MINDEF's Addendum to the President's Address

Been trying to find the actual text of MINDEF's Addendum to the President's Address. Thanks to a fellow forumer from militarynuts.com, below is the text. [Source] 

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MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

ADDENDUM TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

1. A secure environment lays the foundation for peace and progress in Singapore. A strong defence safeguards our sovereignty and vital interests and enlarges our political space in the pursuit of a better future for Singaporeans.

2. This need for stability is especially pertinent given the uncertainties in the regional environment driven by global strategic shifts. The aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis is still unfolding as the US and Europe face considerable economic difficulties. There have been dramatic changes in the Middle East but the ramifications of this “Arab Spring” remain uncertain. The fight against terrorism has not ended even though Osama bin Laden is dead. In our region, we continue to see flashes of tension in the Korean Peninsula and over the South China Sea. The interplay of relations between US and China will continue to have an impact on ASEAN and our region.

Participation in multilateral meetings and operations

3. Singapore works closely with our friends and like-minded partners through bilateral and multilateral platforms. Our efforts seek to strengthen relationships with individual partners, while actively encouraging an open and inclusive regional security architecture with ASEAN at the centre. We have pushed for greater regional cooperation through fora such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus. The Shangri-la Dialogue will continue to be an important and useful platform for security leaders to meet and share perspectives.

4. Beyond our shores, Singapore will continue to play our role judiciously as a responsible member of the global community to ensure peace and stability in our region. The SAF makes niche contributions to international security operations and participates in the multinational stabilisation and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. We currently have a team of 10 Military Institutional Trainers, a 13-strong medical team and a six-man Imagery Analysis Team in Afghanistan. We will continue to play our part in the international efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden, as part of Combined Task Force 151.

A Strong, Integrated and People-centric SAF

5. The SAF is respected as a credible and professional armed forces, ready to defend the interests of our country. Our prudent and steady investment in defence will enable us to build an SAF with capabilities for a wide spectrum of operations, primarily to protect our nation against direct threats and also respond flexibly in peacetime to transnational security challenges posed by terrorism, piracy, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and natural disasters.

6. The SAF will continue to modernise and upgrade its capabilities into an integrated, network-centric force, with the ability to sense quicker, manoeuvre forces effectively, and strike targets precisely.

7. In our transformation efforts, we will continue to rely on the dynamism, will and professionalism of our people. As our systems and operations become more complex, our people will need to build deep professional expertise, and engage in knowledge creation and continuous learning. We will continue to enhance our training methods, curriculum and learning environment, and provide fulfilling careers and opportunities for professional development. There will also be more opportunities for continuing education and training as part of our servicemen’s professional development.

Commitment to Defence

8. National Service remains a crucial and indispensible element of Singapore’s defence. National servicemen form the backbone of the SAF. We must ensure that training is realistic and effective to raise a potent fighting force. At the same time, we will do the utmost to ensure the well-being and safety of our National Servicemen, and work on enhancing their motivation and morale. We will continue our efforts to engender pride in Singaporeans for the institution of National Service and enhance their commitment to defence.

9. MINDEF continues to actively engage the public. Our Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, or ACCORD, draws members from a wide spectrum of society. Their inputs and expertise allow MINDEF to strengthen our awareness of public sentiment and respond to the concerns of the public.

10. We will continue to work towards strengthening national resilience and collective commitment to defence through our annual Total Defence campaign. MINDEF will continue to adopt a personal, inclusive and ground-up approach to our engagement efforts. We will also tap on new channels in social media to connect with the public.

11. In partnership with all Singaporeans, MINDEF will stand steadfast and alert in our task to ensure that Singapore remains safe and secure for all.