HomeTeamNS Khatib 1st Anniversary Celebration - Speech by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

President of HomeTeamNS, MOS Muhammad Faishal

Permanent Secretary Kin Keong

Board of Governors,

Management Committee,

HomeTeamNS Volunteers,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.   A very good evening to all of you.

2.   We opened this clubhouse officially a year ago.

3.   And really, I think all of us are happy to be here for the first anniversary. It’s a special event.

National Service in the Home Team

4.   Since 1967, we have had generations of NSmen who have kept Singapore safe and secure. And in the Home Team, we have had more than 290,000 NSmen who have served and more than 52,000 NSmen remain active today, in SPF as well as SCDF.

5.   I just visited Police Transcom a couple of days ago, on Hari Raya. 80% of the officers are NSFs, and they help to keep our MRT and bus systems safe and secure.

6.   In the SCDF, 1 out of the 3-man crew in SCDF ambulances is an NSman.

7.   In both the SPF and SCDF, our NSmen serve at the frontline, patrolling, firefighting, providing emergency medical services and much more.

HTNS Khatib Clubhouse

8.   When we started talking about clubhouses, we wanted to show very clearly that we value our NSmen. I said this several times, but it bears repeating.

9.   So, when we were planning for the new HomeTeam Clubhouses, I told the planning team to tear up whatever plans we have, let’s not take an incremental approach. The new clubhouses have to be state-of-the-art, best in class, and the highest in quality. They should be able to compare with the best available and perhaps go even further.

10.   And, the Clubhouses would need to generate a strong sense of pride. So, it’s not just a physical building, it’s the design, it’s the way it works, the software, and what it means. The importance of the clubhouse is not just the enjoyment of the facilities, but what it means for our officers and how we view our officers.

11.   We will build two more clubhouses. One, in the East – Bedok. Most of you will know about it, you have seen the design. And one in the West, in Tengah.

12.   The Bedok clubhouse will be opened in December 2022. It will face Bedok Reservoir and provide a very different experience.

13.   Khatib Clubhouse, as you can see, it is beautiful, it is iconic. It has been tremendously successful despite the pandemic.

14.   It has had more than 660,000 visitors, or an average of 55,000 visitors a month, despite the pandemic, or perhaps maybe because of it, because people are working from home.

15.   The Club’s facilities are attractive. We have a state-of-the-art gym, indoor adventure hub and indoor playground, which have been featured in various media publications. And the design is – as I described earlier –iconic. In the seven years that I have been in Home Affairs, I have done a number of different things, and I think having this clubhouse would be one of the things I would consider a significant achievement, together with Bedok and Tengah.

16.   More than 85% of HomeTeamNS members surveyed in late last year, said they were highly satisfied with HomeTeamNS. This is up from 68% in 2018.

17.   The Clubhouse, if you look at it in terms of awards, it has got:

(a)   The BCA Green Mark Platinum Award in 2020;
(b)   The BCA Design and Engineering Safety Merit Award in 2021;
(c)   An Honourable Mention at the Architecture MasterPrize 2021; and
(d)   The Second Award in the Sports & Recreation category at the Rethinking the Future Awards 2021.

18.   Most importantly, it has struck a chord with our own NSmen and their families. They are the ones who matter. You and our NSmen who are outside.

19.   This positive impact and reception is really a testimony to the hard work of the Executive Committee, led by COL(NS) Sim Meng San – he is exuberant, very positive, very hardworking. He and his team have put in a huge amount of effort, together with the very dedicated staff of HomeTeamNS led by Agnes, and our volunteers, who were integral in the development of this clubhouse. They did well in the development of this Clubhouse, and we can truly say it was built ground up, with ideas from our own people,  what they considered important, and whatever we could incorporate, we incorporated.

20.   Congratulations on an excellent job. You saw through an opening year which was tough but has been successful.

Celebrating NS55

21.   This year, we celebrate 55 years of National Service.

22.   The theme of NS55 is “Generations of Strength”.

23.   To all NSmen across the generations, thank you for your service, your dedication, your commitment and sacrifices. You have helped to make Singapore a better home for all who live here.

24.   And to your families, thank you for your support for our NSmen.

25.   To commemorate NS55, all NSmen will receive a NS55 Recognition Package this year.

26.   It will consist of a one-year complimentary HomeTeamNS principal membership, and $100 worth of NS55 credits that can be accessed via the LifeSG mobile application.

27.   And, a slate of celebrations for NS55 are being lined up, including the NS55 Showcase later this month, the NS55 Roving Heartlands Exhibition in June, and the NS55 Week in August.

Conclusion

28.   In closing, I firmly believe that our NSmen will enjoy this Clubhouse, the upcoming Bedok Clubhouse, and eventually Tengah, and will enjoy the NS55 celebrations.

29.   It is a small way of showing our appreciation for everything you do.

30.   Thank you very much.