the gruelling training, Mr Wong went on to carve a career in the Singapore Armed Forces' artillery unit.
During his speech, Mr Tharman said: "Today, we have peace, prosperity and a well-respected defence force because of the dedication of generations of NSmen. And we have melded together as a people, in no small part too, because of NS. We owe it most to the brave, pioneer batch of NSmen and their officers, and their families who supported them as they began a new journey for Singapore."
He added that the stories of pioneer NSmen will be recorded for the benefit of posterity.
Retired lieutenant-colonel Albel Singh, 68, who was the first in the queue to register for NS in 1967, said: "We built friendships, and some of us even meet today. NS didn't distinguish between colour of skin, religion or race."
Describing his accommodation at the camp as "makeshift", he added: "NS has progressed from very spartan beginnings, with limited resources, very little equipment, to one with a very sophisticated armed forces."
The nature of warfare has also changed, said Mr Singh.
"Those days, when you got into a confrontation, there was a front line, you faced the enemy across that. Today you can't even recognise the enemy, the enemy could well be within. Terrorists will not be wearing uniforms. I feel the NSmen today are facing greater challenges."
The ceremony at Taman Jurong took place during NS50 Week, which lasts till Thursday and features a slew of events to commemorate 50 years of NS.
Yesterday, NSmen and their families took part in the finals of the annual SAFRA Sprint Kids Xtreme race at West Mall, Bukit Batok. Stations - such as the apex ladder, dodging panels and tunnel - were inspired by the SAF standard obstacle course.
It drew over 1,200 participants, 65 per cent more than last year.
NSmen in public service get a day off
By Jose Hong, The Straits Times, 18 Aug 2017
Some public servants who have completed national service will be able to enjoy a day off, on a date of their own choosing, in an initiative marking 50 years of national service (NS50).
This NS50 benefit, which must be taken by Dec 31, applies to all non-uniformed employees who are past and present operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen).
Agencies that have given a day off to their NSmen employees include the Public Service Division and the National Environment Agency, according to a Straits Times check.
ST also found that employees of some statutory boards and ministries were notified earlier this month.
The Ministry of Defence (Mindef), which led the initiative, said: "Public and private sector agencies are encouraged to commemorate NS50 and recognise the contributions of their NSmen."
News of the day off first spread on forum discussions online, and was recently reported in the media.
A Mindef spokesman said: "For 50 years, national service has been the bedrock of the peace and stability upon which we have built Singapore."
He said the day off initiative was launched to commemorate this milestone.
A range of events, benefits and products have and will be held throughout the year to celebrate NS50.
Among them are the $100 worth of vouchers that all servicemen can use at over 6,000 outlets islandwide from more than 270 merchants.
On June 30, all national servicemen were also treated to an "NS50 Free Travel Day", travelling for free on public buses and trains if they were in uniform.
Civil servant Ou Ningfei said he would probably use his day off to go out with friends, run errands or watch a show.
The 28-year-old said he was grateful for this small gesture.
"I've done two years of national service and this is a feel-good cherry on top to show that the civil service recognises it, and is giving us a token of appreciation for it."
By Jose Hong, The Straits Times, 18 Aug 2017
Some public servants who have completed national service will be able to enjoy a day off, on a date of their own choosing, in an initiative marking 50 years of national service (NS50).
This NS50 benefit, which must be taken by Dec 31, applies to all non-uniformed employees who are past and present operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen).
Agencies that have given a day off to their NSmen employees include the Public Service Division and the National Environment Agency, according to a Straits Times check.
ST also found that employees of some statutory boards and ministries were notified earlier this month.
The Ministry of Defence (Mindef), which led the initiative, said: "Public and private sector agencies are encouraged to commemorate NS50 and recognise the contributions of their NSmen."
News of the day off first spread on forum discussions online, and was recently reported in the media.
A Mindef spokesman said: "For 50 years, national service has been the bedrock of the peace and stability upon which we have built Singapore."
He said the day off initiative was launched to commemorate this milestone.
A range of events, benefits and products have and will be held throughout the year to celebrate NS50.
Among them are the $100 worth of vouchers that all servicemen can use at over 6,000 outlets islandwide from more than 270 merchants.
On June 30, all national servicemen were also treated to an "NS50 Free Travel Day", travelling for free on public buses and trains if they were in uniform.
Civil servant Ou Ningfei said he would probably use his day off to go out with friends, run errands or watch a show.
The 28-year-old said he was grateful for this small gesture.
"I've done two years of national service and this is a feel-good cherry on top to show that the civil service recognises it, and is giving us a token of appreciation for it."
Related
Defence Minister Launches NS50 at BMTC -7 Feb 2017
Factsheet: NS50 Recognition Package
NS50 Recognition Vouchers Can Be Used at Over 6,000 Outlets -18 May 2017
Factsheet: 50 Years of National Service: From My Generation To Yours
National Day Parade 2017
As National service turns 50, what is its future?
Marina Bay floating platform to be renamed NS Square, be primary venue for National Day Parades
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