those pes E and F no escape liao     no need to go round big circle also know what is coming

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Defence will be reviewing its medical classification system (MCS) to refine the deployment of national servicemen, with details to be announced later in the year. Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said the system will be made more precise to allow better characterisation of the medical fitness of servicemen and how it affects their ability to undertake various tasks. Coupled with ongoing efforts to redesign roles and vocations, the refreshed MCS will enable servicemen to be more meaningfully and effectively deployed, including to vocations that they were not previously eligible for, he said during the debate on his ministry’s budget on Feb 27. Singapore currently uses the Physical Employment Standard (PES) system tograde pre-enlistees and servicemen for national service. Across the SAF, police and Singapore Civil Defence Force, the grades – from PES A to PES F – determine one’s vocation during the NS period.   Changes to the MCS will largely impact future cohorts of full-time national servicemen (NSFs) when they enlist.         An average of 21,300 NSFs enlisted annually across the SAF and Home Team between 2021 and 2025. This was a drop from the annual average of 23,400 enlistees in the preceding five years, Mr Chan said in a parliamentary reply on Feb 12. He said the review is being done in consultation with public medical specialists and members of MINDEF’s specialist advisory boards.   “With greater precision, this ensures that our servicemen are deployed only to vocations that they are medically assessed to be suited for,” he added. “The robust safety and training system in MINDEF and SAF will continue to ensure that our servicemen in redesigned roles can train and operate safely.” MINDEF first raised the idea of reviewing the MCS in 2021, to shift away from the binary classification of combat-fit versus non-combat-fit for purposes of deployment, noting that medical exclusions that used to limit deployments might no longer be relevant in today’s operational context, especially with the latest technology. At the debate on MINDEF’s budget that year, then Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the system was “outdated and retrogressive” for roles in the next-generation SAF, and made little sense when applied to roles such as unmanned vessel operators. The refreshed system would also take into account operationally ready national servicemen’s (NSmen) civilian jobs and skillsets, he added. MINDEF said on Feb 27 that the MCS review complements its efforts to redesign roles to optimise servicemen’s contributions. Since 2021, the SAF has redesigned 2,000 roles across 25 vocations – including combat medics, infantry platform operators and army technicians – enabling more than 1,800 NSFs to be deployed in a wider range of operational roles than they were previously eligible for. In his Feb 27 speech to the House, Mr Chan said the SAF does not take the commitment of NSmen and NSFs lightly, and that his ministry is invested in making the most of their time both in NS and during reservist. “We strive to bring out the best in every serviceman, so that they can contribute more meaningfully and effectively with their abilities,” he said. “This is especially so since today’s SAF has a greater variety of roles to deal with an expanded spectrum of operations. Many of these new roles no longer depend solely on traditional notions of physical or operational fitness.” Mr Chan said this will require a mindset shift regarding servicemen’s abilities, as combat categorisation in the past tended to stream people based on what they could not do. “We can unlock our people’s potential if we shift our focus to what they can do,” he added.       To optimise the contributions by servicemen, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said work-learn schemes for polytechnic students and NSFs have been expanded in 2025 to include those that train army engineers and naval warfare system specialists. Mr Zaqy also said that MINDEF and SAF are partnering with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to include certificates acquired during national service in the Careers and Skills Passport, which is an online platform by SSG that consolidates one’s skills, employment, qualifications and certification records. On NSmen’s contributions, Mr Zaqy highlighted the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme, which was launched in 2022 to place those with specialised civilian expertise in relevant military roles. He said through the scheme, about 850 NSmen have been redeployed to roles better aligned with their professional expertise, covering more than 20 areas including legal, cyber and strategic communications. One such NSman, ME4(NS) Kwek Kiat Jun, switched roles from being an administrative support assistant to a legal officer with HQ 4 Singapore Armoured Brigade in 2022. In an interview with the media on Feb 26, ME4(NS) Kwek, who is an in-house counsel in a finance sector firm, said he was keen to make the switch to continue to serve his country, and also to gain exposure to international humanitarian law. As a legal officer in the army, he advises various stakeholders on the requirements of international humanitarian laws, like the Geneva Conventions, and SAF’s rules of engagement during training for wartime operations. His new NS role took him overseas in October to Exercise Wallaby – Singapore’s largest overseas unilateral military drill conducted in Shoalwater Bay in Queensland. In that operational environment, he provided legal advice to planners and his commanders on international humanitarian law, and on the rules of engagement. ME4(NS) Kwek Kiat Jun switched roles from being an administrative support assistant to a legal officer with HQ 4 Singapore Armoured Brigade in 2022. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Having been close to fulfilling his obligations when he made the switch, ME4(NS) Kwek has extended his service under the Reservist on Voluntary Extended Reserve Service scheme for three more reservist cycles. ME4(NS) Kwek said that being able to provide timely advice under urgent conditions is a skill that he brings over from his day job to his NS role. “Having the expertise in my civilian role allows me to make these types of snap judgments when I’m in my in-camp training,” he said. Separately, Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo said on Feb 27 that SAFRA will do more to strengthen support for NSmen. For instance, it will deepen and enhance partnerships with agencies such NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute to shore up career support for NSmen. Mr Choo said SAFRA will work with community and defence partners to organise road shows for the public to learn more about the various aspects of defence. SAFRA clubhouses will also house defence heritage galleries in the coming years that tell the stories of MINDEF’s services and formations. Mr Choo said: “In the face of new and evolving security challenges, NS is vital to our nation’s survival. SAFRA’s evolution is about helping every Singaporean understand their stake in our nation’s defence. “We will achieve this with SAFRA serving as a bridge connecting our citizen soldiers with the wider community.”

The inflows also came amid conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, strained US-China ties and uneven growth in China that have unsettled regional investors. (Feb 25): Singapore’s three biggest banks pulled in a combined $77 billion in net new wealth money last year as geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainty pushed Asia’s rich to move more assets to the city state. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) said on Wednesday that net new money rose 30% to $27 billion, lifting wealth assets under management (AUM) to a record $343 billion. The results follow similar disclosures from DBS Group Holdings Ltd, which reported $39 billion in fresh inflows, bringing its wealth AUM to $488 billion. United Overseas Bank Ltd (UOB) reported $11 billion in net new money, with high-net-worth AUM reaching $201 billion. The figures highlight how Singapore’s lenders are relying more on wealth fees as loan margins narrow. That shift towards more wealth and investment products boosted the banks’ wealth management fee, which rose 33% at OCBC and 29% at DBS last year. The inflows also came amid conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, strained US-China ties and uneven growth in China that have unsettled regional investors. DBS chief executive officer Tan Su Shan struck an upbeat tone earlier this month, saying she was “very happy to see the record net new money growth, which is structural”. The bank, already one of Asia’s largest wealth managers outside China, has built a sizeable wealth business, with growth across China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, she added. OCBC, meanwhile, plans to extend its private banking operations in Indonesia, drawing on its unit Bank of Singapore Ltd to serve affluent clients in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The lender is seeking to move upmarket by targeting high-net-worth individuals with assets both at home and abroad. “We have been there for 80 years,” Tan said. “We continue to be invested and very committed to the Indonesian market.” Singapore has benefitted from its political stability and predictable regulatory framework, at a time when policy shifts elsewhere have prompted some wealthy individuals to reconsider where they hold assets. Changes to tax rules in the UK, for instance, have led some affluent residents to reassess their positions and challenged London’s standing as a global wealth hub. Singapore’s wealth boom is also spurring growth at other financial services firms, including insurance. Manulife Financial Corp sold a US$300 million ($379.67 million) life insurance policy in the city state, topping what Guinness World Records certified as the most valuable policy ever issued.

me dont really care, all i know someone say Singapore is for everyone, if not happy can pack your bag and go. with that said, i own nothing in SG, as such if not my war or problem

SINGAPORE – Singapore cannot let foreign actors impose their narratives or exploit differences, and decisions about its future must be made solely by Singaporeans, said political office-holders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Feb 27. Speaking partly in Mandarin during the debate on her ministry’s budget, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann told the House that the first line of defence against foreign influence campaigns is a vigilant and discerning public. “Decisions about Singapore’s future must be made by Singaporeans and Singaporeans only, free from external manipulation,” she said. At a time of fragmentation when trust and consistency are in deficit, Singapore must continue to be clear-eyed about its national interests, said Ms Sim. It has to assess its options dispassionately and make hard-nosed decisions that are only in the country’s interest. “Most importantly, we must stand on our own two feet. We cannot rely on others to secure our interests and our destiny,” she said. There are situations where Singapore sometimes has to say no, after careful consideration, to partners and friends. Doing so is not easy, and is made more challenging with foreign infiltration into Singapore’s information space, she added. She said Singaporeans should be particularly careful when they come across content that highlights or appeals to one particular ethnicity over another. “On the whole, we should be vigilant towards online commentaries targeted at Singapore. Some of these could be attempts to undermine our confidence, or exploit our fault lines,” she said in Mandarin. With a diverse, digitally connected population, Singapore is an attractive and vulnerable target, she noted. Ms Sim added that the development of advanced digital tools has supercharged the ability of foreign actors to seed narratives and even mount hostile information campaigns to advance their interests, and such activities have clearly increased. Speaking on the same issue but in Malay, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim said foreign actors may impose their narratives, exploit Singaporeans’ differences and pressure them to see and accept their views. “But we must remain calm in judgment, clear in principle and direction, and confident in our values. We must stay united and strengthen our social compact.” Mr Zhulkarnain said Singapore’s national interest is its guiding compass in foreign policy. “We must continue to clearly identify and assert our national interests – be it safeguarding our sovereignty or protecting our social cohesion – and use our capabilities to chart the right path,” he said. To deal with these external pressures, Singapore must continue to build domestic support for foreign policy, suggested MPs such as Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs. MFA has stepped up engagement efforts with Singaporeans, said Ms Sim. These include students, youth, businesses and grassroots leaders, through closed-door dialogues and workshops to help them better understand Singapore’s operating context and foreign policy considerations. “Foreign policy begins at home,” said Ms Sim. “Our ability to stand firm on the world stage depends on having our people’s trust and support, and our ability to remain calm and collected in the face of challenging external circumstances. We can only act with confidence if Singaporeans are united behind us.” Advancing global partnerships Mr Yip and Mr Henry Kwek (Kebun Baru) asked how Singapore is advancing partnerships with middle powers in the aspects of geopolitics, trade and technology. Ms Sim said that one key strategy is to strengthen and expand the Republic’s partnerships with like-minded countries, including major and middle powers. “With this circle of trusted friends, we will forge ahead in both critical sectors like defence cooperation, but also in new and exciting domains such as energy, technology and sustainability,” she said. Singapore upgraded its relationships with Australia, France, India, New Zealand and Vietnam to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2025. It also established a new strategic partnership with South Korea.   The Republic signed the EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement with the European Union in May 2025. This is the EU’s first standalone digital trade agreement with another country and Singapore’s largest bilateral digital economy agreement to date.   Singapore is also exploring greater cooperation between the EU and Asean, as well as between the EU and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. These initiatives support Singapore’s broader engagement of Europe and complement its new CSP with France, as well as existing Strategic Partnerships with Germany and the United Kingdom. Singapore will also deepen collaboration in areas like the digital economy, green transition and emerging technologies with Japan as both nations mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026. Closer to home, it also continues to work closely with Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei to expand bilateral cooperation and deepen regional integration at the state, provincial and city levels. Mr Zhulkarnain said the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone has seen over $5.5 billion in investments from Singapore-based companies. The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link, targeted to commence in end-2026, will reduce the journey time from Singapore to Johor and ease congestion on the Causeway.   Singapore will deepen its engagement with East Malaysia with the opening of new consulates in Sarawak and Sabah to expand cooperation and unlock greater connectivity, integration and trade, he added. With Indonesia, the Republic is exploring projects such as cross-border electricity trade, carbon capture and storage, and the development of a sustainable industrial zone in the Riau Islands. Singapore and Brunei will mark the 50th anniversary of defence relations in 2026, and look forward to celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement in 2027. The Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) also forms a key part of the nation’s strategy to engage with other territories and create future opportunities for collaboration, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gan Siow Huang. Singapore’s development partnerships span over 180 countries and territories. It has supported over 163,000 foreign officials through training and capacity-building programmes, with 60 per cent of SCP’s participants coming from South-east Asia. Even as Singapore is expanding external partnerships, MFA is strengthening consular support for Singaporeans overseas, she said. Besides enhancing its eRegister system for Singaporeans travelling overseas, its 24/7 Consular Response Centre provides effective and timely support for Singaporean travellers.