How Much Do Singaporeans Know About Total Defence?

The Total Defence logo, with the five arrows representing the five aspects of Total Defence

Singapore will mark its annual Total Defence day on Feb 15, amid tighter security around the world in recent years due to fears of terrorism. Introduced in 1984, and drawing inspiration from countries such as Switzerland and Sweden, the concept of Total Defence provides the answer for a comprehensive and integrated national response to all types of national security threats and challenges. So how much do Singaporeans actually understand about Total Defence? According to a public survey of some 30 people, only 40% of respondents actually know the basics of Total Defence.

 Mr Tan Shao Han believes every Singaporean can play a part in the defence of Singapore

When asked what the five pillars of Total Defence consists of, only half of the respondents managed to name 3 or more pillars of Total Defence. Among those who have the right answers is Mr Tan Shao Han, a primary school teacher. “Well, Total Defence is a campaign that is for the defence of Singapore. It is intended to make Singaporeans prepare for any eventualities or threats that we as a society may face in the future,” he says.

However, not all respondents actually understand the significance of Total Defence. Ms Tiffany Poh, a secondary two student, believes that Total Defence is an annual event that begins and ends on Feb 15 itself. “I think Total Defence…we have one day that we celebrate it, it happens every year. We have to prepare for war on that day,” she said.

So what are some of the things that an individual can do to contribute to Total Defence? According to Mr Tan, each and every Singaporean has a role to play in safeguarding Singapore’s wellbeing.

“We can take up specialized skills such as first aid, fixing broken things. All these little things can help Singapore to manage and survive and emerge well after a disaster, whether it’s man-made or natural. This complements what our army is doing, and that is to protect our borders. We can do a lot as individuals,” said Mr Tan.

The army cannot be everywhere at the same time

“We should be vigilant when we are in public, look out for suspicious people, and bombs. You’ll never know what’s going to happen. The army cannot be all over the place at the same time, so we as members of the public should be vigilant and report anything suspicious to the authorities,” said 48-year-old housewife Ong Mei Feng.

‘Singaporeans should visit the community centres more often, so that they’ll know about the latest happenings in their community. Staying updated about what is going on around you is one way to contribute to national security,” said Melvin Ng, a self-employed 30-years-old.

The five pillars of Total Defence includes military, civil, economic, social, and psychological defence. Every year, NEXUS, a government agency previously known as the Central National Education Office, would organize a Total Defence Campaign on Feb 15 to promote public awareness and support for the Total Defence of Singapore. The date is specially chosen to remind Singaporeans of the dire consequences they face should Singapore fail to defend itself like it did on the same day in 1942 when it fell to the Japanese. At noon, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) would sound the Important Message Signal via the island-wide Public Warning System (PWS) sirens and through all local radio stations. Residents would then listen in on what to do for the three different types of PWS signals.  

Sources of photo(s):


- 'The Total Defence logo, with the five arrows representing the five aspects of Total Defence'
http://www.ne.edu.sg/images/TDlogo08.gif


- 'The army cannot be everywhere at the same time': http://sgstb.msn.com/i/BA/B3A73B911027CA73119D7017731E.jpg