At the Straits Times Roundtable held on 16 August, I posed this question, "Dr. Tony Tan, we all know that national defence is important for our country. But, when you were Minister for Defence, were you aware about the national service placed an unfair burden on our male citizens. They have to serve national service and faced difficulty in competing with foreigners and girls for jobs as they start two years later. They also have to be disrupted regularly for reservist duty. What could you have done before or what would you do today, to reduce this burden?".
Dr. Tony Tan replied at length about the importance of national service to our country but did not address the question about the unfair burden being shouldered only by the male citizens. I wanted to follow up on this matter, but the moderator replied that time has run out and he closed the discussion.
There are many measures that can be taken, if the Government recognizes the unfair burden. They could pay the NS men an adequate salary, rather than a small allowance, or can contribute towards their CPF savings for the full time national service. They could give a bigger housing grant to NS men for the purchase of HDB flat (rather than offer the grant to eligible people, regardless of whether they had served national service).
I written on this matter for the past 25 years. I will continue to bring up this issue, until the unfairness of this system is addressed and the burden is more fairly spread among the males, females, citizens and non-citizens.
Tan Kin Lian
Dr. Tony Tan replied at length about the importance of national service to our country but did not address the question about the unfair burden being shouldered only by the male citizens. I wanted to follow up on this matter, but the moderator replied that time has run out and he closed the discussion.
There are many measures that can be taken, if the Government recognizes the unfair burden. They could pay the NS men an adequate salary, rather than a small allowance, or can contribute towards their CPF savings for the full time national service. They could give a bigger housing grant to NS men for the purchase of HDB flat (rather than offer the grant to eligible people, regardless of whether they had served national service).
I written on this matter for the past 25 years. I will continue to bring up this issue, until the unfairness of this system is addressed and the burden is more fairly spread among the males, females, citizens and non-citizens.
Tan Kin Lian
rex comments as follows,
ReplyDeleteas usual in singapore when you challenge the establishment, the moderator will shut you up claiming shortage of time. There is never any depth of discussion.
i noted too Tony Tan deliberately focussed on the word "burden" when TKL actually saidn "unfair burden". It was very cunning. Nobody in Singapore denies that NS is a necessary burden for males. The issue TKL brought up was the word "unfair". In fact, life is about Fairness. As long as there is a level playing field, nobody will have any issues with NS/reservist issues. But when we have elites who can dodge NS for 12 years, when we have employers who favour foreingers over locals because foreigners has no reservist, then it is an UNFAIRNESS issue, not a burden issue.
rex
Dear Mr Tan
ReplyDelete"There are many measures that can be taken, if the Government recognizes the unfair burden."
You are to be commended for your perseverance over so many years.
As for me, I've grown cynical.
My view is that as long as the PAP government does not recognize the unfair burden, then there is no need to work on ways to make it more fair. Problem solved. Case closed.
"It cannot be helped" that as long as this issue is not redressed, I will continue to vote in a certain way. Problem also solved. Case also closed.
great comment/question.
ReplyDeleteTT only know how to regurgitate.
dear mr tan,
ReplyDeletesomeone wrote a list of very good suggestions
http://blinkymummy.blogspot.com/2011/08/unlocking-value-of-national-service.html
Rgs
Dear Kin Lian,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your perseverance. I am 46 year old. Done my 2.5 year NS and completed my 13 year cycle. I have now a son and I see how unfairly burden he will be when all the FT who did no NS, studied and work 2 years earlier than our NS, comes in ahead of them.
Yes, I am not talking about myself but for my son and all those like me who had sons. Yes, to me it's an unfair burden for Singaporean sons and I am glad you will be a voice for us by proposing some solutions like the $30k housing grant for NS men and paying them 'market' rate for serving NS. May I proposed that, instead of $30k housing grant, it would be a 10% discount for any housing type of HDB flat? This would keep in line with the current and future price of flats.
Thank you for voicing this out. That is all any citizen of Singapore could ask for from the president.
Terence Yeo