Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong extolled the value of the Gurkha Contingent (GC) weeks after he said that Singapore cannot “outsource” its security and defense to anyone else. The Gurkhas are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent of Nepalese nationality and are ethnic Nepalis of Indian nationality.
In a Facebook post published yesterday (10 Apr), PM Lee wrote about the Gurkha’s “long history with Singapore” as he shared his visit to commemorate their 70th anniversary. He wrote:
“Gurkhas have a well-deserved reputation for toughness, alertness, mental and physical resilience. They are totally dependable, highly self-disciplined, loyal, and fearless in executing their duties.“The Gurkha Contingent (GC) in the Singapore Police Force was formed in 1949. It has been deployed many times during racial conflict and civil unrest. They were there in the Maria Hertogh riots in 1950, the Hock Lee Bus riots in 1955, and the communal clashes between Malays and Chinese in 1964. At these tense moments when communal feelings ran high, the GC’s impartiality was crucial to restoring order and confidence.“Today, the GC are an important force augmenting the Police response to new security and terrorism threats. Glad to visit the GC today to mark their 70th anniversary, to thank the officers and their families for their loyal and unwavering service, safeguarding Singapore and contributing to our peace and security.”
Interestingly, PM Lee’s latest Facebook post comes less than two months after he said that “We cannot outsource our security and defence to anyone else; we have to defend Singapore ourselves.”
PM Lee made this remark as he released his first public comment on NSman Aloysius Pang’s untimely training death, three weeks after Pang’s passing. He said on 15 Feb:
“In war, we will have to put servicemen in harm’s way to defend the country; but in peacetime training, we owe it to our servicemen never to compromise their safety and endanger their lives.“The SAF has to carry on training and fulfilling its operational duties. We cannot outsource our security and defence to anyone else; we have to defend Singapore ourselves. Because we have a strong and well-trained SAF, Singapore enjoys peace and security, and can maintain friendly relations with other countries.”
