Opening of HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse – Speech by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

My colleagues Josephine and Faishal

Board of Governors,

Management Committee,

HomeTeamNS Volunteers,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.   Good evening.

2.   Today, we launch this HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse.

3.   It marks the conclusion of a year-long series of commemorative activities which we started in 2022, to mark 55 years of National Service.

Tribute to Home Team NSmen

4.   I have spoken previously about how important and integral our National Servicemen are to the Home Team (HT), and how critical the efforts of the HT are to the very safety and security of Singapore.

5.   Our NS officers perform many of the same duties as our Regulars, and are trained to similar standards.

6.   Our National Servicemen and their families across generations have supported National Service, and the country as a whole has to be grateful for your commitment and for your sacrifices.

HomeTeamNS Clubhouse Masterplan

7.   And over the years, we have tried to build a community of our NSmen to build bonds, to cherish memories, and as a whole, between the HT and our NS officers, to tell you that we value you and we appreciate what you do for the country.

8.   One of the ways we have tried to do this is through our new network of HomeTeamNS clubhouses around the island.

9.   It’s a dream that has come true, because in 2015, we could only have dreamed about this.

10.   Essentially, my directions were that the Clubhouses must have unique value propositions, they must be state-of-the-art, and they must be best in class in terms of location, design, and other factors taken together.

11.   They have to generate a strong sense of pride.

12.   They have to be not just a dream, but a tangible representation of what our NSmen can be proud of.

13.   The first clubhouse opened in Khatib in 2021.

14.   It has a state-of-the-art gym, indoor adventure hub, and indoor playground. It has been extensively featured in media.

15.   Khatib was of course very different, and a significant step up from our previous clubhouses.

16.   And it has been well-received by our members. More than 82% of our members surveyed last year said they felt proud to be part of the HomeTeamNS family, and you can’t put a dollar value on that – that’s up from 55% in 2018, in just four years.

Opening the Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse

17.   Today, we launch the second, and much-anticipated, Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse.

Unique Location

18.   This is going to be one of a kind. I don’t think it can be replicated in terms of location. It is integrated seamlessly into the reservoir waterfront.

19.   I specifically wanted a waterfront, and there were a number of different choices. In the end, we chose Bedok because it is beautiful, the footprint that we can have here is larger than some of the other possibilities, and it has a large population of our HT NSmen living around here.

20.   Our NSmen and their families will enjoy a magnificent view of the reservoir.

21.   Water sports like kayaking and dragon boating will be available.

22.   Indoors, the 2-storey water adventure centre has Singapore’s longest indoor waterslide, and the first indoor wet obstacle rope course.

State of the Art Features

23.   State of the art features are all around. This is a modern facility, with smart and sustainable features.

24.   Like modern hotels, members will have convenient keyless access to the villas using just their HomeTeamNS mobile app.

25.   The “Action Motion” offers boulder walls and trampolines with AR.

26.   The multi-level obstacle course comes with gamification systems to enhance the experience, to enable competitions and quests.

27.   We have a “Fitness Workz Garage”. It is a state-of-the-art gym for everyone of all age groups and preferences.

28.   It has specialised equipment and programming for high-intensity Crossfit workouts, and also lower-impact exercises for our older members.

Design

29.   The clubhouse, as many of you have seen, has a signature display wall that showcases the past and present vehicles from the SPF and SCDF.

30.   The feature walls are inspired by the dedication, grit and selfless contributions of our Home Team NSmen.

31.   In the spirit of bringing people together, we have also designed spaces for people to gather and build bonds and new memories: “Hang-out” spaces, and function spaces to have birthday celebrations or team-bonding.

32.   This Clubhouse is also sustainably designed. It has achieved the Green Mark Platinum award. We adopted many of the best practices to maximise energy efficiency and water conservation.

Conclusion

33.   This clubhouse is for our NSmen, whose service to the nation has been invaluable. You can see that what we have dreamed was really big and the committee and architects have come together to make that dream real.

34.   It is a place where our HT NSmen can feel proud to be part of our HT.

35.   It is also for your families to thank them for the support they give you, to your sons, brothers, husbands throughout their National Service.

36.   I thank the Development Committee, the Advisory Panel, and HomeTeamNS staff, for their tremendous efforts in creating this clubhouse.

37.   And, for the hard work that is ongoing on the third new Clubhouse which will be at Tengah.

38.   I hope and I am sure that every one of you will enjoy this new clubhouse, in addition to the existing ones in Khatib, Bukit Batok and Balestier.

39.   Thank you.