There is an inevitable suspicion that comes with a top military commander in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) being fast-tracked to politics.

And it’s completely understandable.

Why is a man who has served two decades in the military considered qualified to lead in the civilian world? What does a stellar track record in a highly regimental environment prove?

To compound the misgivings of the public, most ex-commanders in politics are SAF scholarship recipients who underwent an expedited career progression. Most, if not all, have seen no combat on the battlefield, earning them the moniker “paper generals”.

So many of us think: “If this doesn’t exemplify the state of elitism in the country, surely nothing else does!”

Yet the opposite could not be truer.

Being a minister is about leading one’s ministry with a compelling vision, and motivating those under them to execute said vision.

This is no different from being a general, who has thousands of men in various units and departments under his command to accomplish mission objectives, whether they are set in training exercises or policy administration.

It’s easy to mistake a general for one with the cushiest job, just sitting in his office and dishing out orders, when his actual job scope involves so much more than that.

Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, former US commander of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in 2005, said in an interview with consulting company Gallup, “In the military, as in any organisation, giving the order might be the easiest part. Execution is the real game. The hierarchy starts with the leadership, which provides vision, wisdom, and motivation.

“Then there’s management. That’s turning time, task, and purpose into action. Leadership is working with goals and vision; management is working with objectives. Objectives, as you know, are specific, and they’re tied to time, coordination and resources.”

Former Minister of Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin would agree with General Honoré. After all, he was the coordinator of humanitarian efforts in Aceh following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami when he was still a colonel in the army. That must have been one hell of a leadership exercise.

Teo Chee Hean (left) and Lee Hsien Loong (centre) were among the former military commanders in Singapore's third generation of leaders. (Photo from SCMP)

Many Singaporeans also seem to be mistaken about the nature of the SAF Overseas Scholarship (SAFOS). Despite its name, the award was never designed for a permanent career in the military.

Rather, as a scholarship issued by the Public Service Commission, second in prestige only to the President’s Scholarship, it is meant to groom leaders for appointments beyond the SAF by placing them in the highest levels of military command and management.

Top SAF commanders are also often seconded to the civil service while in military service. The current chiefs of Defence Force (CDF), Army and Navy, as members of the Singapore Administrative Service, had all been assigned portfolios at various ministries. Most notably, CDF Perry Lim served as the Director of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education between 2006 and 2008.

One may criticise this form of leadership development as stunted and incomplete. But if all-rounded leaders with a holistic background and experience are what Singapore needs in its government, then certainly the career progression under SAFOS is the most ideal. One could even argue that it’s crucial for a country with a small population.

Military presence in a country’s government is not common, due to the need to balance civilian and military affairs. But it is also not unusual. Military junta governments of Thailand, Myanmar and Pakistan aside, there have been instances when commanders have assumed top governmental positions.

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who served in the Bush administration, was a four-star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who oversaw the first Gulf War.

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