Speech by Minister Chan Chun Sing at the 57th War Memorial Service

1.Distinguished Guests.

2.We have come together this morning to honour our forebears, 82 years after the Japanese Occupation began.

3.In 1967, this War Memorial was unveiled by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

1. It was dedicated to our pioneers, the men and women who defended Singapore with their lives.
2. It was raised to help our children and future generations understand what can happen to a people caught unprepared,
3. And that no one, but ourselves, can secure our freedom.
4. We remember those who sacrificed themselves, and are indebted to our veterans for laying the foundations for the Singapore we have today.

4.I would also like to thank the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) for organising this memorial over the past 57 years.

1. It has brought our diverse community together, through the nation-building years and beyond.

5.Today, we mark a milestone in our nation's independence as we commemorate 40 years of Total Defence in Singapore.

1. As we reflect on the lessons of the past, we must strengthen our resolve to secure our future.
2. It is only when we come together as one community, across potential fault lines that threaten to divide, that we earn the right to chart our own destiny.

6.We are in an era of heightened insecurities, uncertainties and inequalities. Our world is increasingly troubled and fragmented.

1. Shifts in the global balance of power and power politics can threaten our security and lead to new conflict, including in our region. We will see:
   1. Complex and increasingly tense geopolitics;
   2. Greater economic uncertainty and volatile conditions.
2. We must not, for a moment, think that the hard-won peace we have here will remain in place indefinitely, or without effort.
3. We have seen how rogue, isolated actors elsewhere could destabilise this.
4. We cannot allow that to happen here.

7.We can better safeguard ourselves and our interests by entrenching our relevance to the world. To do this, we must:

1. Continue to have a strong value proposition;
2. Remain open and inclusive;
3. Provide a stable and predictable environment;
4. Maintain a principled position;
5. Mean what we say and say what we mean; and
6. Work with like-minded partners to advance shared and long-term goals.

8.The peace and security our nation enjoys today is the fruit of decades of labour by Singaporeans from all walks of life, to:

1. Live and work together well, regardless of race, language or religion,
2. Serve in the defence of Singapore, and
3. Build a network of friends regionally and internationally.

9.We must each continue to play our part to keep our nation safe from threats, foreign or domestic.

10.As part of the inaugural national Total Defence exercise, Exercise SG Ready, we will experience simulated disruptions to our daily lives.

1. Today and tomorrow, our schools will run simulated disruptions of power, water and food supply.
   1. Through this experience, we hope that our students will better appreciate the importance of each pillar of Total Defence.
      1. As the disruptions will arise from hybrid threats - cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns,
      2. They will reinforce the need for psychological, social and digital defence,
      3. To complement our military, civil and economic defence.
   2. This would deepen our students' understanding of their role in Total Defence from their early years.
   3. In our collective psyche, we must strengthen our readiness to respond to evolving threats.
   4. This is critical to protecting Singapore and our way of life.
   5. We must never fall into complacency. To counter yesterday and today's threats, we must always have our eyes on the horizon to see what may threaten Singapore's peace and security, and do what is necessary to prepare for them way ahead of time.
2. All Singaporeans will also have the opportunity to take part in civil emergency exercises, at your workplace or in the community. I encourage everyone to participate, and to build up our resilience as one community.

11.We must, and we will stand ready to defend our country, against any threats.

1. These may be conventional threats to our security and sovereignty; or
2. Covert, hybrid threats to our unity.
3. Every Singaporean, from all walks of life, has a responsibility to play a part to safeguard our country.
   1. From the teacher, to the student, the soldier, the healthcare worker, the executive, the business owner;
   2. Each of us plays a critical role in strengthening the network of our collective defence.
   3. Fundamentally, the strongest defence will not be in our weapons, but in our collective will to stand our ground and defend what is ours.
4. Each of us plays a critical role in our ability to recover from any attack. Do not expect others to come to our aid.
   1. These are lessons we want to inculcate in our children and youth, through education.
   2. These are the things I hope we remember throughout our lives.
   3. To the students in the audience today, always remember: If we are disunited, can we defend our country? If we don't defend our country, who will?
5. The most powerful defence is not bought, but built.
   1. Through communities coming together,
   2. Shared formative experiences from a young age,
   3. A strong sense of belonging,
   4. Which make us one people:
      1. Proud of our home,
      2. Willing to defend it to the last - against any form of external aggression.
6. This is the indomitable spirit of Singapore - one that must be passed on from generation to generation.

12.Together, we will reinforce:

1. Our ability to respond to challenges to our nationhood; and
2. The role of every Singaporean in Total Defence.
3. This will allow us to remain a strong, united and resilient people.

13.Our national security must be a collective endeavour.

1. It is both a daily and a long-term investment.
2. It is the basis upon which we build sound economic fundamentals, education, housing and jobs.
3. To achieve this, we must continue to cultivate deeper partnerships across our communities, which are well represented here today.

14.Ultimately, our strength and deterrence lie in our unity, and our determination to build a better future for Singapore.

1. As we learn our lessons from history, we move forward together.
2. We will build new bridges and secure our place in a evolving world order.

15.This would allow an improbable nation to continue to flourish;

1. To defy the odds and stay united as a nation for the next 100 years, and beyond;
2. And to continue to contribute to the global community.

16.Today, we honour and give thanks to our forebears and pioneers.

17.Today, we commit ourselves to be the pioneers for the future generation. We will remain united, so that our future generation can have an even better life than ours.

18.Just like our forefathers promised us, this will also be our promise to the future generation.

19.Thank you.

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