Former defence minister Ng Eng Hen conferred Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia award
He received the award for strengthening bilateral defence relations between Singapore and Australia.
Singapore's ex-defence minister Ng Eng Hen has been awarded the Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia by the Australian government. The prestigious recognition was bestowed upon Ng during a ceremony at Government House in Canberra on August 18. The award, which is a special grade of Australia's highest civilian honour, is given to foreign nationals for exceptional service to Australia or humanity at large.
The announcement in a Facebook post by Singapore's Ministry of Defence underscores the strong and longstanding defence ties between Singapore and Australia. During his acceptance speech, Ng highlighted years of collaboration and mutual support in various defence operations, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, and counter-piracy missions.
He also spoke about the Enhanced Military Training Access initiative, which saw Singapore and Australia co-develop military training areas in Queensland. Ng expressed his satisfaction with the partnership, noting that the trust and mutual assistance between the two nations had created strong political cover for each other. He emphasized that the affection between the two military establishments was rooted in shared values and goals, as well as their mutual concern for each other's interests.
The relationship between Singapore and Australia remains a model of strong and dependable friendship, ready to withstand future challenges.
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