SINGAPORE – Nods of approval were seen all over the classroom as students from Cedar Girls’ Secondary School, including Secondary 4 student Diya Manu, took their first bite of their ready-to-eat meals on Feb 15.
Diya, 15, had a makhani chicken, or butter chicken meal with briyani rice that came in a bento box, similar to the ones seen in convenience stores.
“It really was quite delicious, and pretty balanced, as it had all the necessary nutrients,” said Diya, adding that she initially thought that the food would taste like those found in packets, similar to combat rations.
Diya and her schoolmates were taking part in a food disruption exercise that was part of this year’s Total Defence Day activities. Their school was one of 40 secondary schools that got a taste of what a food emergency is like, when canteen offerings are replaced with locally-made ready-to-eat meals.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, along with Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor, sat together with the students to have the meals with them, as teachers spoke about the importance of Total Defence and ways to prepare for a potential emergency.
Mr Chan also spoke to the class about stockpiling, as an example of what Singapore has been doing to prepare for emergencies, and explained the process of stocking up food in the event of disruptions.
This food disruption exercise was one of three simulated disruptions, the other two being water and power supply disruptions, that were held by more than 500 organisations islandwide.
Of these, 352 schools in Singapore took part in the exercise which involved some 50,000 students and teachers.
Dr Maliki Osman, Second Minister for Education, visited Jurong West Secondary School to observe a power supply disruption and how students responded to the emergency.
These simulated disruptions, held on Feb 15 and 16, are among several events as part of Exercise SG Ready, Singapore’s first islandwide Total Defence exercise.