Leong Sze Hian -
I was told that the mother of a Natonal Servicemen (NS Men) was griping about her son not being able to attend a family event because he had been ordered to attend the Youth Olympics Games as a spectator.
He will be given an early dismissal from the army camp, to go home to change to civilian clothes to attend a YOG event.
She is rather concerned that although her son would normally already be very tired after a day’s training, he would still have to go for the YOG event, which finishes very late.
Does YOG or the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) reimburse such NSmen for their transportation costs, to and from the YOG event?
Are they reimbursed for any meal and drink during the event? Or are they served free food, like the ones that have been highlighted online?
Are their attendance taken at the event to ensure that they turn up?
It was reported in The Online Citizen article – “YOG – Another farce?” (Jul 10) – that the sluggish sales of 320,000 YOG tickets on 26 May mysteriously shrunk to 245,000 on 7 July, of which 80,000 of the more than 100,000 sold were purchased by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
MOE declined to disclose how much they paid for the tickets, or how much the schools and students allocated tickets may have to pay.
Does MINDEF have to pay for the tickets like those bought by MOE?
From brisk sales of close to 50 per cent of the 245,000 tickets sold (or about 38 per cent of the original 320,000 tickets figure), it then became 70 per cent sold on 2 August, according to the report “YOG ticket sales picking up, with 70% sold” (Channel News Asia, 2 August).
Were any of these tickets taken by MINDEF?
If more than 70 per cent had been sold as of 2 August, why is there a need to send NSmen to be spectators?
Are the amounts paid by MOE and MINDEF included in the almost-more-than-four times YOG budget over-run of $387 million?
If not, then what is the additional sum to the total YOG costs?
By the way, I think the media may not know how to count, as every media report said that the YOG budget was three times over-run. $387 million divided by the original budget of $104 million is about four times over-budget, or about 300 per cent over-budget!
Why is it that there have been no media reports about MINDEF taking YOG tickets and the costs of these?
Are the T-shirts given to all ministry staff the same as those given to volunteers?
If they are different, how much do they cost and how many were given away to each of the two groups?
Shameless ruling party… this is how we Singaporean are push around or pushovers. Forced because we are no longer interested to become loyal citizens who are bullied and doomed. CPF is a noose. No wonder thousand migrate every year.
Please lah – Victor Khoo (ST 16/8 – Forum)go see the Beijing Olympic tape – you’ll see that they showed a very big book and turning the pages to show how China’s emperor rule them or developments very the century. YOG displayed the same thing “opening the page….” – they have copied China and as far as I feel they now resort to copying others.
during my reservist in 2009, we had one day where we were told to bring civillian clothing, if memory serves me right. we’d go over to the city hall, to watch the unveiling of the omega countdown clock.
i support the sporting movement, but the execution of some things honestly makes me ponder why they’re even done in the first place.
Dun know what’s the news here. NSF have ALWAYS been treated/used as cheap labour. The mentality set in for so long is that ‘they’ owned Singaporean males for those 2-2.5 years and they can do whatever with these.. erh… “assets”. During my NS, our OC even ordered the duty NCO to catch the bird that kept shitting on his car! Alas, we wouldn’t allow to fire an airburst into the tree.
Dictatorship at work!
Nothing new. During my NSFs days, we were ordered to be spectators for the National Day Party at Marina Bay during one of the rehearsal so that it doesn’t look empty when they do a feed to the Padang.
Isnt this a cheapscape move? asking NSmen to occupy the seats, treating them as objects.
They even have the cheek to ask NSmen to change to civilian clothes.
If this is not a cheapscape move, what is?
@Abused, 17 August 2010
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Alamak, you got do NS or not. This cheapskate move is SOP. That’s why many Singaporeans feel 2nd class citizens. Why can’t the ministers who have so much confidence in FT/FWs get them to ‘volunteer’ to be the digits/’spectators’ instead? Since these are said to be first class, should be more than willing, mah. The 66% mandating voters pls show your support to those whom you have elected now – c’mon, there is dog food for you in it.
durin my ns day..
the platoon commander asked me to jump into marsilin river..i asked why? platoon commander says i must test the river cold or not..because the son of leekingyou gonna jumped next..wouldn’t want him to get stucked in the mud would he..and beside..platoon commander says..you see that square medal on my shoulder…i am a OFFICER..you are just a bobo king expendable private…if it was in time of war..i would had baynet that officer to death from his karchng
I dunno about you guys serving NS today but in my time we too faced problems and it is natural to complain among the guys. But we learn how solve it there and then! We were taught since young that it is actually our duty to learn how to stand on your own feet.
The moment your mother comes into the picture to complain this kind of stuff on your behalf…I am afraid to imagine what would happen if you (ever) were to get married.
This almost make me wanna hope that I get daughters instead of sons and they will grow up to be lesbians!
Next they’ll use prisoners as spectators.
seeprompt, 17 August 2010
there is nothing wrong about men complaining if its valid, rather then pretending to be macho.
must be humble lah, when got problems dun be chicken, keep quite only. no wonder a recent Straits Times report cited men most likely take their lives (& problems with them) when they commit suicide. & more men are likely than women to do so.
the bro, 18 August 2010
cannot lah, with the large numbers of guards taggin along. that’s too much taxpayers $$$ down the canal…
@ mice is nice, 18 August 2010.
Someone told me that the real difference between an adult and a child is their method of solving problems.
I would expect a mama boy to run to his mother whenever he cannot get what he wants.
Seeprompt, 18 August 2010
some one told u? so does it mean will will not take any responsibility for your own views & just blame that someone when things are not in your favour?
quote:
“I would expect a mama boy to run to his mother whenever he cannot get what he wants.”
from solving problem to getting what he wants, can you make up your mind or are you just out to try win an argument at all cost? jumping from 1 example to the next…
having difficulty focusing?
@ mice is nice 18 August 2010.
quote:
“some one told u? so does it mean will will not take any responsibility for your own views & just blame that someone when things are not in your favour?”
Yes, I might have blamed many people when thing are not in my favour. However in this case I am in agreement with that statement and would like to share it. I am not forcing you to agree with it.
quote:
“from solving problem to getting what he wants, can you make up your mind or are you just out to try win an argument at all cost? jumping from 1 example to the next…”
Yes, I love to win arguments. However, I am not as eloquent as I would like to be and I am working on it.
In essence, the point that I wanted to raise is that I too endured some hardship, including fatigue, during my NS. Yes, I admit that I complain and scheme to play with the system too. Basically, guys who had their mother’s help to reduce their hardship are called “mama boys”.
quote:
“having difficulty focusing?”
Yes I am. I cannot think fast enough to win every argument and now I might need to be a seat warmer of another YOG event because someone got his mother’s help. I think might pretend to look at my hands and steal a nap.
Seeprompt, 18 August 2010
good to know that you take ownership of your views. because if you did not clarify, your earlier post seem to give an impression that you were just quoting another’s opinion.
if you want to win arguments, debates, stick to your points, jumping to another shows you have difficulty holding the ground. of course, your points should be a enough an anchor to hold on to in the 1st place.
quote:
“Basically, guys who had their mother’s help to reduce their hardship are called “mama boys”.”
for 1, you have may well have over-simplified issues. 2ndly, not all men seek their mum’s help. 3rdly, such statement only serves to fuel gender stereotypes. men ought to learn that seeking help from others isn’t a sissy’s way out.
winning isn’t about speed.
eh,.. what about being a seat warmer? i dun quite understand where you are coming from.
mice is nice 18 August 2010
quote:
“for 1, you have may well have over-simplified issues. 2ndly, not all men seek their mum’s help. 3rdly, such statement only serves to fuel gender stereotypes. men ought to learn that seeking help from others isn’t a sissy’s way out.”
I used the word “basically” to make my comment general and simplified. It was not my intention to write an airtight thesis calibre comment.
I think there is nothing wrong for men to seek help from others, including his mother. I have to admit that I too seek my mother’s help when it comes to family issues. However she will have no influence other areas of my life, for example like in convincing my commanding officer that I cannot do guard duty this weekend. I will not say, “I cannot do guard duty this weekend because my mother wants me to sleep at home!”
The label “mama boy” is usually (note the generic word here) used on guys who got help from his mother to escape this kind of hardship. I do hope you understand by now the point that I am trying to raise.
What irks me is that I am encountering more and more guys who are old enough to sign cheques and become a father themselves that are still using their mother’s (and father’s) help to escape even the most basic responsibilities that is totally within their job scope. I envy you if you do not have such problems. It will totally break my heart if my daughter were to grow up to marry this type of guy.
quote:
eh,.. what about being a seat warmer? i dun quite understand where you are coming from.
I used the word “seat warmer” as a generic term that means my participation in the YOG event as a spectator is by default and not by desire. I thought that it is a common term used today.
@Seeprompt, 19 August 2010
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“…What irks me is that I am encountering more and more guys who are old enough to sign cheques and become a father themselves that are still using their mother’s (and father’s) help to escape even the most basic responsibilities that is totally within their job scope…”
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Remember some are even paid millions of dollars and still rely on equally paid million-dollars daddy & ‘mummy’ to bail them out when facing challenges. So, yes, the current generation has a role model to NOT stand on their own – daddy fix this, daddy fix that.
@ heforgottongeneration 19 August 2010
I suddenly feel so ashamed to keep reminding myself that my children are a reflection of my wife and me.
If your comment is accurate, I should stop accusing parents who allowed their children to develop poor mental resilience and simply blame the government for being the bad “role model”.
Seeprompt, 19 August 2010
your commnet may not be airtight, but perpetuating the act of men seeking help negatively only points to your gender biased notions. that, contrary to the following statement that you see nothing wrong- only after i have pointed out why gender stereotyping is wrong.
i have no idea how you can personally conclude the men only seek help from their mum. such notion stems (again) from gender biasness, depending on the issue, mum isn’t the only option, but you chose to play it up, as if to provoke a response.
care to share what are the “most basic responsibilities that is totally within their job scope.”?
din know you are attending YOG as a spectator. if want to sleep please wear shades so no one can see your eyes close hor.
@ mice is nice 19 August 2010
In not too many words, let me try to expound my position of the matter.
1) Men who seek help from others when his problem is beyond his abilities. I do not think it is wrong.
2) Serving NS is the duty of Singapore’s men and not his mother. If you are saying this is “gender bias”, then I am guilty as charged for thinking so. However, men who gets help from his mother to siam / keng / take-cover/ skive / malinger can get a bad reputation (in this case the label mama boy) among his peers, including me if I were to know about it.
3) There are other ways for men to get a reputation when seeking for help but I will only touch on this specific situation when it comes from his mother. I don’t wanna throw in other examples or points just to win an argument.
4) There are other ways for men to siam / keng / take-cover/ skive / malinger from his most basic responsibilities that is totally within their job scope but I will only touch on this specific situation when it comes from his mother. I don’t wanna throw in other examples or points just to win an argument.
5) All this while I thought I was just trying to win an argument and I had no intention to “play it up”, as if to provoke a response like an Internet Troll.
@Seeprompt 19 August 2010
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“…If your comment is accurate, I should stop accusing parents who allowed their children to develop poor mental resilience and simply blame the government for being the bad “role model”…”
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If you are really a parent, then ask yourself whose children are they? The govt. or yours? If you allow them to take an internal/external role model (famous, big-head, inspirational, an asshole, etc..) then it is your call. You don’t do anything also can. You want to blame others also can. Even the garhem is doing that.
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One area I feel is the maid-dependent mentality of our present generations. Given the prevailing economic conditions, how the parents chooses to balance their life-style will affect the kids. I feel this is breed grounds for your mama-boy/girls and/or papa-boys/girls. Some are obvious, no?
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Remember: having kids is not a privilege or an entitlement. It is a responsibility. So is holding public office.
@Seeprompt, 19 August 2010
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“…If your comment is accurate, I should stop accusing parents who allowed their children to develop poor mental resilience and simply blame the government for being the bad “role model”….”
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I am not trying to win an argument with you over this; just stating mama-boy/girl or papa-boy/girl can happen at all levels of society. If you are really a parent, then whose kids are yours — govt. or yours? Role modelling and value teaching are the parents’ ultimate responsibility. Sure you can blame teachers, society, maid, garhem, worm in the garden, etc… about how your kids turn out. Some may even think leeching on to others is smart move in life & not a shame. It is your call.
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Just remember having kids is not a privilege, entitlement or even necessity. It is a responsibility, just as holding public office is. Peace out.
Seeprompt, 18 August 2010
1) do you really think so? i’ll quote an earlier statement of yours.
from an earlier post:
“The moment your mother comes into the picture to complain this kind of stuff on your behalf…I am afraid to imagine what would happen if you (ever) were to get married.”
2) since when did i say serving NS is gender biased? please quote.
3) i am rather curious how you actually know more men are seeking help from their mums. or are these just baseless assumptions?
4) refer to point (3)
5) dun get too obsessed with winning…
seeprompt 17 August 2010
I dunno about you guys serving NS today but in my time we too faced problems and it is natural to complain among the guys. But we learn how solve it there and then! We were taught since young that it is actually our duty to learn how to stand on your own feet.
The moment your mother comes into the picture to complain this kind of stuff on your behalf…I am afraid to imagine what would happen if you (ever) were to get married.
………………
when i was servin NS…i kanned bullied/terkan and had to endure many guards duties simply because i all the time refused to ungak or prayed balls with NCos…my parade square incik knew my sufferin(he is a realLEE kind bloke for an incik..butt he can never OVERIDE all those NCOs..it THE army thinggie)
never ever once did i told my belated mom why i was never home @ weekends nor holidays..even donatin blood was ^COMPULsory/negotitable…
i served my 2 bloomin years refused the stupid single strip promotion as well till i ROD..prior to my last 6 month pre-ROD 1 nice captain asked me to sign on..
automatic promoted to corporal just to be his friend/runner when he was posted to taiwan and i still refused (to me taiwan is a MAN’s dreamworld)..
that is life..being THE man is even worst..
@iaintnoMAMAboi 20 August 2010
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Yeah lor, we live in different values nowadays.
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When I was young, if a stranger accidently bumped into me and I started crying, my mom would scold ME and apologise to the stranger. Now, if I bumped into a kid, the mother will tell kid to “kick or push him back” and/or give me that “really dirty look” – like tigress.
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I guess this also to do with our low birth rate. Like China, plus our dependency on maids, we have sprouted a generation of “little emperors/empresses”. Parents can be very protective towards their 1-2 kids. Unlike previous with 3-6 kids, 1 die also no problem. Ha, ha…
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Sign, effects of the genocidic Stop-at-2 policy?
@ mice is nice, 19 August 2010
I believe I finally understand the question that you are trying to ask. Allow me another go at it.
Yes, I agree that my earlier comments are sweeping and might sound unfair. I have no evidence that all young Singapore men are mama boys. You are also right to correct me that my claims about these men constantly seeking their mothers for help are baseless assumptions.
However, I think it is fair to state that my claims are understood to be considered as hyperboles. Hyperboles are figures of speech that are exaggerated in order to create emphasis or effect.
If I were to say I die die want to win this argument, it does not mean that I want to commit murder.
seeprompt, 20 August 2010
i guess its fair for me to conclude,
1. you will double talk just to get your way.
2. exaggerate (mama-boy) to get a response.
3. you knowingly use hyperboles even if it blows reality out of proportions.
4. assume others to know “my claims are understood to be considered as hyperboles…”.
it would be meaningless to carry on the conversation with someone who flip-flops on his/her stand on things. would it be fair for you to understand how repulsive you are?
@ mice is nice, 20 August 2010
The way I see it, the breakdown is when I could not understand your question and you misunderstood my answers. I offer my apologies for this. I am not asking you to like me and I can move on with the knowledge that you might find me repulsive.
If it is of any consolation, I truly enjoyed our sparring session and have learn so much in such a short time.
With that said, allow me to attempt a graceful bow as I exit this conversation.