![]() ![]() Total Defence comprised five components - Military, Civil, Economic, Social and Psychological Defence. In 1984, the government introduced Total Defence to involve every Singaporean in building a secure and cohesive nation, ready to deal with any crisis. With each passing year, Singaporeans became more resilient and confident of the future, adapting to new challenges. In tandem, the government inculcated a strong survival mindset through activities involving physical fitness and mental resilience, based on the "rugged society" concept that our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, envisioned for Singapore. This deliberate housing policy promoted better cohesion and shared understanding among the different races. Racial enclaves gave way to multi-racial housing estates, mirroring the population profile. For the population at large, the government gave every citizen a stake in the country by creating a home-owning society. ![]() The introduction of National Service in 1967 for all young Singapore men further cemented the bonds and resilience among the youth and also enabled the build-up of a citizen army. This continues today and has laid the foundation for building a community that stands as one. Flag-raising and oath-taking ceremonies were made compulsory each day with a solemn assembly, where the State Flag was raised to the strains of 'Majulah Singapura', and the Pledge taken to stay "as one united people regardless of race, language or religion". If Singapore were to survive the challenges ahead, it was imperative to foster a sense of belonging and resilience in the people. The island stood alone in its battle against unemployment, poor housing and health facilities, and over-population. These opening lines of Singapore's first specially composed national song 'Stand Up For Singapore' epitomise the cohesion and resilience that enabled Singapore to overcome numerous obstacles since its sudden separation from Malaysia in 1965. ![]()
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