♥ Sunday, February 24, 2008
TOTAL DEFENCE Introduced in 1984, the concept of Total Defence was adapted from the experience in Switzerland and Sweden. There are two reasons why we adopted it. Firstly, as a young nation with a small population, we cannot afford to maintain a regular armed force. Therefore, we need to involve every single Singaporean to strengthen our defence capability. Secondly, the nature of modern warfare has since changed. Wars are no longer limited to the battlefield. Instead, potential aggressors can strike in less obvious and non-military ways.
However, if you think that Total Defence is a defence strategy or plan that is rolled out only during times of war, read on. Total Defence is much more than that.
Total Defence provides the framework for a comprehensive and integrated response to deal with every types of threats and challenges. Whether it is a security threat, such as global terrorism or a national crisis like SARS, Total Defence brings together all relevant government agencies, private sector organisations and all Singaporeans in a united effort to deal with threats and challenges to Singapore's continued survival and success.
When Singaporeans take personal responsibility for and get involved in the defence of Singapore, they are playing their part to help keep Singapore a safe and secure country. A strong Total Defence will not only benefit the country, but also each individual. This is so because whatever happens to Singapore, will also affect the lives of every Singaporean.
To help Singaporeans understand how they can be involved, Total Defence is divided into five aspects. They are the Military Defence, Civil Defence, Economic Defence, Social Defence and Psychological Defence. When we take National Service seriously, volunteer in civil defence exercises, help to keep the economy going, build strong ties with one another regardless of race and religion and stay committed to defend the country, we are doing something in every sector of our society to strengthen Singapore's resilience as one nation.
Blogged @ 12:32 AM
