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–  “YANG  PERTAMA  DAN  UTAMA”
                                                              (FIRST  AND  FOREMOST)  signifying
                                                              victory  and  merit  in  all  endeavours.  The
                                                              laurels surrounding the crest are a symbol of
                                                              honour, glory, excellence and virtues that the
                                                              SAF strives continuously to achieve.

                                                              Those  who  were  not  selected  for  full-time
                                                              military  service  served  in  the  Peoples’
                                                              Defence  Force  (PDF),  the  Vigilante  Corps
                                                              and Special Constabulary.


                The second logo of 1SIR was instituted on March   With the announcement having been made of
                                  11, 1961
                                                              the  British  pulling  out  her  forces  from

               To re-envision the identity of the battalion, a   Singapore,  it  became  more  imperative  to
               second logo was instituted on 11 March 1961.    accelerate  our  military  build-up  and  attract
                                                              more resources for defence.
               “First and Foremost,” has come a long way
                                          from  being  the    THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR AND
               With the announcement      motto    of   our   DEFENCE
               having been made of the    pioneer  battalion
               British pulling out her    to  become  the     Many of us are familiar with the old Police
               forces from Singapore, it   guiding  principle   Headquarters  at  Pearl’s  Hill  in  Chinatown.

               became imperative to       of the whole SAF    However,  not  many  may  know  that  in
               accelerate our military         representing   November 1965, the newly set-up Ministry of
                                          victory  and  merit   Interior and Defence, now known as Ministry
               build-up
                                          in    all     our   of Defence, occupied the site which continued
                                          endeavours.         to be its home until 1972.


                                                               The Ministry of Interior and Defence (MID)
                                                               was  set  up  amidst  tumultuous  political
                                                               developments     in    1965.    Following
                                                               Singapore’s    hasty    and    unexpected
                                                               separation from Malaysia, Singapore gained
                                                               independence  on  9  August  1965  almost
                                                               overnight.  Of  the  various  nation-building
                                                               problems  that  confronted  our  political
                                                               leaders, one of the most pressing and urgent

                Singapore youths sign up for National Service at   tasks  was  to  build  a  defence  force  from
                                  CMPB                         scratch.

               The  SAF  Crest  of  today  bears  a  strong    Dr Goh Keng Swee was tasked to help the
               resemblance  to  1  SIR’s  logo.  The  guiding   newly established Ministry in Aug 1965 as
               principle of the SAF is reflected on the ribbon   the first Defence Minister.
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