The spirit of Total Defence
In establishing habits that have been time-honoured since our forefathers’ days of community self-help, we can foster a whole-of-society resilience and not be easily shaken by the next crisis
IN COMMEMORATION of 40 years of Total Defence, the Ministry of Defence organised a two-week-long nationwide Exercise SG Ready. A call to action to activate thinking, inspire action and keep Singaporeans prepared and united to support one another during crises and disruptions.
With tabletop simulation exercises for validation of business continuity plans (BCP) – or grassroots community emergency response team plans for times of disruptions – coupled with SAF Day observance ceremonies in many workplaces in July, we appear to be a nation ever ready. Individuals as well as businesses commit to having our national servicemen regularly participating in field exercises, in-camp training, or keeping fit through incentives for passing their Individual Physical Proficiency Test.
The capabilities of our modern military hardware outstrip our peers in the region, and protect our precious city-state. Likewise, the global and regional defence treaties that have provided security have continued to be renewed as the great powers ebb and flow in hegemonic contests over the years. But are we truly safe?
A world in transition
Unfortunately, despite the trends of globalisation that started with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, followed by the opening up of China symbolised by its integration into the World Trade Organization in 2001, the world has become a far more complex place today.
The rise of hybrid threats versus simplistic Cold War themes featured in James Bond movies, seen as technological progress, may be a boon to many to uplift human lives. But the tech advances can also be a bane to human existence.
Hybrid threats – including cyberattacks from threat actors which may not even be part of nation states or ideological movements, such as those that underpinned the Laju incident 50 years ago, but are simply disenfranchised nihilistic individual actors – can cause significant harm.
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This can take the form of cyberattacks like cybervirus disruptions, to hostile information campaigns designed to create disunity and polarise peaceful populations for nefarious reasons. We also have climate-related threats as the human impact that causes global warming, disproportionately affecting small island states.
Fault lines created along race and religion originating from conflicts far beyond our shores can easily be exploited if we are not informed, prepared and resilient as a nation. Many have been shocked by scenes from the UK recently, of riots in many cities caused, not least, by deliberate misinformation with regard to the perpetrators of an initial horrific act in a children’s school.
That the UK government acted swiftly and strongly with enforcement against online hate speech was a relief for peace-loving citizens. Across the Atlantic in the US, with wider protections for unbridled free speech, falsehoods are routinely promulgated, which has left the results of the upcoming US election – and its implications for the rest of the world – resting on a knife’s edge.
The foundation pillar of economic defence
Without sustainable strong reserves, we will not be able to invest in cutting-edge military capability including digital defence, reaping the benefits while also protecting against the spectre of artificial intelligence. Still, despite our best efforts, businesses can be more prepared.
The commitment by companies to Exercise SG Ready to review and test their BCP is important. In my time in the financial sector as part of the Singapore Exchange, I had participated in numerous Exercise Raffles conducted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, simulating terrorist or cyberattacks. How to restore systems, integrity of data, and most importantly, trust, is fundamental.
At an Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants pre-Budget roundtable earlier this year, industry leaders were in unison, supportive of improving government grants and incentives to support transformative workplace initiatives, further reinforcing resilience. After all, we now understand the meaning of essential services, and the importance of supply chains – post-Covid.
The precarious thread of social defence
We can be financially strong, secure our supply chains, and restart essential services when required, with enough dry runs that will hopefully kick in as second nature should an event actually take place in Singapore.
However, we need to recognise that crises and disruptions often have a disproportionate impact on the vulnerable. As chairman of Community Chest, having also spent some time in the grassroots before, I am delighted that the Community Chest is a partner in commemorating 40 years of Total Defence – as we too turned 40 this year. The Community Chest x Total Defence 40 campaign runs till Nov 24.
It does not take a lot of imagination to understand that the luxury of work-from-home for many employees, who now ask employers for this privilege on Mondays and Fridays, is not available to many in less advantaged communities. If you do not have Wi-Fi or laptops at home, how do your children participate in home-based learning? Even if you did, in a one-room flat shared by eight people, is there space and privacy for work, counselling or online therapy sessions? What if you cannot afford to pay that electricity bill?
During peacetime, we have to inculcate a culture of giving as a way of living. To support and champion the potential of the differently-abled in our midst. To commit not just resources in writing a cheque, but also to volunteer our time and talent in the community. In establishing habits that have been time-honoured since our forefathers’ days of community self-help, we can foster a whole-of-society resilience and not be easily shaken by the next crisis. With this spirit of philanthropy and collective action imbued in society, we will then truly have total defence.
The writer is chairman of Community Chest, and also executive chairman and co-founder at Shan De Advisors
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