Tan Kin Lian's Blog: National Service for citizens

Sunday, October 04, 2009

National Service for citizens

I hope that the injustice done to Singapore born male citizens should be addressed soon. Read the views here and in The Online Citizen.

Here is another worrisome story. Read this article written by Seah Cheang Nee.

Here is my previous blog suggesting a review of National Service. This is a letter sent to the Straits Times that was long delayed and finally, rejected for publication.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...: Yes, it is very sad and I have 3 sons that have to serve.; October 04, 2009 3:48 PM
Vincent Sear said...: I think that PM L.H.L. has been quoted out of context (but still his own faux pas for not making his statements clearer).

I think that he meant that age 30+ will make difficult recruits at basic military training level. We just can't ask anyone without basic military training to serve reservist. How to cock a rifle, fire a rife, strip a rifle, throw a grenade etc. have to be trained.

Singapore males are recruited between ages 18 to 20. An easier "manageable" age range for such disciplined trainings, then after 2 years, they serve reservist up to age 40.

I think that the problem is not how or whether to make new citizens contribute to NS. The problem is how the government treats and recognises the Singaporean NSmen.

Treatment wise, I think is very bad, especially for the poorer and lower educated who have valid reasons for deferment or disruption but are just brushed off. The upper ranking regular senior officers have "quotas" to fill for promotions, increments and honours and treat them like their enslaved pawns in their personal career ladder climbing.

Recognition wise, it's not unusual that NSmen are given $100 extra whenever there's a government handout package. It's token towards recognition but an insult towards contribution.; October 04, 2009 4:10 PM
Anonymous said...: In a world where there is not much migration and most of the residents in Singapore were Singaporeans, NS probably did not matter that much given that everybody had to do it and so nobody was severely disadvantaged (or rather everybody was equally disadvantaged). However, in this "new" world where 1/3 of Singapore's residents are non-citizens exempt from NS, NS becomes a big issue.

There are only two ways around it - One, you make the 1/3 foreigners do something to make it less uneven for Singapore citizens (make them do NS, make them pay more taxes, whatever). Two, you make it more even for Singapore citizens by getting rid of NS, shortening it and paying people market rates (the PAP loves market rate pay anyway, unfortunately that only applies to their own pay packages).

Its a problem created by the PAP - starting with the creation of NS and then with the liberal policies of letting in foreigners, so they should go solve it. The PM shouldn't be telling us the problem, he should be providing the solution. And giving excuses to keep the status quo is not a solution.; October 04, 2009 4:36 PM
Anonymous said...: "S'PORE PR TOOK PART IN (PRC) PARADE"
(Sunday Times 4 Oct 2009, page 20); October 04, 2009 5:02 PM
Anonymous said...: We should have just make NS full time, an army just make up of regulars.
If NS salary is tied to mkt rate, we would have just paid more tax in the end.
Btw, the source of the report is dubious and bias anyway.; October 04, 2009 5:04 PM
Anonymous said...: "Ms Zhang Yuanyuan, a Singapore PR who returned to Beijing last year, underwent 10 months of hard training to take part in the parade."

--Sunday Times 4 Oct, page 20; October 04, 2009 5:04 PM
Anonymous said...: PRC Communist=Singapore PR !!!???; October 04, 2009 5:05 PM
Parka said...: I think most of the people who post at the fish blog don't think at all.

If you're a platoon commander who's supposed to lead, would you prefer to lead those people who commented on that blog? It's not even a question about age.; October 04, 2009 5:14 PM
Parka said...: To the first anonymous post, they don't have to serve. Freedom is just a cheap plane ticket away, maybe three or four in this case.; October 04, 2009 5:16 PM
Anonymous said...: Not sure if this is true..........but i read in other blogs/forums that soon children of PR won't don't have to do NS ? Is this true ? I know now they have to do it....; October 04, 2009 8:23 PM
Sim said...: Correct me if I'm wrong. PRs do not have to do NS. Children of PR same. However, when they reach a certain age, I can't remember which, they have to decide whether to be take up Citizenship. If they do, NS, if not PR. Should he decide to take on Citizenship anytime later, do NS.

Well, Singaporeans will become second class citizens compared to foreign talents soon. It's a viscious cycle. Don't forget where most of our leaders are educated. Where their sons are educated. NUS? NTU? pfft. So naturally they look up to people with foreign education.

Why companies prefer to hire foreigners? No need give them CPF larrrr... Singapore male serve NS liao need to give higher pay... wah lao...

I'm proud to be Singaporean and NS is a necessary evil, like it or not. Increasing PRs and foreigners tax will be damaging to our workforce. I always favour tax cuts. My suggestion would be to vary the corporate tax on the company based on the composition of citizens/PRs/foreigners on their payroll. So higher more local, pay less tax! So in a way lower the cost of hiring Singaporean without taking away our CPF. And increase the income tax claim for males who have served NS please!! =); October 05, 2009 3:20 PM
Anonymous said...: being sporean we regard ns as important as a deterence, to be fair to the goverment, it has done somehting recently.
more needs to be done to equalise our differnces of PRs n us, keep at it..
the 3k tax relief isnt sufficient....
when we go to war , we had to know we re worth the sacrfice we make .... we fight for our country...it is too much , we re worth it , we will die to to defend our homeland, but we re worth a token sum...?; October 05, 2009 5:26 PM
Anonymous said...: I have all along feel that the NS relief is very insignificant. They should give us a ten thousand dollars a year for those finished 2/2.5 yaers full time service and another 13years of reservists to recongnized this type of defence work only the selected group are asked to do. After all, this government believe in paying big fat salary to ministers why not paying some gratuity for those that completed the services and provide 20% less tax for those that are force to serve by law.; October 05, 2009 9:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Everyone, you just need to remember one thing: "There will be no PERFECT formula for this issue".

Why envy on small percentage of "imported" Singaporean?

You have every rights to speak out on this "burden" of NS, but do remember to look at the bigger picture and realize that there could be no perfect formula for this issue...

At this present moment, there is nothing seriously wrong with current system, remember: improvement you suggested carry risks...worth taking???

Mui Mui; October 05, 2009 10:39 PM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Mui Mui

The government should pay attention to address this injustice to our male citizens, rather than find excuse like "there is no perfect solution".

This problem has not been addressed to 20 years. There is a lot of wrong and grace injustice. It is no small matter. It affects the future of our male citizens.; October 05, 2009 10:43 PM
Vincent Teo said...: People always complain this and that. However when comes to actual polling day, do you dare to put your vote to good use?

Or like the majority 66.6%, you either
1) Got sway by the HDB upgrades, covered walkways etc.
2) Too impressed by the tiny bits of rebates / relief / giveaways offered.
3) Simply too afraid to make a difference
4) You believe that your vote is no secret and the ruling party can come after you if you vote against them.
5) You simply just do not want change.
6) You believe that Singapore will be condemned if there is some changes in the govt.

If that is the case, then you should not be complaining, after all isn't all these your choice?; October 05, 2009 10:45 PM
Anonymous said...: I dare to put my vote in good use in the last GE 2006!

I'm glad that I had "made the right choice". If not I'll be very regretful by now.

If we don't have the courage to speak up at the speaker corner while being monitored by cctv, the least we should do is to "do the right thing" on the polling day!

Anyway, we only get to do that once in every 4-5 yrs and not many citizens have the chance to vote and if we have the chance to vote, we better vote it "wisely"!; October 06, 2009 12:19 PM
Anonymous said...: "At this present moment, there is nothing seriously wrong with current system"

Dear mui mui,

there is nothing wrong cause you've been getting 100% of the welfare from NS man and paying 0% of the price. Please don't count the taxes you paid cause it's not even enough to pay for my est. $120K opportunity cost. Your statement reels of the clutch mentality that the government has always warned us about.

Please we are trying to improve the NS welfare scheme to be a fairer one, do you seriously think there is no risk (eventually when the final tolerance line is crossed) in getting only certain portion of the population to pay for such an welfare scheme where everyone benefits?

If you were the one paying 100% price I would think you wouldn't be saying that.; October 06, 2009 7:21 PM
Anonymous said...: Anonymous at 4 Oct 4.36pm hit the nail on the head. PAP can't go on with NS the way it is...

And Channel news asia has a write up that PM says children of PRs should not do NS. That's just blatant discrimination of S'porean males.

@ Parka - freedom is not a cheap air ticket away. Sons of PRs can renounce their PRs, not do NS and return as visitors. Sons of S'poreans who don't do NS get handcuffed/jailed if they land in S'pore or are in transit. Do your homework b4 speaking like a know-it-all... and why is it ok to be a PC for reservists in their 40s but not for PRs in their 30s? Can't PRs do other forms of NS ? like distributing goodie bags for National day parades? too hard work? The bottom line is S'porean born males get discriminated agst by their own govt. And we are supposed to spend $10m to help PRs integrate , give them grants for their education etc and our MPs say it's ok if they return to serve their motherland a la Jia Wei and Zhang Yuan Yuan? Give S'poreans (esp the males) a break !; October 06, 2009 9:01 PM