1. Good morning everyone.
2. Thank you for joining me in this morning’s N.E.mation!2022 Awards Ceremony.
When I came in just now, I saw many excited faces even though I couldn’t see your full facial features. I think you are all so excited to be here to celebrate what you have managed to achieve through the competition. I know your teachers and educators are here with you as well as they were an integral part of the journey.
I would like to start by extending my appreciation to the Singapore Discovery Centre and Nexus, MINDEF for working closely with schools over the past 16 years to educate our young on the importance of Total Defence.
3. I was glad to know that despite the pandemic, Singapore Discovery Centre has seized the opportunity to refresh the competition so that it stays relevant and continues to excite and engage our young participants.
For example, Singapore Discovery Centre and MINDEF have adapted to the COVID-19 situation and hosted the competition online with story clinics and partner immersion webinars.
You introduced a 4-day animation hackathon, which allowed our students to learn the basics of animation, and empowered them to produce their own clips.
Your Total Defence Sandbox Challenge also allowed youths to share ground-up ideas and proposals on how Singaporeans can put Total Defence into action.
Relevance of Total Defence
4. Total Defence remains of paramount importance for Singapore’s safety, security and sovereignty.
5. It is a critical means by which we rally Singaporeans in the face of traditional and emerging threats confronting us as a nation. I think we had a reminder of it recently when we look at the Ukrainian situation.
Traditional security threats such as territorial conflicts and terrorism remain ever-present.
Emerging threats like cyberattacks, disinformation, and crises, even the COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder to us about how we will always have vulnerabilities, and we must always be prepared to defend ourselves.
6. The key to our continued security and survival will lie in our ability to come together, as one united people, to defend ourselves against these threats. The theme of this year’s N.E.mation! competition is “Together We Keep Singapore Strong”. I think this is timely and very relevant.
7. Over the past two years, we have seen Singaporeans stand together to mount a Total Defence against COVID-19, ensuring that we protect both lives and livelihoods.
We defended our economy against the global disruption of trade through stockpiling, local production of essential goods, and diversification of our supply sources.
In terms of Civil Defence, many Singaporeans rallied to the nation’s call and served in various areas.
For example, healthcare workers risked their personal health as they worked on the frontlines.
Our land, air and sea transport operators kept Singapore moving.
Our teachers adapted to home-based learning and ensured that learning could continue with minimal disruption.
Community leaders and volunteers stepped up to distribute masks, man helplines, and reached out to those in need.
Digital Defence was also particularly pertinent as there were deliberate online falsehoods and rumours spread quickly online and through closed media chat groups such as WhatsApp.
This is why our Ministry of Defence is setting up a new Digital and Intelligence branch of the military to meet the growing threats in the digital domain.
And today, by hosting your competition online and introducing a 4-day hackathon, you are also casting a spotlight on the digital realm and emphasising to our young people that we have to conquer the digital domain to stay relevant and meet the growing threats to our national defence from the digital realm.
It was also important to achieve and strengthen Psychological and Social Defence. It is in this aspect that we have seen our youth shine, especially during this COVID-19 period.
Psychological Defence is about the will and resolve to defend our interests. Over the past two years, our students have shown resilience as they adapt and continue with their learning activities, even though COVID-19 caused some disruptions to school life.
Recently in the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) budget debate, we had also spoken about how the MOE is going to partner Singaporeans so that we emerge as confident Singaporeans, that we continue to have a competitive and cohesive society.
Our youths have also risen to the challenge in these difficult times by staying active in the community. Many of you contributed to our Social Defence by organising and participating in initiatives to help vulnerable groups, and re-create social connections in a socially distanced period.
We also recognise that for mental health and mental well-being as a nation that we had to meet these challenges during the COVID-19 period. That is why the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being was set up. MOE and MSF are part of this interagency taskforce, together with the Ministry of Health, to develop a national action plan to tackle mental health and well-being issues.
Conclusion
8. I am heartened that our students continue to play an active role in Total Defence. Through your creative animation clips, you remind us all that each and every one of us have a part to play in keeping Singapore safe and secure.
9. I would like to thank the students, teachers, schools, families and industry partners who have supported our participants in this year’s competition. May your wonderful ideas inspire all of us to contribute to Total Defence.
10. Thank you.
Source: Ministry of Education, Singapore