Singapore Government Press Release

Media Relations Division, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts,

MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2nd Storey, Singapore 179369

Tel: 6837-9666

Mr Goh Liang Kwang

Acting Commissioner of Police

Council members

Ladies and gentlemen

Good evening

It gives me great pleasure to join you in celebrating NPCC Officers’ Day. Tonight we will be honouring 49 teacher-officers, 10 Honorary Officers, 2 Honorary Instructors and 51 Cadet Inspectors for their outstanding contributions to the National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC). Their dedication and commitment to developing our young through wholesome and rigorous co-curricular activity (CCA) is truly commendable.

The NPCC has played a significant role in nurturing our youth since its inception as the Police Cadet Corps, or PCC unit, in 1959. It started with a modest batch of 30 cadets; today, it is 20,000 strong. This has been largely possible because we have built up a body of highly dedicated NPCC officers who have served selflessly in the development of the Corps. Today, there are NPCC units in 157 Secondary Schools, making the Corps the largest uniformed youth group in Singapore schools.

The NPCC’s vision, to "Mould the Builders of a Safe and Secure Home",supports Singapore’s effort to ensure a secure environment for everyone. It is part and parcel of what makes Singapore our best home. NPCC’s mission of developing its cadets into caring and responsible citizens also complements what the Ministry of Education seeks to achieve in our schools.

Participation in our uniformed groups helps renew the tradition of discipline and civic consciousness in each cohort of youth. It develops in our youth both mental and physical discipline, and important values - teamwork, loyalty, integrity and service to society. I am glad to note that the NPCC’s rigorous training programmes and range of activities provide opportunities for our youths to develop physically, mentally and morally. They develop resilience, and prepare them to face adversities confidently.

Activities like camping, kayaking and adventure training, for instance, develop in the students a sense of camaraderie, and awareness of themselves. They often help them realize that they can go much further than they thought themselves capable of. These activities also foster in students the ability to think on their feet and be resourceful.

Through community service and the NPCC Community Safety and Security Programme, launched last September, the cadets are imbued with a desire to care for the community. They undertake research projects on the school environment or community they are in. For example, they have to spot potential safety and security problems in their schools and in the community, prepare a report and presentation of their observations, and propose solutions to each problem. In various ways, it empowers our youth to develop a sense of identity and purpose in society. And along the way, they find new opportunities to acquire leadership and organizational skills.

Another important feature of uniformed groups like the NPCC is the platform they provide for interaction between students of different races and social backgrounds. In fact, the NPCC does this more than most other activities in our schools. There is a good mix of students in our NPCC units, with 65% Chinese, 30% Malays, and 5% Indians. They come together for weekly activities, camps and parades. We want to encourage such intermingling. With its large membership and varied programmes, NPCC is well placed to promote understanding and friendships among students from all backgrounds, and contribute towards the building of a cohesive society.

The Singapore Police Force has been a key mover in many of the NPCC’s activities. Apart from the Community Safety and Security Programme, it has also spearheaded a number of special projects like the Resource Persons Scheme, where Commanding Officers of Neighbourhood Police Centres are appointed as Resource Persons to network with NPCC Units and Schools. Another noteworthy development is the formation of NPCC (Sea) Units in 2002 to introduce cadets to the role that the Police Coast Guard plays in our national security. I am told that two of our schools have already taken advantage of this and have sea as well as land units.

Let me turn now to the people who play a critical role in nurturing the cadets. These are the NPCC officers. The first batch of officers graduated from the officers’ training course in 1961. Today, more than 100 trained NPCC officers join the NPCC family yearly, contributing their talents and skills towards the growth of the Corps.

This evening, we will be recognizing 112 NPCC members for their outstanding performance and contributions to the Corps. I commend each of you for your unstinting dedication and hard work in contributing to the mission and vision of the NPCC.

Let me at this juncture address the teacher-officers present in the audience today. I know several of them have been involved in the NPCC for many years. What drives our teacher-officers is the knowledge that they are shaping and building lives in a real and meaningful way. The cadets may begin as a disparate group of individuals, but through patience and constant nurturing by our teacher-officers, team spirit and a sense of esprit-de-corps grows and flourishes.

Some of our teacher-officers will not be receiving awards for the first time. A good example is Mdm Krishnaleela of Monk’s Hill Secondary School, who will be receiving her 3^rd Clasp tonight. She began her NPCC career in 1972 as a Training Officer in Monk’s Hill Secondary NPCC. Thirty years later, she is as passionate and committed to her work with the Corps as the day she first started. Besides her responsibilities as the HOD for Pupil Welfare in her school, she actively serves the Corps as an Assistant Commandant looking after six units in her area, as well as the Officer-in-Charge of her school’s NPCC Unit.

We also have many dedicated Cadet Inspectors, Honorary Instructors and Honorary Officers who help the teacher-officers to run unit activities and support the NPCC HQ’s programmes. A notable example in this category is Dr Tan Kee Leng. Kee Leng was active as a Cadet and Cadet Inspector during her student days at Nanyang Girls’ High. She maintained her links with the Corps during her undergraduate days, serving as an Honorary Officer and actively helping out at events like the bi-annual National Camp. She was tasked with the responsibility of taking charge of training at the recently concluded Charity Challenge, organised in collaboration with the Singapore Police Force. I understand that besides recceing and planning the route for the arduous 120-km cycling event, she also organised training and fitness sessions for the NPCC Cadet Inspectors to equip them with the skills to execute their role competently. Using her experience from her Operation Raleigh expedition to Tibet, Kee Leng is currently working on projects to help the NPCC HQ develop overseas expeditions.

My heartfelt congratulations once again to all our award recipients. Keep up the good work and you will help raise the NPCC to even greater heights. To the stalwarts, I say please continue to serve for as long as you can. Your experience and guidance is an asset in our schools. I also encourage you to get younger teacher-officers to step forward to take on this noble role.

I am also pleased to note that we have several retired teacher-officers who are still rendering their services to the Corps. I commend you for devoting your time after retirement to serve as Liaison Officers. You are in many ways role models. Mr Michael Teow is one such role model. After serving as a teacher-officer and Staff Officer at NPCC HQ during his teaching career, he carried on serving with the Corps after retiring as a school principal in 1994. He has been with the NPCC for the past 40 years and is still serving actively as Vice-Chairman of the NPCC Officers’ Welfare Fund. We need more of such active citizens and dedicated volunteers. In this context, I am happy to note that the NPCC is working closely with the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre to see how they can better position themselves in promoting volunteerism.

I would also like to congratulate the 25 NPCC school units which achieved the Gold Award in the Unit Overall Proficiency Award 2002. These units have displayed a high standard of efficiency in both administration and training activities for their cadets. They serve as good benchmarks for other units to model themselves after, and will I am sure inspire other NPCC Units to also aim high.

On this note, I would like once again to congratulate all the award recipients this year. I urge everyone present to continue with your good work, to strengthen the Corps even further, and to help our youth take Singapore to greater heights. I wish you all a pleasant and enjoyable evening. Thank you.