𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭-𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 (𝐋𝐆) (𝐑𝐞𝐭) 𝐍𝐠 𝐉𝐮𝐢 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐠 黄维彬中将, 𝟕𝟏 (𝐝. 𝟏 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎)
𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭-𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 (𝐋𝐆) (𝐑𝐞𝐭) 𝐍𝐠 𝐉𝐮𝐢 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐠 黄维彬中将, 𝟕𝟏 (𝐝. 𝟏 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎)
He was there at the beginning.
It was 1966. Singapore had just emerged from the throes of Konfrontasi.
Singapore was here to stay.
The cause was national survival. Ng Jui Ping believed in the cause and heeded the call.
He joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to “secure a more enduring future for ourselves and our progeny in this region” (Lee Kuan Yew, 14 December 1965).
In time, he would head Singapore’s instrument of controlled fury.
As “SAFTI First Batch”, one of the inaugural batches of commissioned officers trained in SAFTI, Ng was instrumental in building Singapore’s defence forces from scratch.
He would assume different command positions in the SAF – commanding officer, brigade commander, divisional commander, Chief of Staff, General Staff, Director of Joint Intelligence Directorate, Chief of Army and Chief of Defence Forces.
But he never forgot the needs of the soldiers under his charge and improved their personal equipment such as uniforms, socks and boots.
As the Chief of Army, Ng commanded the elite forces who stormed the hijacked flight SQ117 in March 1991 and rescued all 125 passengers and crew members onboard.
In 1990, Ng established a Warrant Officer Corps to train, groom and appoint non-commissioned officers to command positions, similar to the officer corps
Though not a scholar, he was the brains behind placing scholars in the military.
He understood that as the SAF grew in size, range, and sophistication, it urgently needed to expand its talent pool at all levels. This was the only way the SAF could master the hardware, tactics, and strategy to reach the next level and fulfil its mission of keeping Singapore safe.
In doing so, he pioneered the second-generation SAF and redefined our forces’ strategies and capabilities to enable an integrated and more effective armed forces.
At a personal level, Ng epitomised “leadership by example”.
He took many promising officers under his wings, guiding and mentoring them and giving them his strong support, and exhorted them to lead and execute training personally with their soldiers.
But Ng was a demanding and interrogative commander and expected his officers to think quickly and clearly and be confident.
He was always ready with the next follow-up question, and he was not shy in delivering a dressing down when standards were not met.
Ng employed some form of game theory logic and his training in history to make decisions in a calm, rational and objective manner; he was always a person who enjoyed strategy and risk.,
With his marvellous mind, described as “logical in his approach, articulate in advancing arguments and analysing problems, Ng embodied the steeliness and brilliant thinking that he expected from and transmitted to the next generation of officers in the SAF.
On 30 June 1992, Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Ng Jui Ping assumed office as Singapore’s second Chief of Defence Force.
He had big shoes to fill, and he did so with aplomb and decisiveness.
As a Chief of Defence Force, he was candid, approachable and thorough.
His views were always sharp and incisive. Above all, he was a mission-focused leader who got things done.
After he retired from the SAF in 1995, Ng served on several statutory boards (i.e. CPF and ST Technologies) and contributed to Singapore as an entrepreneur – he was always full of dynamic ideas!
He also served as a Member of the Council of the Football Association of Singapore.
As a civilian, he remained a quiet, consistent and encouraging supporter of SAF.
For his contributions to public service, Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1981, Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Military) in 1991, and the Meritorious Service Medal (Military) in 1995.
When told of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Ng was stoic and intrepid.
He sought assessments about his conditions, made arrangements and wanted to live life to the fullest extent possible; Ng knew his time had come.
On 1 January 2020, Lieutenant-General (LG) (Ret) Ng Jui Ping breathed his last. He was 71.
Ng was a good soldier, a thoughtful commander, a devoted family man and a loyal son of Singapore.
Throughout his life, his interest in the world and Singapore was undiminished.
He translated his values, worldviews and intellect towards SAF's generational transformation.
For that, the nation is grateful.