Benjamin Cheah / Senior Writer
It goes against ethical principles of reciprocity to demand so much from servicemen, and giving so little in return — especially since many servicemen would not willingly serve their country in the military
The burden of the Full-time National Serviceman is a heavy one. Usually called up against his will, he is thrown head-first into a new, unfriendly world, with neither rule book nor directions, separated from his loved ones, loses two years of work experience and education to his female and foreign peers.
He is expected to fight, kill and die for his country when deemed adequately trained — a country that he may not even acknowledge.
When he completes his service, he is ejected into the civilian world two years older, and armed with mainly irrelevant skills, much of his equipment, a Certificate of Service, the recognition to be called up again for In-Camp Training (ICT) until he has fully discharged his National Service liability at the age of 40 or 50 – and a duty to take up arms if needed. For all the personal hardships incurred, one would expect, even demand, that the NSF is adequately compensated.
But he is not.
Disadvantaged as a serviceman
The Full-time National Serviceman is severely disadvantaged compared to his female and foreign peers. The NSF spends two years of his life training and preparing for war, and is expected to be called up for in-camp training for at least twenty years after his Operationally Ready Date (ORD). In those two years, female and foreign youths his age would have gained a considerable advantage over him in terms of work experience and/or education in a tertiary institute. Their employers, further, need not worry about losing experienced and competent staff to the SAF every time an ICT cycle begins.
Allow me to illustrate this difference. As an administrative support assistant, I work about 288 days a year, not including half- or full weekends when I do need to return to the office for work, and have to stay in camp during the working week. In that time, I am expected to do the work of at least two men, more often three, liaising with civilians and superiors, keeping track of dozens of pieces of paper as they move around Singapore, understand and tolerate the inner workings of the SAF’s online infrastructure, and other administrative work. For this, I earn an “allowance” of S$16.67 a day; I can only hope that this will one day increase to about S$20. Admittedly, this is only a rough guide; it is rather difficult to calculate an NSF’s allowance by day, because it is pro-rated.
Now consider my friend. She is a temporary staff in her job description, but is effectively a clerk. She works from 8 to 5 on weekdays, just helps out whenever she is needed, and her job scope does not require her to effectively look after the needs of over a hundred people at the same time. She may take leave any time she chooses, and quit when she wants to. She also gets to enter university, and the working world, two years before I do. For all this, she is paid S$54.27 a day — over two and a half times of my maximum allowance.
Of course, the difference in salary/allowance is not as dramatic as it appears to be. My meals in camp are free of charge; her meals are not. Unlike her, I can make transport, medical, dental and food claims to blunt the cost of making certain payments. I also need not pay for medical treatment at government hospitals and polyclinics. Most noticeably, I have a legal duty to my country; she does not.
Moral duty of the State
The State, too, has a duty to National Servicemen – a moral duty. It takes away the sons of Singapore, most of them against their will, and prepares and demands them to provide for the common defence. This unwilling sacrifice makes the burdens of service even heavier, and more acute. It goes against ethical principles of reciprocity to demand so much from servicemen, and giving so little in return — especially since many servicemen would not willingly serve their country in the military, as seen in the relatively few numbers of recruits who wish to sign on in every intake. The above-mentioned benefits do not completely discharge the State of its duties, for the above-mentioned reasons.
The greatest complaint National Servicemen have about NS is that it is an artificial barrier to entry into tertiary education and jobs. NSFs must wait for two years before they can matriculate into universities; eligible females and foreigners may do so when the next term begins. Employers could well favour foreigners and local women to Singaporean men, because the last are obliged to turn up for in-camp training, which will disrupt work inside the company.
Levelling the field
The very least the Government can do to even the odds is to provide NSFs with an end-of-service gratuity. This gratuity will be paid in one lump sum, following an NSF’s ORD. The actual amount will be tied directly to his rank; vocation; rating in his Certificate of Service; participation in operations and exercises; and participation in national events such as the National Day Parade.
For example, a full lieutenant in the Guards who has earned a double “Outstanding” rating may be entitled to $20,000, while a lance corporal who served as a clerk and has been rated as “good” may receive $5,000. The principle behind the gratuity is to allow the serviceman to make up for the two years he has lost to his peers, by helping to defray the costs of the first two years of higher education, making up for any difference in pay when he enters the work force, and so on. More importantly, it demonstrates to the serviceman that the SAF cares about the future of its servicemen, shoring up the faith of the soldier in the institution.
In addition, it goes without saying that being a soldier is one of the more dangerous occupations in the world. Death and injury can come in many forms: a hostile bullet, an accidental fall, and everything and anything in between. Most soldiers around the world know and accept these risks. But not the average Singaporean soldier; he is a conscript, and would, if given a choice, most probably not face this danger.
Yet the State will nevertheless place the trained children of Singapore on the frontlines, often without giving them a chance to object or a way to prevent a mobilisation. This much is understandable, because should Singapore go to war, Singapore’s survival is at stake. But asking NSFs to straddle the line of fire when diplomacy fails will redouble their existing burdens, and rightly so. Should the sons of Singapore perish in war, then who shall take care of their families? The answer is the State, through the Singapore Armed Forces. It is the only ethical answer, for it is the State that has sent them to die. Yet, all the SAF is obligated to provide are funeral wreaths and letters of condolences. Currently, it is up to the serviceman to take up life insurance, and pay for it from his own allowance.
Mandatory life insurance for servicemen
Because of this, I further propose that NSFs will be placed on a mandatory life insurance policy. Currently Aviva has a virtual monopoly on life insurance for National Servicemen, because they offer the best rates for soldiers who are wounded, maimed, or killed in the line of duty or in accidents. What the SAF can do is to place all NSFs on a basic life insurance policy with Aviva, and foot the bill. The policy will last for two years, because it covers the period of time in which an NSF is most likely to be injured, namely during training while serving his National Service. Servicemen who wish to extend the policy, or opt for premium plans, will make up the difference through their allowance. The policy may also be further amended to meet the contingencies of Operations Other than War, such as overseas humanitarian missions, In-Camp Training, and the outbreak of war.
These, I believe, are just the bare minimum. More can be done. The families of servicemen may, for example, be awarded additional subsidies for health care, to compensate for any loss of income, real or potential. The cap of claims of all sorts may be raised. Allowances may be revised upwards, or perhaps even tied to a benchmark of certain jobs in the private sector. The State needs to understand that the average NSF is bearing a huge burden on his shoulders against his will; in a rich country like Singapore, it is not out of the question for the SAF to lighten this burden through financial schemes.
Mindef is able
Certainly the SAF should not be constrained by budget. For FY2008, the Ministry of Defence has been allocated $10.8 billion – which is one-third of the entire national budget. Those monies should be sufficient to fund the above-mentioned schemes, in addition to paying for the daily costs of running the military. In addition, the military has initiated cost-cutting measures, ranging from mandating the temperatures of air-conditioning units to bidding procedures for outside contractors. Should there still be not enough money, the Government can always dip into its budget surpluses and readjust the following year’s budget accordingly. The Government, after all, did run up a budget surplus of about 6.4 billion dollars for FY2007, and keeps boasting of its strong economic policies.
Ultimately, it must be remembered that most NSFs do not have a reason to walk the fire for Singapore. They may fight for home, friends and family, but not for a country they are not rooted in. Given this mindset, it is the responsibility of the State to look after the citizens who might one day have to die for it. At the barest minimum, the SAF can help to even the playing field through end-of-service gratuities, and look after the needs of servicemen by introducing mandatory free life insurance schemes. The SAF could further expand this, by reviewing and improving the welfare scheme it has set aside for NSFs.
After all, should the government not adequately compensate a conscript for his services, especially if unwillingly given, then the government should not count on that conscript to feel obligated to fight for it. Or even remain in Singapore.
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I agree with the idea of gratuity. It makes a lot of sense. NSF who wants to continue to study in uni or go overseas to study can use this gratuity to cover the cost of uni studies which has grown astrnomically high. Was in turkey and understand for such a high risk country, their NS is about 1 year, and all their U education is free.
It is interesting to note that Taiwan may reduce their NS to a couple of months in view of better ties with China.
Singapore should look to that model. Remove compulsory NS. Award scholarships only to youths who volunteer to serve 2 years of NS.
Then we see who are the people who loves Singapore and will serve the nation.
If we ramp up enough of the pay, there should be enough takers!
And less families with boys will migrate, population increases
Anyone who feel like doing the macho “leave no man behind” chant the next time should first watch the “Nation Builders – revisited” at TOC TV.
I am not fully agreable with everything you wrote but your idea of compensation in the form of gratuity seems good! I think more can be done on the part of the govt to improve better training facilities, better food and medical insurance. I am surprised that my son has to pay for insurance cover using his own monies. Just today I have to get extra uniform from Beach road because my son has not enough for a,long field camp. There were many items that he bought from beach road shops that shouldn’t be paid by him,
Anyway thanks for highlighting the plight of the NS men and hopefully someone will listen.
The nation can definitely do more for us. Recent changes in uniform means NS man like me have to spend money buying and sewing on the array of badges just because some one “up there” decides that we should all wear our formation and our country on our uniform. I personally spent about $50 getting that all sewn on. And i heard they’re gonna introduce new uniforms soon. So that’s $50 wasted.
And taking 2 years off studying to do NS certainly affects the guys more than the government will ever care to admit. If not, why let the high class scholars defer their NS?
Our ministers claim to be talented, so they come up with the idea of benchmarking their pay to top private sector earners.
Why can’t the same benchmarking be used to set the salary of NSmen?? Surely, there are many many talented men in NS at any point in time?
A very perceptive description of National Service in a system hazed up with words like Duty, Patriotism and various other chest thumping words.
Something is disturbing me in this article. Singapore is a country and its defence is the concern of its people. The government is the proxy of its people and that’s the basis of democracy as I know it. The article speaks of the government and the people are separate entities with blurry reference to the country. Just food for thought.
Anyway, I agree that NS disadvantage the serviceman and the culture in SAF does not always seem to be the best for a growing age youth. I think improving the culture should comes first, though it does take more courage than giving gratuity.
A good write-up but no use. U can write all you can, nothing will change. That’s the ‘good thing’ about our leader. A Master in double standard. They can increase their pay as much as they want but nothing for us. They can treat FT/PR better than us.enough is enough of their BS. Leaving this sick place is the best solution.
of course the best thing is for some brave person to speak out at the national Day rally and shout the PM Lee down. And bring the whole hall down with real valid questions, instead of listening to him going on and on and on….
that would be wild !
Here I think is how our population problem maybe arrested :
I think the govt is seriously on the wrong track. Please consider the following :
1) Taiwan is considering removing National Service for its citizens under the new premier. That would be a one big incentive for people with sons not to migrate and boost local population.
2) I came from a holiday in turkey. Over there university education is FREE. Why can’t we, a first world nation provide free education to all her children and develop them to the best potential. All this talk of ‘targetted help’ is just BS – we have billions invested in water dams at Marina south, what is wrong with this govt where such monies are pisplaced?
3) Free insurance for all kids. Again Govt holds out much incentives for people to have children. And all babies will be automatically insured, but the parents need to pay with their CPF. But if your kid is born with congenital illness, sorry, friend, no insuarance and you are all on your own. My view, no body wants to purposefully give birth to a ‘defective’ child and be a burden to the government, but you get the train of thoughts that our PAP govt has – good baby, good economic digit, good citizen. Defective baby, it has nothing to do with the govt and you are out on your own.
Govt with its billions should pay and insure all children.
Imagine, if a Ganga and Jamuna were in our midst – our citizens will be moved to donate too, but i think our govt should recognise its role in wanting more babes and footing the bill as well.
4) Compulsory subsidised kindergarten fees. All kids should also have compulsory kindergarten schooling, as least up to PAP fees level. How many people complain about the exhorbitant pre school fees? $50 at least, compared to $4 in primary school? Why this big difference?
Many more things that PAP can do.
And this kiam siap (stingy) govt will roll out these goodies only to ‘new babies’ born 9 months after the pro-baby announcement on his National Day speech, again showing how insincere they are to the citizens at large who already have say 3 children….really calculative govt, breeding a similarly calculative kiasu collective citizens mentality, which again drives other citizens to give up their citizenship…sigh.
This gratuity sounds good, but considering the number of NSF who ORD every year this is going to add up to a large sum. Assuming that our ministers are not going to take a pay cut for this, where is the money going to come from?
Awarding gratuities based on rank is inherently biased against those without a diploma or A-levels as they will not become officers. Pegging it to performance is also dubious, as anyone who has been through the system and all its “wayang” can attest. Throwing money into the equation will only increase the feeling of a “class divide” between the haves and have-nots. If money is not an issue, then I think a blanket sum across the board would be more fair, perhaps deductible for poor conduct / disciplinary problems.
Hi Benjamin
This is an excellent article. I like your suggestion about an appropriate gratuity to be given to NS men on completion of their full time compulsory service. I also agree with some other commentators that the duration of full time national service can be reduced.
I have raised these issues many times over the past twenty years. My letters have been printed in the Straits Times on a few occasions. Unfortunately, the Government always replied to justify their current stand.
As Singapore is now a global city and foreigners are welcomed to work in Singapore, it is important for the inequity and burden of National Service to be reviewed, and the NS men be appropriately compensated. We cannot continue to place our male citizens at a big disadvantage in the global competition.
Whilst the idea of a gratuity does sound logical, giving it in “kind” may be more practical.
For example, open up a “Training Account” for all servicemen and have the sum deposited into it. This can then be used to offset tuition fees for University / Adult Education / Life-Long-Learning / etc.
Or use it to top up CPF / Medisave accounts, to give servicemen a head-start in life.
Or something along those lines.
Knowing this government, if it is from left to right pocket, it may be more “feasible” to implement vs an outright cash gift!
Dear Benjamin
I’m 100% for the insurance policy. Soldiers are subject to risks that ordinary people don’t take – it is only fair that in the event something goes wrong (and it occasionally does), the soldiers and especially their families are taken care of.
I’d like to add my comment on another aspect of “Leveling the Playing Field” with regards to the opporunity cost of ICTs. Currently for ICTs, servicemen are paid for their time based on their monthly income level. This is a very simplistic formula which assumes that for the time the serviceman is at training, the employer doesn’t have to pay his salary therefore it is cost neutral to the employer.
However, this ignores the fact that in most cases, work has to go on whether or not the serviceman is at his job desk or not. In reality, for two weeks of training, the opportunity cost to the serviceman and his employer is not just 2 weeks the two weeks pay.
For instance, if the serviceman has a specialized job, it may not be so easy to just replace him at the workplace for 2 weeks. Therefore the employer could risk losing productivity while the serviceman is gone, so to play safe, avoid the problem by employing foreigners for the job.
Even if the serviceman can be replaced for the two weeks, human beings are not “plug-and-play”. Anybody who has worked in a modern day office environment will know that even if you hire a temp to assist with some basic tasks, you will need time for training and proper hand-over – that means for the employer they will have to incur extra cost of bringing in somebody early for training.
In another instance, if the serviceman works freelance / is an entrepreneur looking to seal a business deal or a job. The deal or job could be worth several months of income. If he has to be away for 2 weeks during that time, he may lose a big opportunity in those 2 weeks.
In the real world where it takes 110% commitment to be competitive, being able to commit only 99% means the serviceman will be uncompetitive. The opportunity loss is business prospects, employment and promotion, far beyond what those 2 weeks will suggest.
People who wear green for too long, with their Kevlar rice-bowl, will never understand this.
Dear Benjamin,
Great article but, while your suggestions help to improve some of the inherent weaknesses of our conscription, you have made no mentioned of reducing or even scrapping our conscription. It should not be a taboo subject to discuss as it affects all Singaporean males and their families. Countries around the world have made changes to their conscription far earlier than Singapore to reflect the changes in the economics and security of the world. Singapore has been very slow to adopt new developments to our conscription. At least, have a public forum and debate it in parliment.
NATIONAL SERVICE
Introduction
National Service, or army conscription in Singapore, was first introduced in 1967 due to pressing issues such as national security after Singapore’s “forced” independence in 1965. In 1971, the British completely pulled out of Singapore. It has been 41 years since the introduction of NS.
Since then the world and Asia has changed significantly in terms of security and economic arrangements. But has Singapore’s conscription policy kept up with these changes to reflect and cope with the new geopolitical landscape?
First let us review the service that all able-bodied 18-year-old male Singaporeans have to undergo. Basic Military Training, or BMT, is the “boot camp” for all new recruits. This lasts for three months whereupon the soldier then gets posted out to other units for further specialised training.
The conscripts then serve the remainder of their two-year stint polishing up their combat skills. Following the two years of full-time service, NSmen are required (for up to 40 days a year) to serve in a part-tme capacity until they are 50 years old for commissioned officers and 40 for others.
Reduce the two-year full-time service
In an age where warfare has turned to “smart” technology, is it still logical and necessary for Singapore to insist that its National Servicemen undergo 24 months months of active, full-time service? Such a policy is rare among countries that maintain a conscription policy. Below is a list of countries with periods of full-time conscript service:
1.Austria (6 months)
2.Bolivia (12 months)
3.Brazil (9-12 months)
4.Denmark (4-12 months)
5.Estonia (8-11 months)
6.Finland (6-12 months)
7.Germany (9 months)
8.Greece (12 months)
9.Guatemala (12-24 months)
10.Moldavia (12 months)
11.Mongolia (12 months)
12.Paraguay (12-24 months)
13.Poland (9-12 months)
14.Serbia (6 months)
15.Switzerland (18-21 weeks)
16.Taiwan (12 months)
17.Tunisia (12 months)
18.Turkey (12 months)
19.Ukraine (12 months_
20.Uzbekistan (12 months)
From the above data, it can be seen that for all intents and purposes a conscript army training programme need not be as long as the one we have in Singapore. The more advance countries like Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Switzerland all have full-time services limited to one year and less.
Even Taiwan, which has an identifiable enemy in the form of China, limits its active service to 12 months. Only countries like South Korea and Israel have conscription periods that are longer than Singapore’s. These countries are, however, in a state of war.
Given the situation in Singapore there is no reason why we cannot employ more efficient training methods and reduce full-time NS from the present two-years to twelve months or less.
Reservist training
The current period of reserve training for NS men of up to 40 years old is also a burden on the servicemen and, by extension, the economy. Not only does the serviceman have to contend with the influx of foreigners, they are disadvantaged in terms of employment, remuneration and promotion when employers compare local men who have to be away for weeks in anyone year with foreign workers who have no such obligation.
The span of a serviceman’s reservist training should not go beyond 30 years of age. Men tend to settle down and start families around this age and job stability and carreer prospects are essential during this period. Unfair competition from foreign nationals would handicap local males and add to their already stressful lifestyles.
In addition, the human body goes into a physical decline after the age of 30. To keep our military personnel in top condition, it makes little sense in keeping men over the age of 30 in the frontline if military conflict does indeed breakout.
Increase volunteer, professional army
To compensate for the decrease in the number of active and reservist NSmen, the Singapore Armed Forces should expand volunteer army recruitment to complement the reduction in the number of conscripts.
In fact, the number of countries that have scrapped conscription are on the rise: Argentina (1994), Belgium (1994), Czech Republic (2004), France (1996), Hungary (2004), Italy (2004), Netherlands (1996), New Zealand (1972), Portugal (2004), and Spain (2001).
While Singapore may not be ready to follow suit, it would be prudent for us to reduce NSmen in favour of a professional military outfit
At the moment, NSmen are exploited for their services to glorify the PAP during National Day parades. The energy and time of these men can be put to more productive use than as entertainment for the PAP regime.
Conscientious objectors
What about people who do not believe that it is right for them to do military service due to moral, religious or ethical grounds? At the moment such conscientious objectors are charged and imprisoned for the length of their service.
In some of the countries that have compulsory military service, there is also a provision for conscientious objectors to serve in non-combat roles. There is an argument that this would open the flood gates for men to opt for non-combat positions. Such a loophole can be plugged by increasing the length of active service by, say, six months. The experiences of other countries like Germany and Sweden have not been negative in this aspect where males try to avoid combat service by claiming to be conscientious objectors.
Tranparency and openness
Obligation in Singapore seems to be a one-way street. While the Government holds the people accountable for their NS liabilities, the Ministry of Defence remains non-transparent and non-accountable in their dealings with the public.
The recent deaths of National Servicemen have opened a can of worms on training safety. In addition, the number of training fatalities and injuries are not made known to the public as a matter-of-course. The Government which compels the people to give their lives for the country are obliged to be absolutely transparent with information pertaining to safety issues. Compensation for deaths and injuries must also be reviewed and revised upwards.
The Government must also not exploit NSmen as cheap labour during major events such as the WB-IMF meeting or, possibly, the upcoming Youth Olympics. In must be remembered that the Enlistment Act was enacted for a specific purpose and any detraction from that purpose must be shunned.
Conclusion
When citizens are forced to serve in the military with the possibility of being killed if called to war, it is imperative that the government is a democratic one where citizens can hold the government accountable for its decisions and actions. Otherwise we may end up in a situation where wars are waged for the ruling elite rather than for the security and sovereignty of the nation.
http://forum.yoursdp.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3
They need us to boost the ego of our paper Generals what :)
Honestly Can one expected to win wars by saying “I’m LKK son/relative (insert some millionaire mp name here)spawn and so surrender lol”
More likely the person being talked to will put his rifle/pistol/weapon of personal destruction to the speaker head and just pull the trigger.
NS has lost its meaning since we opened our doors so wide. Its a heavy burden for the few who have to fulfill this obligation for so long, with unaccounted losses in time n money which any gratuity or cheap housing benefits cannot compensate for. Now with 2nd generation NS, I am sure quite a lot of fathers are telling their sons to consider being a FT in another country. I will be doing that for sure. I am sure every NSmen will hv some kind of unhappiness in work, family juggling NS obligations. I do feel very shortchanged. We serve n protect, FTs find us a safe haven, compete with us on uneven grounds n we hv to acknowledge that this is for the better. Being sc***ed n having to smile after that. Nobody in their right mind will take NS seriously.
wat level the field for service men???
govt nv level the servicemen heng liaoz lor
Does anyone know who developed the budget system ?
when real war , come see how loyal we are
I think we should add a DEFENSE TAX on 1st generation PR’s and PR’s who do not do NS (women). The fact that they are here, enjoying a good paying job (I mean at least more attactive then the one at home) proves that there is an arbitrage. Our boys are partly paying for this safety.
Any Australian or UK tax resident will know it’s alot less personal taxation here. Paying another 10% is unlikely to make them move away.
Use these money to channel back into the paychecks of our NS -men.
Why wait till the second generation before they ‘pay’ back with NS? Now is the Time.
I think i’m quite motivated when it comes to NS stuff.. but even I feel pissed off at all this. The amount of hassle that we go through is really a lot. Work don’t stop when we go for ICT. So many of my friends in my unit have problems juggling work and training. Imagine dropping a potential sales customer cos of ICT. or missing a project cos of ICT. and even the students have problems such as holiday modules, internships, overseas community service etc. Training for IPPT, going for RT, going for FTX. All this sucks. And sometimes they call people up when they are in their 30s, and expect to serve until their 40s. and they seriously expect someone in their late 30s to still get good redcon status at their evaluation. -_-
For too long they’ve been stuffing all this down our throats saying it’s our duty. OR ELSE. In times now when there’s so much competition from FTs… perhaps it’s time they show some appreciation to our sacrifice.
btw, all this is just another example of how our leaders talk the talk but never walk the walk. I will salute our leaders if they take annual ippt and go for ICT, along like the rest of us “sons of singapore”. or maybe they’re exempted from this duty because they are elites. I bet ALL these pen pushers will fail their IPPT. HA!
Please spare a thought for all the NS man and reservists who died in training. There should be a minute silence during the National Day parade every year.
NSmen are the filipino maids of the nation. Cheap and exploitable.
The SS:
Any Australian or UK tax resident should also know that there’s a lot less welfare here. Besides, if there really is a 10% “defense tax” as you put it, you think that the NSMEN will get to see 100% of that tax? Dream on.
Protection? What protection? Singapore’s defense strategy is the “Poison Pill” strategy. If it really comes to war, everything is expendable as no valuable asset will be allowed to fall to the attacker’s hand.
so….all these long words, and comments.
blah blah blah
still that same of B.S
IF ANYONE dare to have the guts to rally up, no , rather, EVERY true born SG males dare to rebel. Then there is something to do about it.
BUT no…..each one of US are so god damned pus**whiped. Fear of losing job, going jail blah blah blah
If somone is genius enough, can get support of WHOLE singapore, to abolish NS and outsource (Hey, if our jobs can be outsourced to cheaper alternatives, why not the army, best the govt?)
I dont really see a point in ” Introducing such and such ideas, *** and ***** ”
SO someone STATE out, whats the fuk use of law? the use of studying all these years?
WhAT IS THE POINT of having “ball-less” comments that would only spark “national” interest in news but no result.
so yea, sg males are made to be cheap labor salves, which serves no purpose than to boost some Jack ***’es ego with NO RETURNS
those that gain something, WELL congrats!
YOU JUST GOT LUCKY! those 2% in the NS
best solution? Bite the bullet.
oh sorry, it should be even if you are toothless, “bite” it with some organ of yours
you can die for your country, but no, you cannot vote yet.
Currently Spared,
That’s because it appears that there is a massive disconnect between the people and the government, and that the word ‘country’ is used by the latter only when politically expedient. The former elects the latter, then the latter goes off to handle the affairs of state, whether or not the former approves of it. The other articles on this site, I believe, will suffice as evidence.
Tan Kin Lian,
Thank you. Your support and efforts are much appreciated. Just out of curiousity, though, how long do you think National Service should last, since you agree that it should be shortened?
SecureChain,
That could be a feasible idea. If you like, write up a proposal and submit it to TOC, and we’ll see how people react to it.
Boboshooter,
Well, maybe the reason why regulars (like the top brass) don’t understand what you’ve raised is because they don’t know, because nobody told them. Maybe NSFs and NSmen need to communicate with their superiors more, especially if they were regulars.
Sylvester Lim,
That is because the thrust of this article is not about conscription, but about compensating conscripts. But I will say that someone will need to convince me of a viable alternative defence policy for Singapore before I will start writing about alternatives to conscription.
DEAD,
If I recall correctly, every July 1st, the SAF spends a minute of silence for its fallen, NSFs, regulars, and NSmen. Certainly I have, as part of my unit. But if it’s not national policy, then I think your suggestion ought to be implemented. It will not cost the State very much to show its respect for those whom it would have die for it.
my army officers told me he want everythings they want more moneys same to policeman certis cisco as well but they also like to take they hand to law by themself beacuse it happen to them only so want everything and anything just vote for opposition partys
who want to die in army no want want to die in army so a few peoples go and sign on peoples want moneys because got a lot of moneys then they go and sign on they love flying airplanes, love wars love guns and love to be a soldiers and the polices and cisco they also want moneys want i think lee kuan yew lee hisen loong the goverment sr nathen and the pap members wont deduct their pays but will increases their pay the paid is so much once promoted to officers but i do know they hate the lee hisen loong lee kuan yew the goverment sr nathen and the pap members to core it anot a rumors but the truths but they dont said and speak it out they wont deduct the pays want lah cause lee hisen loong lee kuan yew the goverment sr nathen and the pap members dont know and r still kept in the dark it the army and polices plus ciso secrets
put the armys, police,certis cisco tv commerical ,advertisment ,flyer ,newspapers,posters and careers exhibitions who want to join ?got but not many right?
And after all these discussions, shouldn’t we remind our lawmakers to benchmark the salary and payscale of the Cabinet, Members of Parliament and civil servants against the pay scale of National Servicemen? And vice versa.
In a recent survey by MyMailMoment (http://www.mymailmoment.com/mmmoment.web/HomePage/content.aspx?page=mybulletin-press), it is found that among the respondents, “slightly more than half “will stay and fight for Singapore in the event of war””. I wonder which half it is – the half that is serving/has served NS, or the other half that did not.
You can understand why not many are willing to risk their lives and limbs to protect the country.
Not when a national serviceman’s monthly allowance is equivalent to one-man-hour of the Prime Minister’s salary; and an army guy’s annual allowance package is just about the half-day salary of a Minister. Pay peanuts and you get peanuts.
Not when being away from your job/office desk/food stall for up to 40 days a year to serve the country means you have to work double hard to make up for the lost quarterly sales targets to match your female and/or non-Singaporean colleagues and/or competitor vendors. While there is make-up pay as financial compensation, there is no substitute for lost productivity, lower output, missed sale targets/deadlines, forgone tenders/deals, and other elements that contribute to longer term objectives in one’s professional career or business.
So does democracy remove feudalism from societies by leganising it?
Well, all’s been said (the negatives of NS). If and when my sons (my family has 2 adopted) get into NS, I can only tell them this,”Whether you like it or not, take this as an opportunity for you to learn all there is to know about self-defence. Don’t see yourself as a hero if you don’t want to be one, but you cannot do much for anyone else if you can’t even protect yourself.”
Amused,
The Poison Shrimp doctrine is no more.
Read this and tell me whose interest you are defending.
Year: Early Eighties.
Location: Nee Soon Range.
While serving our reservist obligations at the firing range, a call came over on the signal set from HQ (the days before cellphones) of the need for one of the man to report back to camp with regard to a family emergency. The soldier was transported back to camp with his rifle, having been instructed to hand it in to the armoury in the event that he is needed back home immediately.
Location: Camp HQ (reservist)
Upon our return from the range, eager to book out to return to our civilian affairs, it was discovered that the soldier who had left the camp to attend to his family matters had not return his High Powered Bolt Action Scoped Rifle. A search conducted in the camp failed to recover the missing weapon. That resulted in a camp lock down for the rest of us. We were real pissed. Chain of command was supposed to have been informed. Luckily for us, a more intuitive member of the squad decided to check undeneath the mattresses of our bunks and discovered the missing weapon. Our joy that we could go home then was cut short by the news that we need clearence from higher ups.
Two hours later, the clearance came , we were told from SB (Security Branch), the bodyguard unit of the ministers.
I remembered the blank but telling faces of all my mates when we were told that.
We never talked about that incident ever. Not in the years of training following did we ever talk about that. I guess it proves that certain things can cause different people to handle things the same way.
Ahsayman, I get the drift but that is the protocol everyone is aware of it.
When my ex-colleague tried to call me back to work when I was sick with fever and I didn’t even know my right hand’s ligaments were torn at that time (still waiting for the day I meet my hand specialist), I told her Nope I am NOT coming in – I’ve submitted a report on everything that needs to be attended to, down to the little details of what belongs to which customers, via email to so-and-so. Get that report from her.
“Only in the army can they force you to stay behind.” :/
I suspect eventually, it might become 12 months.
But then, its not up to me.
NS was necessary and good in the early days.
Now with soon to swelling numbers of foreigners – to one million soon, a review is really needed.
Also Singaporean parents will have major concerns in the light of reports of NS and reservists’ deaths, and defending FTs is not a good enough additional reason for supporting NS anymore. More families leaving may soon be the concern.
EX-NS I believe those NS men who died have their health ruined by their diets! Outer appearance look healthy but INSIDE – degenerating. Cows’ milk is not healthy as claimed. Source: MSN.com and Mercola.com Just google and you will see FACTS from fallacies. The whole food pyramid where carbohydrates and rice at the bottom is all wrong, and is in fact recipe for epidemics of heart attacks and high blood pressure.
Why is it that the mainstream media does not reveal this? Simple – cos diseases is big money! This itself is not a nation-wide problem; it’s a global problem affecting not just Singapore.
If the number of foreigners is a factor for NS-enlistment review, I am afraid our government has more reasons to say NS is compulsory.
@Angry When I had the heart to be a police-woman (I wanted to catch thieves etc, help put something right for those who may be suffering from injustice, etc) , guess what their criteria was? That I can’t be underweight! NOW….overweight police-woman they also take!! It’s a joke.
Hi Benjamin Cheah (#29)
I believe that full time National Service can be shortened to 12 months. This is supported by the detailed research by Sylvester Lim (#15)
Many years ago when I was in the NS i met many disillusioned young people like me hating the mismanagement of the army. The common saying “Army cock-up” is still prevalent nowadays. I don’t expect the NS men to like NationalService but on the other hand it will be worse if they grow to hate the army and then the country. This will be disastrous for our next generation. My son enjoyed his BMT but he hated the time of waiting for the ferry and then the bus transport to Pasir Ris. My elder son call this “Rush to wait and wait to rush” typical army problem. If the SAF wanted the soldier to be trained to be disciplined, precise and punctual they have to show it through their co-ordination of training programs. These things are not in your training manual but it matters alot to the soldiers. Don’t take them for granted. When all these “cock=ups” happen no one take responsibility, they shift the blame to everyone else except themselves.
Please SAF don’t create a “Hate NS syndrome” for our young Singaporean men.
>>it will be worse if they grow to hate the army and then the country.
Too late. Most people in my generation (born in 80s and late 70s) hold this mindset.
I am fighting to keep myself employed and i get called up for ICT. There are so many foreigners in my company. I do not have a chance to keep my job, not to mention to excel in my job.
I am on the way to lose 10 years of my life, with not a single chance to outperform the foreigners. They are always on top of me, using the single reason that “You are going away for 2-3 weeks, you can’t do all these work now. I will take care of it. No worries.” I have the heart to work hard but my time is taken away from me again and again. As result, i do not have good bonus as compared with the foreigners. And my boss do not see me being useful in this way at all! I am so discardable.
Is there no end to this? I am losing cash and career terribly. And all my other stuffs are going downhill together with my cash and career. In this period of great depression, this has aggravated my stability of my employment and eventually my life.
It’s hard enough to get a job already. I still have to worry about getting ousted out of the company due to the foreigners having more time to work than me.
Knowing that this trend will continue and will not stop, i must think of a way to get out of this country. This has become a forsaken place for me.
Walau…If only if the Singaporean girls would pull their weight. Man’s NS would be cut by half and we would only be serving 12 months. Why are we arguing over cheap insurance of only $12+ a month when we conspicuously ignore the fact that half of our citizens are SLACKING!! while we are sweating in the hot sun. (Minister Mentor who never serve before take note as well)!!
@Truth There are Singaporean girls who are willing to “pull their weight” – what makes you think there are no such gals around? But I am not too worried, I heard that since 2 years ago they (MINDEF) are studying if it’s feasible to call in the women for National Service as well. And also, I am past the 18 to 21 years of age to serve National Service.
Great! Equal misery for both males and females. Just what Singapore needs! More slavery! Just as our men are neutered maybe, imposing NS on our women will make them subservient and better still, make more babies as part of NS. The MIW can sell the idea as part of nation building and total defense crap!
$12 per month for insurance is too……….. much money for our country to spend for each NSman. How else are they going to get enough money to buy up all these devalued stock and bonds as well as to bail out all these money losing foreign companies? Our NSmen can take care of themselves with the $400 allowance what???
thanks admin.very good:D
thanks admin good
Good article i like and thank you for this article.
Thank you admin!!!