Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on S'pore's place in the world, SAF's evolution and 24 years in politics

Nearly a quarter-century after he took off his surgical scrubs to don party whites, Dr Ng Eng Hen still looks at issues – including Singapore's survival – with an oncologist's trained eye.

- Hariz Baharudin

“Basically, when you are presented with a problem, you ask: What is the root cause?” he said. “Rather than trying to get at the symptoms, what is the core diagnosis?”

Dr Ng had been asked how Singapore can stay secure and relevant in a more uncertain world. The answer always has to come from asking itself what its place in geography and history is, he said.

“Some people wish the world to be friendlier, protect small countries, to find space for all countries, but that is not the reality,” the 66-year-old said in his farewell interview with local media at the Ministry of Defence on May 13.

“For Singapore, I would say the starting point is we take the world as it is – not as we wish it to be, no matter how much we wish it to be,” added Dr Ng, who has helmed the defence portfolio since 2011 and was first elected as an MP in 2001.

Singapore's strategy, he said, has been to make itself useful to neighbours, major powers and middle powers alike, through a mix of defence cooperation and dialogue facilitation, and by being a trusted interlocutor.

He pointed to Singapore's long-standing defence ties with the United States, which allow American forces access to Singapore's air and naval bases.

As a facilitator, it does not see itself as mediator or broker, but has been able to provide neutral ground for landmark meetings, such as the Trump-Kim summit in 2018 between the US and North Korean leaders, and the Xi-Ma summit in 2015 between the leaders of China and Taiwan.

And by going beyond scripted lines in meetings with his counterparts – while being sensitive and respectful – this has helped Singapore build its credibility and expand its diplomatic space, he added.

The point is for others to make time for Singapore and to find its views valuable – “our equivalent of soft power”, said Dr Ng.