Total Defence
Encyclopedia
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's comprehensive defence strategy, adapted from countries like Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It is based on the understanding that besides military action, aggressors can also defeat the country by wrecking its economic systems
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
, tearing its social fabric
Social fabric
Social Fabric is a social-mechanics product that was launched by Badgeville in September 2011 during the TechCrunch Disrupt conference to help drive user engagement and loyalty to websites....
apart, targeting Singaporeans' beliefs and commitment to defence, and its ability to recover from disasters, both natural and man-made. The Total Defence concept encompasses five key aspects – military, civil, economic, social and psychological defence – and focuses on the need for each Singaporean to play his or her part to defend the nation.
The Five Aspects
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), including its citizen soldiers form the"Military Defence" component. Their mission is to "enhance Singapore's peace and security through deterrence and diplomacy, and should these fail, to secure a swift and decisive victory over the aggressor". As part of the mission, the SAF strives to maintain a high state of operational readiness 24/7.
"Civil Defence" is about ensuring Singaporeans know what to do in times of an emergency. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) supports this aspect of Total Defence. However, if Singapore encounters a nation-wide emergency (e.g.: terrorism act or war), the SCDF will not be able to cope with the demands of the situation. Hence, it is crucial to rope in Singaporeans to help their fellow Singaporeans. To facilitate this, the SCDF recruits and trains civil defence volunteers in first aid, rescue and evacuation procedures, and shelter management.
"Economic Defence" is defined as maintaining the economy of the country and its ability to compete in the world, as well as environmental protection. It also involves helping Singapore (and Singaporeans) stay relevant in the global economy and putting in place economic systems to ensure that the Singapore economy does not collapse in times of crisis.
"Social Defence" is about keeping the social fabric strong and ensuring that Singaporeans live in harmony regardless of race or religion. This is especially important because Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious society.
"Psychological Defence" is about loyalty, commitment to Singapore, and having the will power and resilience to overcome challenges.. This is the component that would determine if Singaporeans will stay to fight or abandon the country when it is in trouble.
Total Defence Campaign
Each year, a government agency known as NEXUS (previously known as the Central National Education Office) would launch a Total Defence Campaign on 15 February to promote public awareness and garner support for Total Defence. The date is significant because 15 February was the day Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942. The date reminds Singaporeans of what they stand to lose if they are unable to defend themselves, and that everyone has a part to play in defending the country.Around noon every 15 February, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) would sound the Important Message Signal via the island-wide Public Warning System
Public Warning System
The Public Warning System is a network of civil defense sirens installed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force on over 2,000 strategic points in Singapore to warn Singaporeans of impeding dangers and air raids...
(PWS) sirens. At the same time, all local radio stations would also sound the important message signal and explain to their listeners the appropriate measures to be taken for the three different types of PWS signals.
In 2006, the theme of the campaign was "Stay Vigilant, Be Resilient".
The theme for the 2008 campaign was "Total Defence. It's Personal. Play Your Part."
The theme for the 2009 campaign was "What Will You Defend?".
The theme for the 2010 campaign was "I Will".
The theme for the 2011 campaign was "Home,Keeping it together".
Total Defence Day
Total Defence Day is marked annually on February 15 in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to commemorate the anniversary of the surrender of the British to the Japanese on February 15, 1942, precursoring 3 years and 8 months of Japanese Occupation
Japanese Occupation of Singapore
The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II occurred between about 1942 and 1945 after the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied Singapore after defeating the combined Australian, British, Indian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore...
.
Schools frequently organize activities, such as quizzes, for students to remind them on the importance of Total Defence, to remind students that Singapore is defensible and is worth defending, and only Singaporeans would have the will to defend Singapore.
At 1205 hours, the Singapore Civil Defence Force
Singapore Civil Defence Force
The Singapore Civil Defence Force is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main role of SCDF is to provide...
(SCDF) will sound the Important Message Signal through the island-wide Public Warning System (PWS) sirens. Simultaneously at 1205 hours, 10 local radio stations will sound the important message signal and explain to the listeners on the appropriate measures to be taken for the three different types of PWS signals. After the sounding, schools will read out a Civil Defence message in which students were reminded of the significance of the PWS signals and appropriate measure