it’ll be a better option if they decided to conquer brunei isn’t it?
NS is not to defend the country but to get to know each other better [among races]

but with the influx of FT,I don’t even see a point of NS

maybe it’s just because not many Singaporeans wants to be part of the uniform group or hate the uniform life

Hence, if Singapore CANNOT survive a war, why bother to spend so much of Singaporeans’ time and money in the SAF and let the foreign talents and PR become the free riders of Singapore’s prosperity?

Language – Everyone in Aus speaks english. Italian, chinese, middle eastern etc will all speak the single common language in the society. The language binds and is the common denominator of being an Australian. However not everyone speaks a single common language in Singapore.

Land availability – There are lotsa underutilised land in Aus and the many developing cities all around the continent. Singapore is becoming an overcrowded concrete jungle to say the least. Everyone is fighting for the same sch, job, HDB…etc.

I believe I am a perfect product of the Singaporean education system – A patriotic Singaporean male, who is willing to serve and protect the country. I looked forward to NS. In fact, enjoyed myself thoroughly in BMT and OCS. Of cos there are were the challenges and hardships in training, but so was the friendships and teamwork.

Well into my NS life, I began to seriously pause and think if it was really all WORTH IT. I compared myself to my female counterparts and reassessed if all that I have done is worth it. Then I read reports of foreigners getting paid to study in Singapore’s uni and work in Singapore’s jobs without NS obligation. I came to the conclusion that It is just NOT FAIR.

After NS, I went abroad to study. I met many Singaporean friends in Australia we often talk abt our plans for the future. Mainly to remain in Aus and get a PR, or go back to SG to be with family, friends and report for ICT annually. Many Singaporeans are inclined to take up PR in Aus and be a new citizen of the very under populated in comparison to it’s land mass. Since the British times, Aus has been receiving migrants from all over the world for many generations and that is how the convict settlement grow to be a great nation as we know it to be today. As I toured the museums in Sydney, and learn about the generations of migrants that enter the country year after year, I realised that in a few ways Singapore was like Australia right in the beginning years of opening it’s door to new migrants.

These were my thoughts: Singapore is a young nation. I am a 2nd generation Singaporean, as my grandfather came from China. What makes me more Singaporean than the new Chinese family who just migrated to Singapore? My family’s 2 generations of Singaporean heritage? 2 generations – What is that compared to the scale of migrants that arrive in Aus year after year since colonial times?

Yes, we should embrace new migrants. And they should assimilate into our community and be Singaporeanised as quickly as possible. That is for the good of the country. But in addressing my dissonance in regards to NS and now reservist, the question I often I ask is who am I fighting for? Because Singapore is no longer Singapore and Singaporeans are no longer Singaporeans as I know it to be.

However the fact is NS is essential to Singapore cos we can’t afford a full-time army. And in being Singaporeanised, these new migrants would become Singaporeans and my son and their sons would then grow up in the same pri and sec sch, and serve NS together to protect the new notion and idea of Singapore and Singaporeans that we are now developing and will continue to develop.

After working for more than 13 years, and being eligible to purchase a HDB flat, I suddenly found that I cannot even afford to buy a 3-room HDB flat because I am not eligible for a HDB loan and grant because my pay is more than $3,000. As single, I am also not allowed to buy a new flat. If I were to take up a bank loan to purchase a resale flat, I have to pay 5% of the flat in cash, other than the COV. So, if I do not have enough cash, how to purchase a resale flat?

Even if I were to get married to be eligible for the HDB loan and grant, I also need cash to pay for the wedding expenses, dinner, house renovation, etc. Again, no cash how to get married? So, without a house and a family, where is the home I am taught to defend since I am a child?

With the influx of foreign talents and PRs pushing up the HDB resale market and pressing down the salary range, I felt that Singapore is not worth defending anymore, because Singapore is no longer the home of Singaporeans. Hence, what’s the purpose of wasting the time of Singaporeans serving NS to defend a Singapore that has been ‘colonised’ by foreign talents and PRs, who are taking away the houses and jobs of Singaporeans? Why should Singaporeans lay down their lives to defend a Singapore that is a home to foreign talents and PRs?

Moreover, unlike the SAF regulars whose salary are given a premium above market rate and paid a large sum of money when they retired from SAF at the age of 50, a NSman is not pay by the SAF to defend Singapore. So, why should a NSman laid down his life for Singapore when in peacetime, the SAF regulars are paid more than a normal NSman?

However, what is worth and left to defend when Singaporeans have to compete with foreigners for jobs and housing? Singapore has already been conquered by foreigners by economic means.

Moreover, the NSmen, who have to sacrifice 2 full years and 14 days per year for 10 years are pay little to serve military service. But the regulars in the SAF have to be pay a premium above market rate in order to serve the country. So, NSmen are being punished for their loyalty to the nation. We are now POWs in our own country – held captive by the army regulars who charge you if you did not go back for ICT, and by Foreign Talents who are taking away our jobs and houses.

So, who are our neighbour and who are our enemy? If a foreign power can give us a well pay job and a house, and promise our family security in this land, why should we fight him?

Why should we fight for the SAF regulars who have to be paid a premium above market rate?

where else can we give ourselves a cosy home like here without racial discriminant and security? China,Taiwan,HK are off my list

#Weijia 56;
“you really think we can leave the defense of this cuntry to merceneries?”
IT IS ALREADY IN THE HANDS OF MERCENARIES, agree?

puppy.

questions questions questions….

Here’s a good article on “Why NS Didn’t Make Me Patriotic”.
Why? Because in NS, it really goes like this: I pretend to be a soldier, and you pretend to treat me like a soldier. NS has become so ritualised that serving the natio…

And i got this from some online researching. Singapore has 16.40 troops per thousand singaporean citizens, which means by this ratio we are ranked 12th in the world ahead of the world largest countries US (4.76), China (1.71), Canada (1.93), military controlled countries Myanmar (11.40) and densely populated cities such as Monaco (no army), Hong Kong (volunteers) and The Vatican City (neutral and armyless) or the next densely populated country in the world, Malta. Also, we are ranked 61st by number of active troops. Ahead of countries such as Australia, Netherlands, South Africa and Portugal which are all at least 10 times the size of singapore, and in Australia’s case hundreds of times. e are 22nd in the world in terms of defense expenditure ahead even of Iran and North Korea.

Do we need such a force?

NO.

Now I see Singapore as PAP nation, not Singapore anymore. This is because the only people I see who is smiling all the time is the PAP, not Singaporeans. Malaysians and Taiwanese seem to understand politics much much better than Singaporeans.

2011 is last chance.

If you’re not truly proud of being a Singaporean or do not have a deep understanding of the reason why you need to serve, then I guess to you, it is somewhat of an inconvenient obligation. Probably, your country’s history isn’t in your vocab.

And that sense of being proud as a Singaporean, comes from family values that focuses on national pride. Friends would talk about our countries affairs with zest and energy and so forth. National pride would be a second mother tongue to all.

Well as you all know, you have been conditioned to values like “study hard, earn more money”….all your life.. isn’t that true? Have your parents not told you to save enough money so that you can retire somewhere else …isn’t that true? So how many people you know have had open discussion/celebrations/parties on their own free will about national pride and NS? I guess everyones still hush hush …isn’t that true?

Where does all these national values originated from? It has to come from the GOVERNING BODY that needs an army. And the people from this governing body need to have national values imbued into him/her who preach & practice about people first before thyself or anything else.

How many civil servants do you know can testify to you that they will die for their country at a moments notice? Or do they tell you it’s all about the pay at the end of the day? For the sake of argument, post this question to a regular in the Army? If he/she is silent or hush hush about his views ..you have the answer. Morale is reflection of leadership. What sort of leadership? PAP leadership?

Do you know any regular who believes in the system and is zestful about national pride or is he/she there for the better perks in life?

Same question goes to civil servants. People first? or perks first, growth first, reserves first, pay first, bonus first, ….?

I think I honestly feel there is a missing value somewhere.

Now ask me again if I feel patriotic….

Let me say as a citizen, and as having done NS I would defend and fight for our nation Singapore. But, a big BUT here is, PAP is running the nation, controlling our nation, as though it is theirs, and theirs alone. Tell me honestly, in the first place, how much are you part of our Singapore, as a nation?

Tell me also honestly, how much PAP has made many many ordinary law abiding but critical Singaporeans ( I mean those who opposed the PAP and criticised the PAP) part of the country ?? How much has PAP made all the auntie and uncle toilet cleaners, hawker centre cleaners etc etc to be valuable citizens?

Lets be upright honest about this, PAP do not value loving-Singapore citizens who dislike and critisize PAP. Worst still PAP might go to the extent of catigating those who are not ontheir side.

If you stand by your viewpoint and act on it, you show bravery not cowardice. There is really nothing about been patriotic if Singapore is run as Singapore Incorporated and everyone treat as digit. One can only be patriotic if he found something meaningful to bond with.

I used to think of NS as being able to contribute to national defence against foreign enemies, but as time goes by and the society constantly changing, with so many foreigners in singapore and not to mention multiple incidents of how foreigners shame singaporeans through uncouth behaviour, I’m made to believe that there is nothing meaningful for me to defend anymore except my own freedom.

Honestly speaking, as a fellow Singaporean, if I have the money, I will choose to get out of this country for good.

Upon making this statement, I’m not saying I’m being un-patriotic despite serving 2yrs NS and betraying my integrity for this country where I’m born and bred. Yes some people may disagree with me and say I’m a coward but I stand by the viewpoint “to each his own”. I have my own freedom of speech in order to make that statement.