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SINGAPORE \u2013 Every generation faces its own set of challenges, and Singaporeans will rise to the occasion, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said on June 24, expressing confidence in Singapore\u2019s young.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe in this thing called strawberry generation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Chan was speaking at The ST Forum, a by-invitation-only dialogue attended by 25 people, many of them contributors to The Straits Times\u2019 Forum page.<\/p>\n
They asked a wide range of questions about defence and national service (NS) ahead of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day on July 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chan said that from what he has observed, young people want to be inspired to a higher cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is important for us \u2013 those who have walked the path \u2013 to play the role and give them a sense of confidence that they can aspire to something bigger, not just for themselves, but for Singapore,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chan said success should be defined not just by one\u2019s achievements, but also by one\u2019s contributions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will become a very powerful country when we all can define our success (in this way). Regardless of your academic background, regardless of your job, everyone can play a part, and that is the most powerful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Singapore, he added, also needs a culture that goes beyond telling people what to do and how to do it, and instead explains the reasons behind it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen our people understand the why, you will be pleasantly surprised at how they are able to come up with ideas that transcend what we thought was possible,\u201d said Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services. \u00a0<\/p>\n
During the dialogue, questions were also put to the minister about possible paths for those serving in the SAF, as well as the refreshed NS medical classification system<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n On the new classification system, Forum contributor and gynaecologist Tan Eng Loy spoke of his own NS experience, where he felt his skills were not meaningfully used, as he had not been certified combat-fit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chan responded that this was precisely the dissatisfaction with the previous system, which gave pre-enlistees an aggregated Physical Employment Standard (PES) status.<\/p>\n Under the refreshed system, pre-enlistees will receive specific medical exemptions based on their medical condition. The change gives servicemen more opportunities<\/span><\/a> to take on a broader range of vocations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make sure we have a dynamic system, whereby we can update our repository of skills and deploy them most meaningfully,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Refreshing the system to focus on operational readiness, rather than a one-size-fits-all concept of combat fitness, can give more people the chance to contribute in varied ways.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want people to move away from this concept of combat fitness just based on your musculoskeletal abilities,\u201d said Chan.\u00a0<\/p>\n Technology has also made this broader operational deployment possible.<\/p>\n Chan cited examples of servicemen who were not considered combat-fit under previous definitions, but ended up becoming \u201csome of the best drone operators that we have\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey are teaching all our recruits to fly the drones, to raise the drones, to use the drones to pick up imagery. They have used the drones to drop stuff,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n