NSmen draw on civilian experience to ‘soften edges’ in NDP Exco roles

SINGAPORE — In his day job, he is a surgeon at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, but with the National Day Parade (NDP) looming, Colonel (NS) Dr Kenneth Mak will also be busy coordinating the various resources and personnel involved in the medical services for the parade.

Even though he has to juggle different responsibilities, the 50-year-old operationally ready serviceman (NSman) is game for the stint because the parade is a “big high-point in our National Service journey”. He is co-chairing the medical committee under the parade’s executive committee.

This year’s NDP will involve the biggest number of NSmen taking part — 30 in its executive committee, all involved in areas such as sponsorship, public relations, protocol and VIP. All are volunteers who want to support the parade.

Lieutenant-Colonel (NS) Hoe Kok Wei, 45, who is part of the engagement committee, is looking into such initiatives as having more than 2,000 beneficiaries and caregivers from different volunteer welfare organisations watch the parade. “It’s not as simple as just sending an invitation. We need to go down, speak to them and understand their conditions,” he said.

LTC (NS) Hoe, who is the founder of IT systems company Synapse Logic, added that as NSmen “with a civilian mindset”, they are much more patient with the process, making it easier to communicate with external parties. “We blend in our civilian experience ... and we can soften the edges,” he said.

Colonel (NS) Eugene Lam, a human resources director at consumer goods firm Kimberly-Clark Asia Pacific, said that his “commercial and consumer acumen” may help now that he is chairman of the NDP’s branding and publicity committee, adding that he has to understand and be sensitive to stakeholders in order to put his messages across properly to them.

Colonel (NS) Lam was also involved in organising the competition for and selection of this year’s NDP logo, and its placement on products such as shirts. The added commitment of their roles in the NDP this year means these NSmen have to manage their time well. LTC (NS) Hoe said that they often use Skype to make conference calls and get decisions down fast rather than arrange for conventional sit-down meetings.

He sees his participation as an extension of his National Service rather than a challenge. “(This) first-hand experience with such a national project will be memorable for years to come,” he said.

For Colonel (NS) Dr Mak, being able to go behind the scenes to create definitive moments for all Singaporeans to celebrate National Day is what gives the volunteers their sense of satisfaction. He added that interacting with medical personnel from different backgrounds is an “enlightening and educational experience” for him. “Many of them have quite a considerable amount of expertise because they have been organising medical support for many large-scale activities,” he said.

Brigadier-General Kenneth Liow, chairman of the executive committee, said of the NSmen volunteers: “Their commitment and dedication, together with their wealth of expertise from their civilian professions, are helping us put together a meaningful and engaging NDP for Singaporeans.”