Saturday, September 14, 2013

Future of National Service in Singapore

Read this article by Seah Cheang Nee
http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Insight-Down-South/Profile/Articles/2013/09/14/Concern-over-NS-numbers

The writer had written truths about our National Service policy that the policy makers refuse to recognize. It is clear to most people that our NS policy is now not sustainable for the following reasons:

a) It is imposing an unfair burden on male Singaporeans
b) It is contributing to the low birth rate experienced in Singapore
c) There are better ways to handle our national defense priority, such as relying more on a professional army
d) It is possible to reduce the military training to 9 months (as is experienced in other countries) for the rank and file (representing more than 90% of recruits)
e) The 10% or less who are selected as officers can be given additional training and be paid better
f) The annual reservist training and remedial training should be reduced changed to alleviate the continuing burden
g) The wastage of manpower and expenditure on our national defense should be addressed.

I hope that more Singaporeans will come forward to speak out against the current policy and practice.


3 comments:

yujuan said...

Said before, too many Ministers from SAF, they stick to NS Doctrine as if it is cast in stone like Moses' 10 commandments.
The PAP Govt doggedly refuse to see situation, and instead accuse Singaporeans not adapting to rapid changing world trends, the Govt is really talking about their own failures of resisting change for sake of maintaining decades old status quo.
Fat hope they would listen, in many third world countries, including Singapore which is actually third world at the core, disguised as first world on surface, the gun rules.

Xianlong said...

At end if in-camp training, we are asked to do feedback. Among the questions are

- Will you die to defend SG?

I shaded strongly disagree. I suspect many also shade the same box given the disadvantage of reservist callups compared to foreigners.

As Seah already wrote in his article, the island is already invaded. Huge part of reservist force are demoralised.

Weng Mao Fa said...

In Thailand, it is 6 months only for those who are volunteer.

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