We commemorate Total Defence Day on 15 February every year, the day in 1942 that Singapore fell to the Japanese in World War II, as a reminder of what could happen to us if we ourselves cannot defend Singapore, and to strengthen our resolve to keep Singapore safe and sovereign. 

A Total Defence Day commemoration event will be held in conjunction with the 51st Civilian War Memorial Ceremony on 15 February 2018. The combined event will be co-organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) and Nexus, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)'s Central National Education Office, reflecting the Whole-of-Society involvement in Total Defence. President Halimah Yacob, will be the Guest of Honour. Second Minister for Defence Mr Ong Ye Kung will be attending the event with senior officers from MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). 

This year's Total Defence campaign themed "Together We Keep Singapore Strong" will continue to raise public awareness of the newer and less apparent form of threats that Singapore faces - terrorism, information campaigns and cyberattacks – and encourage the public to put Total Defence into action. As these threats target the hearts and minds of our people and exploit the fault lines in our increasingly diverse multi-ethnic, multi-religious society to divide our people, there is a need to further fortify our Social and Psychological Defence. We will need everyone to step up and play their part to strengthen our unity, resilience and resolve in the face of external pressures.

In his Total Defence Day video message, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen said that Total Defence continues to keep Singapore safe. He gave examples of how everyone can play a role in the face of new threats. He said that "we can report suspicious parcels at public places, or alert authorities to help someone who is being radicalised". We can also "participate in Emergency Preparedness exercises so that when an attack occurs, we will know how to respond" and "do our part to dispel fake news, or at least not spread it". The three-minute message was recorded at Reflections at Bukit Chandu, where one of the most intense battles in Singapore took place two days before Singapore surrendered to the Japanese. (The video will be available on Dr Ng's Facebook page and the TotalDefenceSG YouTube channel from 14 February 2018, 6.00pm.) 

Games and puzzles have also been developed to help our youths understand the new threat environment and how they can better prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. These include the "Guardians of the City" (GOTC) Total Defence Strategy Card game that will be given out to all Secondary Two students this year, as well as a "Where's Wally"-styled Total Defence puzzle with 35 actions embedded within. GOTC will be incorporated into the Total Defence programme for Uniformed Groups this year.

Launched in 1984, Total Defence remains an important and relevant strategy that rallies the entire population to strengthen the defence of Singapore, especially when the threats of today are targeted at the hearts and minds of our people. While the SAF and other security agencies can protect us from potential enemies and their weapons, every individual must play his or her part to resist attempts to divide us and weaken our national resolve.

HOW CAN WE FORTIFY SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENCE?

Social Defence is about living harmoniously and looking out for one another. We can start by being sensitive to and respectful of other races in Singapore, and learning more about their traditions, cultures, religions, and heritage. Befriend fellow citizens from other communities, and build strong bonds with them over common Singaporean experiences. Show greater consideration and understanding to new citizens, help them understand our way of life, and share with them the different practices of different groups here. We can also contribute by looking out for and helping those who are less fortunate and in need.

Psychological Defence is about being a resilient people, having the confidence, determination and will to stay the course, whatever the challenge or crisis may be. When we understand Singapore's history and principles that have helped Singapore succeed, when we are confident of who we are and what we stand for as a people, we will be able and willing to step up and speak out against falsehoods and fake news that aim to undermine Singapore's interests and weaken us. We can strengthen our Psychological Defence by staying informed about current affairs concerning Singapore via reliable sources, using social media wisely and responsibly, and learning to be more discerning with the information we receive.

OTHER TOTAL DEFENCE 2018 EVENTS AND INITIATIVES

4th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment Weapons Presentation at Changi Beach

As part of Total Defence Day, 4th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (4 SIR) will hold the weapon presentation ceremony for 300 new recruits at the Changi Beach memorial in the evening. The ceremony, which will be witnessed by the families of 4 SIR recruits, imparts the values of pride and responsibility in safeguarding one's personal weapon in our soldiers. The Changi Beach memorial, which stands where the Sook Ching massacre took place during the early weeks of the Japanese Occupation, serves as a reminder that as an independent nation, defence is our own responsibility and National Servicemen play a key role in protecting Singapore's sovereignty and way of life. 

Channel 5 Info-ed Series "It Will Never Happen Here"

A five-episode national security documentary-drama series, "It Will Never Happen Here", developed in partnership with MHA, MCI and IMDA, premiered on Mediacorp Channel 5 on 2 January 2018. With each 23-minute episode containing enactments of national security incidents as well as analyses by relevant experts, the series helps the audience understand the diverse and complex national threats facing Singapore and encourages them to take concrete steps to prevent, prepare for and deal with these threats. The series is also available on Toggle - https://tv.toggle.sg/en/channel5/shows/it-will-never-happen-here/episodes.

Total Defence Puzzle

The "Where's Wally"-styled Total Defence Puzzle is a fun and interactive way to encourage conversations on Total Defence and help children understand the many things that the public can do to put Total Defence into action. Thirty-five Total Defence actions can be found within the puzzle, including simple actions such as befriending people of different ethnicities, faiths, beliefs and practices, and picking up life-saving skills like CPR. The puzzle also contains icons and mascots of several national programmes that the public can participate in, such as SGSecure and SkillsFuture. 

"Guardians of the City" (GOTC) - Total Defence Strategy Card Game

The "Guardians of the City" (GOTC) game was launched in 2017, in response to feedback from participants at the SGfuture engagement sessions in February 2016, that they wanted a more interactive way to learn about Total Defence. The game was co-developed by Nexus and Mr Wan Junyan, an avid strategy games enthusiast, who was also one of the SGfuture participants. GOTC helps youths recognise that the impact of terrorism on society is not confined to physical acts of terror, and allows them to better prepare for, respond to and recover from these crises. 

In 2017, every Uniformed Group (UG) student received a set as an encouragement to take the lead as advocates of Total Defence in their schools. 64,000 sets of GOTC were given out in total. Every UG unit also received several sets as a unit resource. GOTC has been well received and a national GOTC tournament that was held at Campus Game Festival in November 2017 involved over 500 students from 40 schools. This year, over 38,000 Secondary 2 students will each receive a personal set of GOTC, and schools are encouraged to organise cohort experiences for their students. New blank "Action" cards have been introduced to allow students to design their own cards to showcase how they can put Total Defence into action in their everyday lives. GOTC will also be incorporated into the Total Defence badge programme for Uniformed Groups.

Refreshed Total Defence Programme for Uniformed Groups

The Total Defence Programme for UGs was launched in 1995 to raise the awareness of teachers and students on issues related to the defence and security of Singapore. Each year, about 30,000 secondary school students undergo the programme to qualify for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Total Defence badges. 

The programme was refreshed in 2018 to have a greater emphasis on the changing nature of threats and challenges facing Singapore today. It was also designed to create a more meaningful and immersive experience for cadets where they not only participate but also lead in Total Defence-related activities. For instance, for the Gold level, cadets can choose to design and conduct a Total Defence lesson, or plan and execute a Total Defence-related Values in Action project.

Another activity that enriches the cadets' experience is the GOTC card game. For example, besides playing the GOTC card game in the Bronze level of the programme, cadets have to complete a blank “Action” card activity to demonstrate their understanding of how individuals and the community can put Total Defence into action.

To achieve the Silver badge, cadets have to facilitate a GOTC game session. In the process, they will be able to better appreciate the complexity of the threats that Singapore faces, the need for trade-offs, and the impact of everyday decisions on the fight against threats like terrorism. 

TOTAL DEFENCE PARTNER EVENTS

S'pore Discovery Centre (SDC) Total Defence Special Exhibition: "The Power of 1"

SDC has organised a special exhibition targeted at students in the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The experiential showcase, held from 30 January to 25 March 2018, will highlight the complex issues and geopolitical issues that may have an impact on Singapore. The exhibition gets visitors to reflect on their readiness and play active roles in keeping Singapore strong.

S'pore Discovery Centre (SDC) Adventure Event: Area 510

Organised as one of SDC's key highlights to commemorate Total Defence Day 2018, the ticketed thriller adventure event, held over the weekends of February and March 2018, gives an unconventional take on Total Defence through a fictional crisis scenario - zombie apocalypse. Bearing a serious note of community resilience through this zombie-themed event designed with varied emergency preparedness skills, Area 510 brings about a stimulating and engaging way of learning the relevant skills to react to an unforeseen situation and at the same time brings home key messages of Total Defence.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

For more information on Total Defence, please visit: 

•    Website: www.totaldefence.sg 
•    Facebook: www.facebook.com/WeAreTotalDefence