The Home Team Pays Tribute to its Officers and National Servicemen

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) held a press conference today to announce details of its first ever Home Team Show and Festival (HTSF), which will take place from 3 to 7 May 2017 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. President Tony Tan Keng Yam will be gracing the Gala Show on 6 May 2017 as Guest-of-Honour. The Home Team Show will also be staged in the evenings of 3 to 5 May.

2.       The HTSF 2017 has been organised to pay tribute to all Home Team officers - regulars, civilians and National Servicemen - who have played an important role in keeping Singapore safe and secure.  The event seeks to raise public awareness about the role of the Home Team and its constituent departments, the work that the Home Team does, and the importance of the community-Home Team partnership in keeping Singapore safe and secure.

3.         This is embodied in the HTSF tagline - "One Home One Team" - which conveys the message that this is our "One Home" to protect, and that we, the Home Team and the community, work together as "One Team", to ensure Singapore's safety and security.

4.         This year has added significance because it has been 20 years since the Home Team concept was introduced in 1997 by Mr Wong Kan Seng, then-Minister for Home Affairs, as a way of bringing the different Home Team Departments to work closer together to enhance MHA's operational effectiveness.

5.         The HTSF is also held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of National Service (NS). Home Team NS officers are an integral part of the Home Team, working together with our regulars to build a safe and secure Singapore. We appreciate the contributions of generations of NS officers and their families in nation-building.

Key Highlights

6.         This year's Home Team Festival will be held at the outdoor area in the vicinity of The Singapore Sports Hub, and will offer visitors a highly immersive and interactive experience. For the first time, members of the public will be able to ride on Police Coast Guard and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) marine vessels at the Marina Reservoir and Marina Barrage. Visitors will also learn how the Home Team is transforming itself to build new capabilities to meet future challenges. Members of the public can visit the Festival website www.htfest2017.sg to find out more about what they can expect at the event.

7.         The Home Team Show will held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Under the creative direction of Mr Dick Lee, it will tell the story of Home Team officers - the challenges they face, their personal struggles and their commitment and dedication to the mission of safeguarding Singapore's safety and security. This will be conveyed via a tapestry of songs, dance and montage of short films directed by Mr Boo Junfeng. Mr Dick Lee has also composed the HTSF theme song, "Everyday Heroes", which will be sung by Mr Taufik Batisah, a Home Team NSman. There will also be a Parade segment involving 11 contingents from the Home Team Departments, Home Team volunteers, National Police Cadet Corps and National Civil Defence Cadet Corps. The Parade Commander is a Police NSman, Deputy Assistant Commissioner (NS) Mohammed Azhar Bin Yusof from the Singapore Police Force's Protective Security Command and the Parade Regimental Sergeant Major is Senior Warrant Officer 1 Mohammad Rafi bin Abdul Majid from SCDF Marine Command.

8.         The Show is open to Home Team officers, National Servicemen, volunteers and partners. Members of the public can catch the live telecast of the Gala Show on 6 May 2017 on Mediacorp's Channel 5. Live simulcasts will also be available on nine outdoor screens [1] and the HomeTeamNS clubhouses.

[1] Bugis Junction, Chinatown Point, iFly, JCube, Junction 8, Orchard Gateway, Star Vista, Tampines Hub and Westgate.