Today’s Blog Feature, is from Thinking Better, Thinking Meta, on National Service.
Here is an excerpt from the article, Defending what’s (y)ours!
I do not share the same definition of “ours” as the government and its self-professed state-independent military organisation do.
Most of us will not buy one morsel of the advertisement/infomercial. It is merely to justify what is already there. If such a segment is to advertise and provide information, then let it stand in a country where military service is voluntary. Let us see how many Singaporean men will sign up (maybe since times are bad, more will sign up voluntarily, we won’t know).
Make National Service voluntary, and you will see the extent to which people identify with the government’s message of “defending what’s ours”. Make it voluntary and you will get what people think about how things are run. Maybe in the advertisement/infomercial, there was a minute parenthesized “y” before the word “ours”. It sort of speaks from the perspective of the Singaporean male, wherein we are asked to defend the second person (yours) that is the state and its interests.
I personally do not believe in National Service. It tears me away from my family, my work and the things I love to do. I do not want to be part of any organisation that promotes and reinforces dominant gender norms and structures.
I am not willing to do defending what is “yours”. Because we have seen the way our Singaporean sons are forsaken and forgotten, and could have known even more, if not for the state secrecy and media machinery that protects the military organisation.
Read the rest of the article on Thinking Better Thinking meta.
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Hi Bernard. Fair enough, we don’t have as much freedom as other capitalistic nations. Things come in a package deal, in most cases. At what point of the spectrum is considered perfect or at least optimal? Hard to answer, really. Look at many of today’s free economies, how bad have they been hit by the current financial crisis? Its a no-brainer answer. In contrast, our country, though affected, but the magnitude is much less severe. Why? Have you asked? Because we have the appropriate control measures! Not all controls have turned out right; decisions are made based on the parameters at a particular juncture. Sometimes, you dropped a ball,you fouled up; admit it, pick the ball up and move on, in the general direction that you have originally planned for. So you are pretty much back on track. Has our govt made poor decisions? Of course they had. Were these decisions deliberate, or at the overt expense of the people? I don’t think so. Will they continue to make occasional lousy decisons? Of course they will.
I have travelled to many “free” countries. Freedom to rob, freedom to bully, freedom to racism, freedom to stay below poverty line! The law and orders in our country cannot be fully appreciated until one steps into such “free” zones.Show me a country on this planet that has different religious buildings standing side-by-side. I have yet to, except in the neighbourhood that I grew up in – Boon Lay. A taoist temple and a christian church no more than 2 feet apart. And yes, there is a hawkers’ centre nearby that serves wonderful hokkien mee, indian rojak, nasi lemak. To me, and to many other fellow Singaporeans, all these are truly worth defending.
James Tan (#101),
Singapore is worth defending because it is home. It has nothing to do with how terrible (or how good) the PAP government is. Your argument that everything comes in a package deal is nothing more than a moot point.
Fristly, NS from a broader picture is meant for deterance. We have no capabilities to wage wars but we need to have the right to defend our nation. how about exploing this view unlike the article above: NS on the contrary make one appreciate the company of our family, friends and loved ones even more. When we are serving the nation, we too miss the times we are with our love ones. We treasure whats ours more dearly.
Secondly, The 2 years lag time is pure excuse. If one is truely capable, 2 years would not make a dent in your 40 or more years of career. In fact NS provide a greater opportunity for you to interact with more people and people of older ages. we develop skill sets we cannot learn in School or workplace. It provides a greater and EARLIER avenue to explore business opportunities.
Thirdly, why blame the government for luring more PRs into the country? its not even a valid arguement for NS. As singapore citizens we have certain Privileges that PRs and foriegners DO NOT enjoy. for instance in Education, Medical Care and Housing. Similarly, they do not require to serve just as they do not enjoy these privilages. Its just simple as that.
ALSO Just like US and UK, millions flock and want to be citizens is because of opportunities and hope for better living. Singapore is or is going to be a first world nation. Hence its just natural that more people want to come. Accept it as a developed-country-citizen.
Many clain that they (Foreigners and PRs) take away our jobs. what kind of jobs are you refering to? the majority? or the minority of the elite high paying jobs in which most of these jobs require you to prove ur worth. If you insist, pls post the statistics on number of jobs in singapore and no. of PRs and Foreigners working in singapore? Theres too much Hear-say.
Lastly, on freedom, I see singapore as a place where i have the freedom to roam the streets in middle of the night and not fear of being mug. I have the freedom to explore any opportunities as far as my passion drives me. I have the freedom to choose where I want to study (for those who may not have a choice due to financial problems, there are avenues that all you to choose from). I have this freedom to be with my friends, family and love ones. I have the freedom and luxury to earn a living and buy food that i like to eat.
I wouldn’t forsake this freedom over 2 years of NS which if does not exist, might cost me these freedom. War and conflicts are always unpredictable, to say that war will not happen in Singapore is being so UNRESPONSIBLE and MYOPIC.
You have the freedom not to choose to be a singaporean citizen too. if you want to stay here, make ACTIVE and CONSTRUCTIVE changes and not complain about whats not good in Singapore. Its a suck thumb world out there.
Indeed, freedom is a abstract thing. it can mean one thing to you and another thing to me and another thing to another person. thanks to you two for raising the point about the notion of freedom
@zenhora can you please give me two year’s worth of your pay. You are capable and losing two year’s worth of your pay shouldn’t amount much in your 40 or more years career. Please…
why so slient ? Are you a PAP undercover ? hahahah
Useless women who don’t serve NS
#103;
Love the many ‘frees’ that You talk about.
To many many Singaporeans, it will be wonderful if they can opt out from National Service. I will be 100% loyal to this country if i was not conscripted. The reason was(is) that i have no respect for soldiering because i subscribe to the Chinese Wisdom ‘Hao nan bu tang ping’ meaning a useful man does no soldiering. May i have the freedom to this belief ? In any case, i simply believe there are more constructive thing to do in ones’ short short life.
I declare that i am not against anyone having a military career, quite the contrary, i respect the Rights of others to do anything allow by the country.
My only son was(is) happy doing his NS and i was(am) happy that he enjoys it.
I don’t believe any self-respecting person can serve NS truthfully with their heart if women are enjoying full citizenship rights but not pulling their weight.
Why did we leave Malaysia? Because we believed in Meritocracy. Look at how Women graduates are earning good money and riding on the coattails of male labour NOW which vindicates what #33 is saying in the last paragraph.
Welcome to the new aristocracy of Women. Latest news from Straits Times: Wife earning more than husband still want alimony.
I spend 20 years of my life during my youth in the belief of NS as my ambition then was to be a solider when I was a kid. I joined the NCC for 6 years from secondary school till JC. After JC, I joined the SAF as a regular. However, after joining the SAF as a regular, my belief in the worth of defending Singapore and NS was completely shattered. Why should regular be paid a premium above market rate and a retirement fund of $500,000 to serve the country, since the retirement age for army officers had been extended to 50 recently? Which job in the civil service or private sector provide a retirement fund? If the reason is that becos army career is more demanding than private or civilian sector, then the govt should ask the regulars to leave the army and work in the private or civilian sector and see which is more demanding? I had left the regular service in the SAF and work in the private sector for 5 years. Compared to the army which I had served for 8 years, work in the private sector is certainly more demanding. Hence, the regulars in the SAF are parasites of the Singapore society since their pay comes at the expense of higher GST and taxes for Singaporean.
Moreover, NSmen are not paid to serve NS and have to compete with the FTs in the job market and also with the PRs in housing resale market, which resulted in lower salary and higher HDB resale price for Singaporeans becos of competition from foreigners. I felt that Singapore had already been conquered by the PRs and FTs by economic means. Hence, there is no need to defend Singapore anymore. NSmen are already POWs in our own country we are called to defend, even before Singapore go to war.
Try walking along some pavements near private schools with FT studying there and see if they will let you walk on the pavement we’ve wasted 2 years of our lives defending. Must bump shoulders with while walking against them if not they don’t even wanna let you walk on it
Why NS? Because of ‘Hao nan bu tang ping’! If Chinese who made the core of Singapore’s population did not shun military career as Goh Keng Swee point out, then SAF don’t need to conscript young Singaporean men and it will be 100% professional army!
NS is a form of control. My personal experience as an ex NSman taught me that. Each yaer I had to apply for an exit permit while I was overseas reading for my BSc and MSc. After graduation, I was offered a job during the “milk round” by multinational companies. I continued to be controlled by the need to have an exit permit annually. In the end, after careful consideration, I decided to do something for myself. I am going to apply for a foreign citizenship but the process a long and tidious one. When the day come, I will celebrate and buy a oneway ticket out of the country. I am still waiting.Countries on my list are Australia, Newland, UK and USA. Saying goodbye to your country of your birth is not a decision one make lightly but the PAP regime had made it easy for me to reach that fateful decision. We are a currupt a country with no morality, integrity and trust. A country is not a country when the ruling regime did not have our interests in mind when they formulate their polices. We are controlled, taxed to the heed and disadvantaged by the need to perform reservist duty while the FT/FW do not share that obligations. Sinkapore employers find it cheaper to hire them and we Sinkaporean are cast out to dry. What are we defencing? Those in power who awarded themselves milliion dollar wages using our money? Sorry we had wise up and determined to vot PAP out and send the old man to permanent retirement preferrabily in JB if possible. We had grown up and we do need PAP anymore. They could take all their ill gotten wealth and live in luxury in China or anywhere else that welcome them.
wei…
n.s is good…
as for u i gez bcos kena tekan….
sure u r a mommy boy…
at nite sure cry wan dis boy
defend wats ours…
dun like den go migrate la…
true SINGAPOREAN!!!!!!
Last time, we serve our NS, we take pride to defend our country with our lives. Now? who and what are we defending? the nation? or are we defending a bunch of running dogs? wake up your bloody idea young men, are you all nuts or kena black magic? Just hold your hand and touch your heart and ask this very question, are we still singaporeans????
NS is important to defend what’s ours. However, before we can defend Singapore agst external threat, we have to defend what ourselves agst the influx of foreigners that are taking away our jobs and HDB flats, and the high pay of the SAF regulars that resulted in high defence spending and GST and income tax. Otherhwise, we have nothing to defend. NSFs and NSmen are citizen soldiers. Citizen 1st, Soldier 2nd.