Father and son to lead NDP 2025 mobile column to celebrate commitment to defence across generations
Lieutenant Colonel (NS) Alex Chan Kwok Hoh helping his son Chan Jinghoi put on his helmet during a NDP media event on June 21. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Father and son to lead NDP 2025 mobile column to celebrate commitment to defence across generations
SINGAPORE – The 2025 National Day Parade (NDP) marks several firsts for Lieutenant-Colonel (NS) Alex Chan.
He has participated in previous parades in a back-end capacity, overseeing security matters, but he will now be front and centre – as the commander of the mobile column.
The mobile column serves as a showcase of the Republic's military and civil defence assets.
For NDP 2025, 170 assets from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Home Team and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will be on display, along with more than 800 people from participating agencies.
NDP 2025 will also see participate in the parade for the first time with his son, 10-year-old Keith Chan.
The pair in a Leopard 2SG m ain b attle t ank.
'It's definitely an honour to participate this year, especially together with my son,' said LTC (NS) Chan , 48, whose day job sees him overseeing back-end support at Alexandra Hospital.
Keith, a pupil at St Anthony's Primary School, said he was 'super excited' to be taking part in the parade with his father as well as have the opportunity to see the different vehicles up close.
The pair's participation is in line with one of the mobile column's four thematic segments for 2025 , titled From Generation to Generation, which emphasises the continued strengthening of Singapore through generational commitment to defence.
The mobile column will feature stories of men and women from the Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team across generations, said Major Teo Wei Kok , chairman of the NDP 2025 mobile column, noting veterans would also be appearing.
NDP 2025 Mobile Column Committee Chairman Major Teo Wei Kok at the F1 Village during a NDP media event on June 21.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
'We want to honour the sacrifice and contributions of past and current servicemen and women, while inspiring future generations to take up the mantle and continue building upon the strong foundations of Singapore's defence and security forces,' he added .
Among those participating with their family is Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Stella Tay, who will appear in a video featurette during the mobile column with her 11-year-old daughter Shermaine Goh and her son Edward Goh, nine.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Stella Tay together with her son Edward Goh and daughter Shermaine Goh during a NDP media event on June 21.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
'It's a very rare chance to be able to bring the children to work so that they experience what I do,' said DSP Tay, 38, who is with the Singapore Police Force's Public Transport Security Command.
'I hope that I can be good role model to them,' she .
While Edward aspires to follow in both his parents' footsteps and become a police officer, DSP Tay said she just wishes for her children to have a positive impact on others, whatever their careers. 'Whatever they want to be, just contribute back to society,' she said.
The mobile column's other thematic segments highlight the SAF's capabilities to protect Singapore and the coordinated defence capabilities of the SAF and Home Team, as well as their contributions to global security and ability to conduct a wide spectrum of operations.
Major Teo noted that 2025 marks the 18th mobile column – which first appeared in the 1969 NDP – is typically held during milestone years, with the previous iteration held in 2019 to mark Singapore's bicentennial celebrations.
Singapore commemorates 60 years o f independence in 2025 , as well as the 60th anniversary of the SAF.
For the first time, the mobile column will include air and maritime elements, in addition to the drive-past on St Andrew's Road.
'We will see an aerial flypast, and at Marina Bay we'll see a maritime display with vessels from the n avy, the Home Team as well as the Maritime and Port Authority,' said Major Teo.
While the mobile column has typically showcased the army and Home Team's vehicles and artillery , the MPA is included as it is an important partner in ensuring the Republic's maritime security, he added.
Major Teo also recognised some 200 people who work behind the scenes to support operations for the mobile column, such as road marshals and the logistics team.
'Without them working tirelessly behind the scenes, there will be no mobile column,' he said.
Assets appearing in the parade for the first time include the army's Hunter Armoured Engineer Vehicle and TPQ-53 Weapon Locating Radar, the navy's Combatant Craft Underwater, the police's Tactical Strike Vehicle, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force's second-generation Medical Support Vehicle.
Selected vehicles will also enter the Padang show stage during the drive-past, giving spectators a closer look at these .
On Aug 10, some of these assets will travel from the city centre along five routes to various heartland celebration sites to give more people a chance to see up close.
Details of the routes and heartland sites will be released at a later date.
Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
5 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore increased security posture amid Israel-Iran conflict: Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: Singapore has increased its security posture amid the Israel-Iran conflict, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday (Jun 28). Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao on the sidelines of a community event in Chong Pang, he said that while there is a ceasefire, "we don't know exactly what will happen after this". "Arising from (the situation) there, you can expect that people in this region, or even others, from extremist organisations, might want to make a point against Israeli, American, or other Western assets, and there could also be attacks from the far right on Muslim assets," he added. Singapore increased its security levels after the Israeli attacks on Iran and the counterattacks, with the police and other agencies stepping up patrols and checks, said Mr Shanmugam. "Singapore, as I have said many times, if we get attacked, you will get international headlines. "So on both sides - the far right, attacking Muslims, or representative of Muslim countries including Iran, is a possibility; and likewise, you could get attacks on Western assets - American, European, Israeli." He said Singapore is working off different scenarios because you can "never be absolutely sure". Security is a joint responsibility, and the government has been trying to increase awareness through the SGSecure programme, added the minister. "We have been trying for years, it goes up and it comes down - because it's safe, people leave their items around," Mr Shanmugam said. "I have asked the security agencies to try with what I call a 'cold start' and leave things in places, see how many people actually pick it up; pick it up meaning they notice it and notify the agencies. I think the results tell us that the awareness is not very high." When asked if there have been "more suspicious activities or extreme activities" being detected, Mr Shanmugam said: "Not that we have picked up here yet. But they need to succeed only once." THAILAND RECRIMINALISING CANNABIS The home affairs minister also spoke about Thailand's move to recriminalise cannabis. On Tuesday, Thailand's health ministry issued an order prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational use and making it mandatory for any retail purchase to require a doctor's prescription. Singapore is looking out for possible outflows to the country, Mr Shanmugam said. "The nexus between drugs and crime, and terrorism, also needs to be looked at. Many different issues. We try to maintain our openness and our connectivity, and our business-friendly environment. "Our security agencies have looked at it and up the posture. It is a bit early to say what is going to happen, but we have to be more careful," he added. When Thailand decriminalised cannabis a few years ago, he said some people on "the more liberal side" asked when Singapore was going to change. The Singapore government does not decide on such matters based on what other countries do, he added. "We take a hard look, we look at the science, we look at the social impact, and the actual impact and we run the government of Singapore and the policies in the best interests of Singaporeans. "I am absolutely convinced, the Cabinet is absolutely convinced that the right policy is to be strict on drugs, and you can see, the people who asked for liberalisation, are shutting their eyes deliberately to what is happening around the world and the immense harm," said the minister. He noted an incident at a Moscow airport where a man, who was reportedly drug-traced, had picked up an 18-month-old child and flung the child onto the ground. The child is in a critical condition. For countries that have decriminalised cannabis, including Thailand previously, there are "young children who are high (on drugs)", he said. "Why would we want it? And 85 per cent of our population supports the tough stand that we take - keep it criminal, no decriminalisation, in fact they support the penalties too," he added. The Singapore government cannot be "zig-zagging" on its laws, he said.
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
NDP 2025 Exco warns public against scammers posing as NDP representatives
'Do not disclose any personal, business, or sponsorship information if you are unsure of the caller's identity or credibility,' the advisory said. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE - The National Day Parade (NDP) 2025 executive committee (Exco) will never ask the public or organisations for cash sponsorship, donations or personal details over the phone, organisers of Singapore's birthday bash said on June 28. In an advisory on its official Facebook page NDPeeps, the NDP Exco said it is aware of scammers pretending to be representatives from NDP 2025 and calling potential victims to solicit cash sponsorships and personal information. 'Do not disclose any personal, business, or sponsorship information if you are unsure of the caller's identity or credibility,' the advisory said. If members of the public or organisations are unsure if something is a scam, they can write to ndp@ to check. Those affected should report the scam calls to the police immediately, added the NDP 2025 Exco. The NDP on Aug 9 will be held at the Padang and Marina Bay. The Straits Times has contacted the NDP 2025 Exco and the police for more information. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Paper
18 hours ago
- New Paper
Father and son to lead NDP 2025 mobile column to celebrate commitment to defence across generations
The 2025 National Day Parade (NDP) marks several firsts for Lieutenant-Colonel (NS) Alex Chan. He has participated in previous parades in a back-end capacity, overseeing security matters, but he will now be front and centre - as the commander of the mobile column. The mobile column serves as a showcase of the Republic's military and civil defence assets. For NDP 2025, 170 assets from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Home Team and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will be on display, along with more than 800 people from participating agencies. NDP 2025 will also see LTC Chan, who is chief of staff for the SAF's 8th Singapore Armoured Brigade, participate in the parade for the first time with his son, 10-year-old Keith Chan. The pair will be leading the mobile column in a Leopard 2SG main battle tank. "It's definitely an honour to participate this year, especially together with my son," said LTC Chan, 48, whose day job involves him overseeing back-end support at Alexandra Hospital. Keith, a pupil at St Anthony's Primary School, said he was "super excited" to be taking part in the parade with his father as well as to have the opportunity to see the different vehicles up close. The pair's participation is in line with one of the mobile column's four thematic segments for 2025, titled From Generation To Generation, which emphasises the continued strengthening of Singapore through generational commitment to defence. The mobile column will feature stories of men and women from the SAF and Home Team across generations, said Major Teo Wei Kok, chairman of the NDP 2025 mobile column, noting that veterans would also be appearing. Major Teo Wei Kok said that the mobile column will feature stories from across generations. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO "We want to honour the sacrifice and contributions of past and current servicemen and women, while inspiring future generations to take up the mantle and continue building upon the strong foundations of Singapore's defence and security forces," he added. Among those participating with their family is Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Stella Tay, who will appear in a video featurette during the mobile column with her 11-year-old daughter, Shermaine Goh, and her son, Edward Goh, nine. Deputy Superintendent of Police Stella Tay will appear in a video featurette together with her son Edward Goh and daughter Shermaine Goh. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO "It's a very rare chance to be able to bring the children to work so that they experience what I do," said DSP Tay, 38, who is with the Singapore Police Force's Public Transport Security Command. "I hope that I can be a good role model to them," she added. With his father also part of the police force, Edward aspires to follow in both his parents' footsteps to become a police officer. DSP Tay said she just wishes for her children to have a positive impact on others, whatever their careers. "Whatever they want to be, just contribute back to society," she said. The mobile column's other thematic segments highlight the SAF's capabilities to protect Singapore and the coordinated defence capabilities of the SAF and Home Team, as well as their contributions to global security and ability to conduct a wide spectrum of operations. MAJ Teo noted that 2025 marks the 18th mobile column - the mobile column first appeared in the 1969 NDP and is typically held during milestone years, with the previous iteration held in 2019 to mark Singapore's bicentennial celebrations. Singapore commemorates 60 years of independence in 2025, as well as the 60th anniversary of the SAF. For the first time, the mobile column will include air and maritime elements, in addition to the drive-past along St Andrew's Road. "We will see an aerial fly-past, and at Marina Bay we'll see a maritime display with vessels from the navy, the Home Team as well as the Maritime and Port Authority," said MAJ Teo. While the mobile column has typically showcased the army and Home Team's vehicles and artillery, the MPA is included as it is an important partner in ensuring the Republic's maritime security, he added. MAJ Teo also recognised some 200 people who work behind the scenes to support operations for the mobile column, such as road marshals and the logistics team. "Without them working tirelessly behind the scenes, there will be no mobile column," he said. Assets appearing in the mobile column for the first time include the army's Hunter Armoured Engineer Vehicle and TPQ-53 Weapon Locating Radar, the navy's Combatant Craft Underwater, the police's Tactical Strike Vehicle, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force's second-generation Medical Support Vehicle. Selected vehicles will also enter the Padang show stage during the drive-past, giving spectators a closer look at these vehicles. On Aug 10, some of these assets will travel from the city centre along five routes to various heartland celebration sites to give more people a chance to see them up close. Details of the routes and heartland sites will be released at a later date.
