Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening.

Let me first congratulate all our Home Team officers who will be promoted on 1 August 2002. I am happy to be here tonight, to celebrate your promotion with you.

Promotions not only recognize people who have done well, but also recognize those of you who have shown that you are capable of shouldering heavier responsibilities. The recent global security threats have added to our responsibilities, of keeping Singapore safe and secure. We now not only face the usual, conventional law and order challenges, but also complex threats that are borderless and amorphous. Following the September 11 attacks, we immediately took security measures at our borders and high-risk establishments. We have recently set up a new Homefront Security Centre, to consolidate our efforts.

We set up the Centre in May, staffing it with selected, experienced personnel from various Home Team agencies. The Centre will review key national security plans and systems and, if necessary, develop new ones to ensure that terrorist threats will be effectively countered.

Besides the new challenges posed by the global situation, we must not forget that doing well in our regular tasks is equally important in ensuring the safety and security of our Homeland. As the more experienced officers of the Home Team, you must help lead the way in holding up our professional standards.

After all, our Mission, when we first crafted it, was

This mission statement has served us well. However, ground sentiments were that a simpler, more practical statement would be better understood and more easily put into practice.

The result, after several rounds and levels of discussions and consultations across all ranks throughout the Home Team, is a more concise and snappier mission statement: -

The revised Mission captures the three elements that are integral to the Home Team work ethos, namely

• Working as a team;
• Partnering the Community; and
• Maintaining the Safety and Security of Singapore

The security of our homeland is the Home Team’s business. No single person or agency can succeed alone. As team members, our combined strengths will overcome any individual weaknesses; synergy will give us greater capabilities than otherwise possible. The Home Team alone however can only do so much. We must and will continue to work with the community, drawing on the community’s ideas, expertise and co-operation so that our combined resources can be put to best effect to meet the community’s needs.

We go all out to do our work professionally, without fear or favour, to keep Singapore safe and secure, because we believe it is the right thing to do. It is not easy. Given the worldwide security situation, the road ahead is not likely to be smooth. However, I know that all of you will take the challenges confidently in your stride, and continue to rise to the noble calling of keeping Singapore, and all who live and work here, safe and secure.

Once again, my personal congratulations to our promoted officers. Together with the Home Team, may all of you move on to greater heights!

Thank you.

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