The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are on a recruitment run, and it seems that they made the right choice in sending Major Choy Yong Cong to make the pitch. 

The young officer made such a resounding speech during a sharing session at a junior college that the Prime Minister himself openly praised him on Facebook, where the address was published in full. 
 

Instead of a standard oo-rah bro-macho appeal for young ‘uns to sign on with the army, Choy goes for the heart — and damn, it should prove effective. You can check out his whole speech in his Facebook note here, or you can check out some highlights below: 

On his rough childhood: 

I am humbled because my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. When I was around your age, I had bigger problems than thinking about what to do with my life. My father had left the family, kicking my mum and me out of the house, and leaving us without a home. My mum had to work day and night to make sure we had a place to stay, food on the table, and that I could focus on my studies. All she said was: 不管怎么样, 尽力就好。No matter what happens, always try your best. But I wasn’t always the best student around. I was often late for school, climbing over or under the gate to avoid getting caught. My only saving grace was that I took my mum’s advice – I worked really hard. 

Along the way, I met many kind-hearted people who paved the way for me to be here today. My teachers gave me so many second chances when they could have easily condemned me. Unlike you, I was never a top student or invited to scholarship tea sessions. But when I entered the Army, I met mentors who recognized my ability and potential, and pushed me for a scholarship. Indeed, one of them is here today – his name is Jin Kiat – and he has seen me mature in the past 12 years – hopefully for the better

On what makes Singapore

It is the places we love – our Marina Bay, our hipster cafes, our homes – the Bukit Timahs and the Ang Mo Kios. It is the people we love – our families, our friends, our girlfriends/boyfriends. But most importantly, I think it is because Singapore is a land of meritocracy, of opportunity, of compassion. It is where my mum could say, I may not be able to fulfil my dreams, but if I sacrifice enough, maybe my children can. It is where someone like me, from a poor background with no connections and no money, can still do well through ability and hard work. It is where you meet teachers, officers, and leaders with a heart of gold, who care for their people more than they care about themselves. This is our way of life – this is what we defend.

On being a small country

I spent the last year in the United States Marine Corps, attending a course where representatives from many different countries were present. One fine day during the course, the Malaysian officer, the Indonesian officer, and myself were in the same room, ready to give a briefing to the Americans. When the American officers came in – and these people will eventually become top generals in the US military, or even top politicians – I thought they would come talk to me, because we speak the same language, we watch the same Hollywood films, and we are culturally more alike. But interestingly, many of them gravitated towards the Indonesian officer – even though he did not speak good English, nor did he have common topics to share with the Americans. They all know that Indonesia is a big country they have to partner with, but they do not know much about Singapore. Often, the first question they ask me is, why is it that you speak such good English?

But over time, once I prove to the Americans that I was capable and reliable, I became the “trusted partner”. Eventually, I also emerged as one of the top students, which gave more credibility to the brand of Singapore. But the lesson here is an important one. It is the nature of international politics seen at close range – big countries do not have to do anything and others still have to take them seriously, yet small countries like us have to punch above our weight just to stay relevant. This is the unfair reality of our world. 

On having a sense of fulfilment

I’ve spoken to many young people like yourself, and the question I always get is: how do you know if this is what you want to do at the age of 18? I do not have a precise answer, but let me say this. If you listen to the stories and you can feel a sense of purpose and excitement, or you feel your heart beating a little faster, or you feel a little bit touched, then give it some thought. While young, we all want to be successful. But I’ve learnt that success is not about how much money you make or how high the ladder you climb, but the difference you make in society and the people around you.

The good officers here – kudos to all of them – will tell you about the benefits and privilege the scholarship brings. But I will also tell you that it is a hard life – you will be challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally. You will be asked to solve intractable issues of our time. In the field, you will be deprived of food, water, and sleep. You will spend time away from family, lead difficult soldiers, and feel helpless as you hear about the broken families and financial hardship of your less fortunate soldiers. But at the end of it all, the sense of fulfilment you get when you see people from all walks of life come together as a band of brothers, when they are united in a single purpose, when they come up to you and say that “Sir/Mdm, thank you for making a difference in my life” – that feeling is priceless. 

On the Army

In the Army, there is a chance to make a positive difference in their lives, to make them better men, better sons, better fathers. There is a chance to give them a close-knitted family they might never have before. There is a chance to make them feel good about themselves, and believe in what they can achieve, if they put their heart to it. As once said, when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give others the same chances that helped you succeed. No matter what you end up doing in the future, I hope you will remember our responsibility to the larger society.