'Not business as usual' but S'poreans have agency to secure future & build defences: Ng Eng Hen

On Mar. 3, 2025 Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen spoke at the 2025 Committee of Supply debate.

He warned that Singapore is now living in turbulent times and it is "no longer business as usual".

Singapore will need to be self-reliant in its defence, enhance its capabilities, in military hardware, but also technological capabilities and in training its personnel.

And it will also need to expand and strengthen its network of friends and partners where interests align.

Literal World Order

The global order is changing before our eyes, from a liberal world order, characterised by inclusion, rules for large and small states alike, and "protection of the global commons", to a literal world order, based on "size and influence, and on power".

It has happened before, not only in Singapore but also in the entire Asean region and beyond, where "basic assumptions changed precipitously and your futures are altered irrevocably."

Singapore should learn from history about how the world might change when "big power politics dominates", it is not a pretty picture, but nonetheless we should learn from them and learn the right lessons.

Ng said that history teaches that the fate of nations, particularly weak ones, can change without their choice.

History has numerous examples of smaller, weaker countries being forced to accept change imposed on them by larger powers.

Singapore itself has been shaped by one such event, the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824.

Should Singapore have been handed to the Dutch rather than the British, Singapore's history would be entirely different.

The defence minister also said that Singapore, referred to as the Gibraltar of the East, also fell and Japanese occupation ensued.

Not business as usual

Ng shared his experiences of interacting with European leaders, mentioning news headlines that said NATO is in "disarray", after the U.S. announced that its security priorities lay elsewhere.

However, Ng said the trans-Atlantic partnership has remained strong for more than a century, including two World Wars.

"I think only time will tell if these headlines and fears are accurate or overreactions," Ng said.

However, what's in store for Asia?

Ng told his fellow parliamentarians that their constituents on the ground would also share that concern and ask them about it.

Ng said the questions raised would "occupy" Singaporeans for at least a decade. He emphasised that according to the news headlines, things were not business as usual.

"It is ground shaking, it is earth shattering, it is a political earthquake with a tsunami coming."

Ng added, "You don't know how to predict it accurately, when, in what shape and form. But whatever comes, we must face our future resolutely."

Self-reliant

He said Singapore had thrived since independence because it took the world as it was, not as it wished it to be.

"We responded to daunting challenges as one nation with great perseverance, sacrifice, and hard realism, and would need to do so again as Singapore entered unchartered waters."

He warned that Singapore counts on no one other than itself to protect Singapore, and ultimately, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) needs to be strong.

Ng said Singapore is not a threat to anyone, and wish all to be friends, but added: "Strong fences, and I would add defences, make good neighbours."

Upgrading Singapore's military

Ng spoke about the military hardware critical in defending Singapore, saying that the SAF had a military that was able to operate effectively across all the domains of air, land, sea, and digital.

"But building capacity and capability for the SAF is a continual exercise – you either upgrade or regress."

Ng gave a number of examples of "big ticket" items, such as the ordering of two new submarines from Germany, to augment the two already in service, and two more under construction.

The Army will have Infantry Fighting Vehicles called the Titan with a remote weapons system, and High Mobile Artillery Systems (HIMARS) which will be upgraded with more capable rockets.

"So with these added large-ticket items for air, land, sea, the SAF as a relatively small military would have been transformed into a state-of-art military with platforms comparable to advanced militaries elsewhere, and fit for purpose, for our security purposes."

However, Ng warned that Singapore had to be cautious that it did not arm itself to fight the "last war", and the SAF needs to be reorganised and equipped to incorporate emerging technologies and capabilities.

Training facilities, at home and abroad

However, in addition to investing in military hardware, the Ministry of Defence also intends to invest in training facilities in Singapore, such as the SAFTI City Phase One, a built-up area training facility.

The SAF is also expanding its overseas facilities, such as the Shoalwater Bay training area in Australia and its adjacent Greenvale training area.

This gives the SAF access to a combined training area 10 times the size of Singapore, and allows for the deployment of up to 14,000 personnel and 2,400 vehicles and equipment annually.

But while Singapore needs to be self-reliant, it also needs to expand and strengthen its network of friends and partners where interests align.

Agreements with long-term partners such as the United Kingdom and the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA), now in its 54th year, would see the UK deploy a Carrier Strike Group to Southeast Asia, possibly participating in 2025's FPDA exercises.

Privileged access

Ng also spoke about Singapore's defence relations with the U.S. and China.

Ng, through a number of forums and meetings such as the IISS's Shangri-La Dialogue and the Beijing Xiangshan forum, had met with China's defence minister, Dong Jun, twice in 2024.

He was also able to meet Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC).

Ng acknowledged and appreciated the "privileged access" to both Zhang and the senior People's Liberation Army senior commanders at China's National Defence University.

The CMC is a party organ within China's Communist Party, as is the PLA, and ranks more highly than national organs, such as the Ministry of Defence.

Cornerstone

Ng also spoke on Singapore's defence relationship with the U.S. as a Major Security Cooperation Partner, although not as a treaty ally.

Ng cited the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding signed by then-PM Lee Kuan Yew and then-US Vice President Dan Quayle and the Protocol of Amendment signed by then-PM Lee Hsien Loong and President Donald Trump in 2019.

This MOU remains a cornerstone document for Singapore-U.S. military ties and engagements, and Ng said that the newly confirmed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is familiar with the details of "our past and present military engagements", and had discussed future projects with Ng.

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Top image via MDDI/YouTube