Laying the foundation for a strong and secure Singapore

Dr Teh Peng Hooi, Chairman, National St. John Council & Prior, Priory of Singapore

Prof. Christopher Goh, Chief Commissioner, St. John Brigade

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good afternoon.  It's my pleasure to be here today, joining you in reaffirming the Brigade's mission and spirit, and recognising your achievements.

Noble Mission of the St. John Brigade

2. Over the years, guided by the motto, “For the Service of Humanity”, the St. John Brigade has nurtured a group of well-trained and dedicated officers through the school corps. With a service mindset, you have built an invaluable pool of resource for Singapore over the last seven decades, and that is a large group of people will the skills and mission to respond quickly in times of crisis and emergency.

3. I would like to acknowledge and commend the parents and teachers who have helped make the Brigade a strong organisation.

Building a Shared Future Together

4. As we embark on SGFuture and the next chapter of nation building, all of us, every Singaporean, have important roles to play in co-creating our shared future.  As young cadets I hope you will stay rooted to the Brigade's cause and long tradition of serving the community as you build competencies and skills in first aid and health care.  This spirit of giving back and selflessness has helped us build a more caring and cohesive society and will serve us well in future. Although you may come from different schools, you stand united for a common cause.  I hope you will build on this unity and forge stronger bonds as members of the St. John family.

5. You can put your skills to good use in the wider community.  If you have a passion for volunteering and community leadership, I urge you to consider joining Youth Corps Singapore.  Launched in 2014, Youth Corps Singapore brings together and provides support to young Singaporeans who are keen to serve the community.  Together with other like-minded youths, you will be trained to lead and implement projects that can make a difference to the society.

Staying Prepared and Resilient for a Secure Singapore

6. Today, we are also here to recognise and show our appreciation to senior members in the Brigade who exemplify these values of service, dedication and loyalty.  My heartiest congratulations to all award recipients today!  You are a role model to the thousands of young cadets and members here.  Some of you, like Dr Chen Sze Hua, Mr Andrew Hung and Mr Cheng Chung Hsien, have served the Brigade for over 40 years, contributing in various capacities and leadership positions. Thank you for serving the Brigade and the community tirelessly all these years.

7. More importantly, you play important roles in leading the Brigade to keep our community prepared and resilient at all times. A strong community is the foundation of a strong and secure nation.  But we cannot take this for granted, not with the heightened levels of security threats within our region and around the world.  With terrorists attacking with a truck, or a knife, a terrorist attack on Singapore soil is no longer a question of “if” it will ever happen, but “when” it will happen.  We need every Singaporean to understand the need to stay united and prepared as a community.  As part of SG Secure, a movement soon to be launched by the Prime Minister, we need to get every Singaporean involved to “Stay Alert, Stay United and Stay Strong”.  As experienced Brigade officers, you play important roles “the days before” – by helping to train people in life-saving skills and emergency response; “when it happens” – by applying your life saving skills and augmenting our first response teams; and “the days after” – by leading your community in maintaining cohesion and recovering from crisis.

8. Step forward and be part of SGfuture. By serving the Brigade and Singapore with pride and dedication, you can keep our nation safe and secure.

9. I'd just like to say that it is one of the hottest afternoons that we have experienced in recent weeks and yet we see all these young cadets in front of us braving the hot sun. I would just like to give you my strongest commendation and keep my speech very short.

Conclusion

10. Thank you very much and I wish you a pleasant evening ahead.