And to a large extent, it has worked. National Service is now an official rite of passage for young men in this country in the same way that Jewish Boys must go through their Bar Mitzvah.

However, I think more can be done to use the armed services to integrate people, which is becoming more important as “other” nationalities move to SIngapore. In the US, the military has been the one place where Black people can rise the top. People like Collin Powell rose to become the top of their careers thanks to the armed forces. Race relations in the US are not perfect but things are moving in the right direction thanks to the way in which the armed forces have helped integrate new immigrants.

However, in Singapore, there seems to be either:

a – An inability of minority races to rise to the top.

or

b – An overwhelming desire of the majority to hold top positions in the armed forces.

Perhaps we need to look at this. In a time of war you learn to work with a guy despite his colour. The only way to do this is to ensure the habits of togetherness are learned during times of peace.

In America, they just elected their first “Black” president. However, before him, there was a “First Black” Chair of the joint Chiefs who later on became Secratery of State. So, let me put it this way, before we have our first minority PM, shouldn’t we ask if a minority will become CDF first.
Are

I am not Asian though I was born in Singapore, I had to serve. My background is different from the average Singaporean. My culture is different. However, we have adopted many Chinese and Malay women from the time of the Japanese war. These Chinese women are Muslims. I can relate to them well.
During my school days, I had friends from across racial and religious boundaries: Chinese, Malay, Indian etc.

But in all frankness, people tend to group themselves based on ethnic or religious pockets, so my dealings with people was restricted. I was not a member of the 3 main ethnic groups. So I stuck to people who wanted to be friends only. Not much choice for me, I took what I could get…even though most of my friends never made it to Secondary 4. I am a graduate.

My life in Singapore is different. Until I got sucked into the army, I never heard of the phrase “Hokkien Peng” or “keng” or “siong” or whatever. These are new words to me and it just shows you the overwhelming mode of language in the army.

I was the first in my family to be conscripted. Prior to that, nobody spoke about army life and in all frankness, most of the people – friends – who went in the army were not good in expressing themselves. They were not A level students so they went to other camps. As I said earlier, most did not make it to Secondary 4.
As I was an A-level student, I was sent to Tekong.

Upon arriving at Changi Commando Jetty, I felt something was wrong. I felt literally sick. My nervous system was acting up. Really acting up. As I looked around, I realised that the SAF was not racially proportionate. I asked myself: What is going on here?

Upon reaching the island, you could actually count the number of Malay or Muslim heads. It was like that Sesame Street lesson: One of these things doesn’t belong here, guess which one? I really felt out of place.
I felt uncomfortable and on the first night, I went straight to the Sergeant and told him that I have to pray. I did it on purpose, to tell him that “I know what is going on here and I am not happy.”

On the same evening, I shouted at my corporal when he yelled Chinese abuses at us. Everyone was shocked. I was not afraid. I am a person capable of gutsy situations. I was not punished, however, but the officer chatted with me the next day.

As the days went by, my nervous system really went haywire. I could not integrate and I knew why – I felt out of place. REALLY REALLY OUT OF PLACE.
What surprised me was that everyone around me was pretending like they didn’t know how I felt. Since I was pyshically fit, they said no excuse.
I hinted that I “felt alone” but nobody understood and I was mocked for refusing to go for training.

I was forced to finish BMT but I chose to look for excuses to go to the sick bay instead most of the time. In the sick bay, I found a Muslim doctor who looked Chinese and a few Malay medics. I felt comfortable there; it was my safe haven. I felt comfortable.

An “Encik” didn’t like my behaviour and constantly visited the sick bay to harrass me. Reason? He thought I was a Christian. Like I said, I am not Malay and did not belong to any of the other racial make-ups of Singapore; so the Encik assume I was a Christian. When he found out I was a Muslim, he was shocked. He even insisted that I was a Christian. The Malay medics told him that he was wrong. The Encik then backed off and never bothered me again. He had assumed I was a Christian when he saw me talking to a Chinese corporal in my platoon who had tried to convert me to Christianity realising my “adjustment” problem. The Encik later asked me about it when he saw us but I said nothing. The Chinese-Christian corporal was a nice young man, so I didn’t want him to get into trouble for nothing.

After the two weeks of training, we were allowed to go home but before we went home, we were invited to watch a movie in the auditorium. The movie was in Mandarin/Chinese – a fiction tale about the Taiwanese army or something. No subtitles, nothing – strictly in Chinese. There were scenes of laughter and the Chinese recruits around me were all laughing. I felt disappointed and angry at the same time. I could not laugh because I didn’t understand. I looked around and I saw this scenarior – the few Malay boys pretended to laugh (they just open their mouth but their eyes looked confused); the Indians played along and me? I was brooding. It was clear what the movie was about – it was an attempt to inspire – but inspire who?

In all frankness I found the training not so bad, but as I could not integrate, I became mentally tired (I constantly felt awkward with a people I had nothing in common with); and that eventually this situation of mine worn me physically down.

I was eventually discharged medically after launching a private battle within the army which involved letter writing, assault, AWOL etc. Basically, I refused to serve.

The army made me a depress and angry young man because I suddenly woke up and realised what was going on – one nation, one people? Ha!

I am not one of those minorities who goes out with Chinese girls or grew up in a Chinese neighbourhood. I grew up alone in a quiet area out of bounds to many. I am not a social climber, I am not a power hungry personality. I am conscious of who I am and what I represent and what I want. I have my own identity and I was not about to sell out or conform or give in. The SAF does not benefit me. It might benefit others, I do not know. Depends who you are, I suppose and what you want.

If the Malays want to serve in the army, by all means serve – not my place to tell them what to do. If a Malay soldier gets into trouble I will rescue him. If a Singapore Chinese soldier gets into trouble, I will show him compassion. I am not a racist. But I feel the SAF and its policies are not race sensitive.

I will reserve my own personal comments about politics and military service in terms of patriotism – not nationalism – but I can tell you one thing; it is not nice to feel alone, even if the uniform appears the same. Nobody understood why I did not want to serve. Truth is, the majority did not make me feel as if I was one of them.

Many years later, I met a Japanese man, the big boss of an MNC. He said he felt very comfortable in Singapore because most people look like him – Asian look – but he felt out of place in America as he found the Western faces unfriendly and scary. He said as a result work was difficult to perform. Strange. I feel comfortable in Europe or Malaysia (Asian) or the Middle East. But in Singapore, I feel bothered. This is call integration, which I could not do in the SAF. I really felt out of place.
Then again, the army did not make me feel in place. I guess they just want my body but not my soul….

In Malay culture, armed forces is a honorable profession and while I am agree with tok selehon that Malays need to pursue more on professional career, there is nothing wrong to open more units and career in SAF for Malays.

Just my 2 cents………

For my family, ‘kita tak heran’(no big deal)and can’t be bothered, about not enlisting into the SAF.

I have three sons and they did their NS in the SPF-the 2nd and third are still serving.They are very happy indeed to be a part of SPF and not SAF. Hence they ‘tak heran’

As for me I have served in the SAF in 70’s thru mid 80’s.I know inside out, what is SAF, and I can gladly say to you ‘gua pun tak heran’

It is only better for the Malays to pursue other interest than serving in the Army especially SAF if that’s being so.

let me confirm the existence of such tokenism even till today.

let’s just say i have dealings with people who are in charge of dispersing NSFs into different units and vocations. they are very clear and specific in spelling out what races can go into what units. no exceptions. they will go all out to make sure that only Chinese can go into these units, and nobody else.

if this isn’t a slap in the face of the pledge that Singapore upholds, I don’t know what is. so much for SAF, so much for national defence, so much for BULLSHIT.

Isn’t that cool, to have gone through NS? A status that cannot be replicated, cloned or emulated? When a PRC Chinese got his pink IC and say he is a Singaporean now. I will always shoot back, “Have you done your National Service?”

As I grow older I lost my identity, of who am I? What is the definition of being a citizen of Singapore? Singapore is a multi-racial society and rapidly changing and over the years.

I cannot find my primary school anymore. My favourite playground is gone and a building erected over it. I feel lost, no more childhood memory. And our massive import of foreign trash, oops! I mean foreign talent make our little island more like a Toa Payoh Bus Interchange than a place call homeland.

Our island is too small for anything. So six years ago, I departed Singapore, give up everything and roam the world in solitary. Now I am living in China, writing this in Guangzhou.

After living in China, I find my identity as a Chinese, I feel my root and my heritage. The race of being a Chinese is alive in me. I feel like a real Chinese and I cannot experience that in a multi-cultural place like Singapore, where we are so mix up with so many cultural coherent.

After so many years of roaming, now I see Singapore from the stage of the world. We are much better than the Taiwanese, mindless politics over China sovereignty over Taiwan.

We are far more fortunate than the Hongkie and Macau People that end up being a SAR of China. Do they acknowledge themselves as citizen of China? or citizen of what, I wonder too?

Looking at the Uighur separatists in Muslim majority in Xinjiang province of China that have been consistently waging insurgency against the Chinese government for many years.

Although over the years, I m unhappy with PAPpy policies, I will still give credits to our government for making Singapore a better place than the rest of the world and a spotlight of the world.

We, Singaporean, regardless of race, is a peculiar group of people on this earth. And the world look up to us, Singaporean for many attributes and contributions to the world. In fact, we are view as one of the first class citizens of the world.

Recently I found my identity back. A sense of belonging not to the government nor to my family or friends. What make me a Singaporean now is, I am born in Singapore and the way I live, the way I think and my contribution to the world and lastly writing this article with my powderful Singlish. All of these characteristics reckon by my friends, make me a Singaporean.

No matter how our PAPpy import foreigners and convert them to pink IC, true blue Singaporean will never be replaced. My friends of the world will never accept pink IC as the Singaporean. The world will never entrust tasks to a converted Singaporean.

I believe all of us have no revelation at all, if, when duty call will our Muslim Singaporean will fight along with us? Neither do I know our converted pink IC Singaporean will join us in our fight? Will true blue Singaporean desert us too?

When my country calls, I will come back and fight along side, regardless of race, with my fellow citizens. And regardless of race too, I will shoot whoever betrays my country.

We have build this great nation since our separation from Malaysia. Now is time, we are put to the test.

But sometimes, the things I see does bother me.
Things like malay collegues changing tables on me when I join them for lunch because the food on my plate is not halal, or malay collegues chiding me for being “insensitive” when I put non-halal food in the common fridge.
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The shift of the malays embracing fundamentalist ideas is also seen as a threat to the community. The malays seemed to be discarding their malay heritage and embracing Arabic ones. When we hear of people like Mas Salamat, and people insisting their children wear the tudung to school, it disturbs everyone.
So while I agree that there are truely deserving friends in the malay community who deserves better, I am also concerned about those who do their best to cause distrust..

I think we still need some time to get to the place “regardless of race language or religion”. But I am sure we eventually will.

my point is let the authorities do wat they want and tink wat wateva theories they hav.end of the day u dont want any harm done to the country .doesnt mean u cant conduct any kind of warfare just becos u belong to a particular unit with a particular task.war comes no one will say much cos keepin the person next to u alive makes ur chances of surviving higher.

for now let the policies work in wateva way they want..war comes all cowards run and die .singaporeans who stick together will survive then we’ll see with our own eyes..for me i’d kill anyone who dares to wage war and cause havoc in my country
regardless of race or religion for i know dat cos i dont want my family ,frens,neighbours to suffer even abit by the invaders.nope,world war ll mistakes wont hapen again in singapore.

i fought side by side in my army services with other races.and it all sums up to one..we are singaporeans..with similar concerns like home stuff in our minds..

i believe it will be changed soon enuf all d policies will be gone and singapore will be stronger than ever..

At the end of the day, there is serious doubt in the govt as to our loyalty as Malaysians. The Chinese-majority Singapore does a reverse version. halal food provision n all that is crap.
There is a multiracial group of soldiers who form the Sarawak-based Ranger regiment. They work fine, and get along fine.

The racists among us still haven’t gone. It is institutionalised in both countries. unfortunately. I was told by a commando fren of mine that Malay-Muslim hatred n distrust is ingrained in the Sing Army.

This is the legacy of race politics, both sides of the Causeway.

The difference is, recently, we Malaysians almost voted out the entire Malay supremacist govt in favour of non-racial representation in Parliament.

When is your turn, my southern friends?

Guess what? The person simply said we are looking for a Chinese."> Too true that. I’m Eurasian. Irish supposedly. I was born here, bred here, plan to die here. And I would die for Singapore, cos its my home. Not for the government mind you, but for the country, for this soil, for the people. I don’t care what color they are, the could be blue and from the moon, but anyone born here, I generally would put my life on the line for, in a war time scenario of course. Mat, Beng, Anjadi, Elitist, when the bullets fly, who cares right?

Sadly, people in the up and up care. Its an old policy that one is forced to admit makes sense back in the old days when we were newly split from Malaysia, had the race riots and what not. There was a lot looming over us, and in some ways it was easier to trust the Indians and Singapore Chinese of that time then the Malays. And thats even with the problems of the communist parties.

But now though, its an archaic hangover that is slavishly adhered too, like so many rulings made in the past generally. Something is come up with that fits the situation at the time, but that in the present time is the wrong solution. But instead of discussing policy, people follow it. Why? Because if it exists, it must exist for a reason, and as such we should follow it.

There is no reason to exclude Malays based on race. To fear that Malays would join Malaysia or Indonesia against Singapore is silly. There are plenty of Chinese people here with familial ties to both countries, who are in the higher ranks. Why is it that we don’t fear such people turning on us either? I say this, EXCLUDING a people for any reason is more likely to cause them to turn. I would rather include Malays as a whole in every part of the Army, and risk betrayal by a few, then exclude them as a whole and experience resentment en masse and possible mass rebellion/sedition in a war situation.

And Wah, you don’t get it. The Chinese have equal opportunities in the Police and Civil Defence with Malays. But not vice versa. Its not about keenness to join the army, but the desire to be able to be equal there, to know that you can join in your country’s military defence and not have to worry about how far you can go because of your race, or whether you be excluded from something vital because of it. I remember one op in my camp, we were supposed to have a CQ in the communications tent to help coordinate supply transfers. One of the days, it was the Malay CQs turn, and he was sent back to the company line, because he was a Malay. To give the officer who sent him back credit, at least she was frank with what was going on. But it demoralised him to no end. It demoralised me, to see such blatant prejudice being enforced. And not because she wanted too, but because it was SOP (standard operating procedures). Oh, and while he’s Malay, he’s no fan of either Malaysia or Indonesia.

This is not about being all “si peh on” about joining army. This is about being recognised as part of your country, about being welcomed in the defense of it. Not to say the civil defense branches aren’t important, but being accepted as part of any countries martial defense invokes a sense of belonging that is alot stronger and more permanent.

Aniza, a lady is elegible for the Army, even if she is exempt from NS. One of my senior specs was a female CQ. Btw, to make it clear, I’m Logistics. Pretty much were all the Malays seem to wind up, heh. As much as the Malay community has to improve itself (Mats, essentially, heh), how can we expect them to feel the desire to improve themselves when pretty much the main feeling of that segment of society is, it’s all against us, so why bother? True, its a defeatist attitude, and they should shake it. But only half the blame would lie with those who take it, because really, everywhere you look, its really Chinese oriented. I’ve written things about how the media industry is very Chinese oriented on my blog, and I stand by it. Our one English channel has a ton of mandarin ads, but I don’t recall seeing any Malay or Indian ones. And most times, you see an English ad for something, Singtel or Starhub for instance, pretty much everyone is Chinese, with a token member of either race in the whole ad. Under such conditions, when the ethnic group seems to be forcibly excluded from the rest of the country, can we blame them totally for feeling the way the feel? Not to say that most Malays are a problem, or lazy, or don’t do anything to better themselves. Far from it. But even the really educated ones, the ones in Uni, the ones working as hard as anyone else out there, feel this segregation, this lack of empathy with their homeland. And isn’t that scary? They are the indigenous people of this land, are we going to wind up being a smaller scale version of America and Australia, where some day we may have to do public apologies to the indigenous people for whatever? I hope not. And if policies and mindsets were to change to forget race, and include all, I think not.

We’re Singaporeans. And while every individual does look at racial stereotypes, even myself now and then, we’re Singaporean. A byword globally for multi-culturalism and racial harmony. Lets make it mean the same thing in the place where Singaporeans come from. Our home.

Anyone feels sour been slighted in National Service in Singapore should take the exclusion a blessing. As for racial/religious biases and prejudices, everyone of us are just as guilty as each other, don’t believe? Seek a little deeeper.