Exactly -- The longer young doctors stay in SAF the more out of touch they get with the practice
What's the point of doing a specialised degree when you end up being an overpaid administrator upon graduation?
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Dr Allan Ooi’s farewell letter and last word before his death: Questions for SAF
- Thread starter Avantas
- Start date
Exactly -- The longer young doctors stay in SAF the more out of touch they get with the practice
What's the point of doing a specialised degree when you end up being an overpaid administrator upon graduation?
<style></style>The same logic applies to foreigners coming en mass in sinkie too.While you local complain this and that.PRC from farmland thinks you sinkies are living a life fed with golden spoon.Ask a PRC and he will tell you.In fact the PAP tells you pretty much the same.A bangla and PRC can work 14 hours for $800 a month.Why won't you?...Sounds logical right !:p
<style></style>This is digressing.Why?..A youth took his live not because you consider the work in SAF does not amount to much as a doctor.With your sort of logic.Would you consider a term of 14 years in prison as free food and free lodging?
Not the SAF ones...there's a SAFOS President Scholar that went AWOL after he finished his bachelors...currently an asst prof in a pretty good school in the States. There's still a SAF warrant for him in MINDEF. He can never step back into Singapore again.
His younger brother who took a PSC OMS, broke his bond, paid the required LD, and could still move in and out of SG relatively freely. He's now mostly based in HK and Shanghai though.
No names, but those whom are from RI-RJ in the mid-late 90s would definitely know who I'm talking about though...
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M
Mdm Tang
Guest
Joint Statement by PSC, PSD and Statutory Boards
1 The article "We’ll break bonds, says 11 scholarship holders", published in the Sunday Times on 9 July 2000, quoted several unnamed recipients of PSC and statutory board scholarships describing scholarships as a "free-for-all" market and "just a money contract", with no moral obligations involved.
2 The Government and the statutory boards have repeatedly made our position clear. We see scholarships not just as financial contracts, but as a moral obligation. On our part we will develop the scholars to their full potential. In return we expect the scholars to commit themselves to serve the Public Service and their sponsoring organizations after their studies.
3 Our organisations award scholarships on this basis. At selection interviews, scholarship applicants are specifically probed about their motivations and career plans. Those who do not satisfy the panels of their character and commitment are dropped, no matter how brilliant their academic record.
4 No scholarship applicant, successful or otherwise, has ever told his interview panel that he has no intention of serving out his bond, or that a scholarship is "just a money contract". No applicant has said that he wanted a scholar-ship only because it is "a ‘trophy’ that looks good on the resume" or that working in a government organisation will allow him "to build a contact base from which I’ll be able to land a more lucrative job". To secretly harbour such intentions at the very outset, and worse to brag anonymously about them, is deceitful, dishonest, and reveals a basic character flaw.
5 None of the scholars allegedly planning to break their bonds was named in the Sunday Times, unlike the two scholars who said they intended to fulfil their commitments. They knew that they were in the wrong, and had something to be ashamed of.
6 Scholars are chosen, among other things, on the basis of their personal integrity, a foundation stone of the Public Service. Many generations of scholars have committed themselves to service, made sterling contributions, and helped to shape the public service and Singa-pore into what they are today. We believe our scholarship selection system will continue to identify scholars with the ability and personal qualities to build on these efforts of their predecessors.
7 We hope that the scholars who hold the view that scholarships are merely financial contracts and intend to break their bonds will reconsider these views in the light of our statement. However, if after thinking it over and discussing it with his parents and guarantors, any scholar still intends to break his scholarship bond, then he should have the honour and integrity to resign from his scholarship now instead of starting on his university course under false pretences. Scholarship recipients owe this to Singaporeans who, directly and indirectly, will be supporting them for their university studies.
Building & Construction Authority, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Central Provident Fund (CPF), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), Economic Development Board (EDB), Housing and Development Board (HDB), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), Info-Communications Development Authority (IDA), Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), Land Transport Authority (LTA), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), National Arts Council (NAC), National Heritage Board, National Science and Technology Board (NSTB), Public Utilities Board (PUB), Singapore Productivity and Standards Board (PSB), Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Trade Development Board (TDB), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Are you sure you can't break a SAF LSE bond? Even if you offer to compensate SAF? You will SAF MOs will get black mark and not allowed to work as doctors elsewhere in Singapore? What kind of logic is this?
There is no bond for a President Scholar. There is however a bond for SAF scholars which can be broken by a payment. If you have taken a PSC/Stat Board / GLC scholarship, you would know that every single one of the bond can be broken on payment of financial penalties.
There have been cases, when scholars have not returned to Singapore and did not pay the financial penalties ( shortsighted ) and on the basis that they will never return home. The term used is Chow Kar as the funds came from tax payers.
I know a scholar that molested his colleague and ran off. He keeps telling his elderly parents that Govt will not allow him to break bond so escaped overseas. The single biggest factor is fantastic job offers from iconic US firms such as microsoft, google etc that are once in a lifetime opportunity. I understand that, but aleast make arrangements to pay back.
When your studies are paid for, that money comes from Singaporeans and not from PAP. Nobody held a gun to a kid with straight As.
People spin stories to hide things that are embarrassing and that is understandble. If I got caught taking the printer home, molesting my colleague, you think, I going to tell anyone.
There is guy who swindled PSA nearly 3 decades ago while in Sr Mgmt. He ran off to OZ and runs a well known restaurant. His wife will tell visiting Singaporeans that her husband disagreed with Management on strategy. And I think the wife truly believes it. Its usually the one who are closest that are shielded from embarrassing thruth.
I have come across elderly parents especially mothers who think that their sons have to serve 3 year, 4 year and 5 years etc in-camp reservist while the rest of the family knows he is in Changi.
<STYLE></STYLE>This is digressing.Why?..A youth took his live not because you consider the work in SAF does not amount to much as a doctor.With your sort of logic.Would you consider a term of 14 years in prison as free food and free lodging?
Huh?... this is exactly what I'm NOT saying.
I know people who work to put food on the table.
I also know people who are truely passionate about their profession.
However, I do not know the deceased personally so I can't say which category he belonged to.
Having read his farewell note, I can't help wondering what "job satisfaction" is for a rich, overachieving young man who came from a family of doctors...?
The only guy I know who got himself out of the SAF LSA(Med) Scheme was Kevin Ong. I know the guy personally, and he knows I post here under this nick, and he reads SBF, so prefer not to go too much into it. You can read abit about him here - the trick he turned back then got him out of LSA(Med), but at a hefty price.
http://commentarysingapore.blogspot.com/2006/07/doctor-in-trouble.html
<style></style>Again digressing.it is not a question of the young doctor breaking his bond.It is clearly the question of how the bond broke his life.Even if it is a question that can be resolved with a payment of money.the question of reasonableness arises.(how much?)The same question every one asks when HDB talks of subsiding you.Or Ministry of Health bills you as subsidized.The question is how reasonable SAF was when it hung the albatross called the bond around the young doctor's neck.It surely hanged him.That much is for sure.
Can there be a passion for work under slave conditions?...Read as under SAF bond conditions.
M
Mdm Tang
Guest
i'm from a poor family, and deem that able to be rewarded with scholarship is an honour for the whole family, with guarantee financial support for the education fee and perhaps a brighter future with better career/job prospect and income.
personally opinion, if i have signed a contract, i will be obliged to the terms and conditions of the contract. this is nothing questionable.
life is not always a bed of roses. to face the realities of life, one with a degree and have been awarded with scholarship is expected to be much much sedang than one with low educational attainment.
if one who work 10-12 hours need to commit suicide, then one who work from 8am to 11pm, 6 days a week, for more than 30 years, even have to face shortage of fund ocasionally to the bank, losing of customers, refusal/delays of payments from customers; must have been to heaven many many times?
personally opinion, if i have signed a contract, i will be obliged to the terms and conditions of the contract. this is nothing questionable.
life is not always a bed of roses. to face the realities of life, one with a degree and have been awarded with scholarship is expected to be much much sedang than one with low educational attainment.
if one who work 10-12 hours need to commit suicide, then one who work from 8am to 11pm, 6 days a week, for more than 30 years, even have to face shortage of fund ocasionally to the bank, losing of customers, refusal/delays of payments from customers; must have been to heaven many many times?
I think you tore down your very own claim. He did not get out. He was sacked - thats what dishonourable discharge means. I however did enjoy the hairplitting on what falsifying an MC means. Obviously SMC is not going to look at this easily as any doctor including in the SAF works with a practising cert from SMC.
This incident could have taken place in Bt Merah Polyclinic, and the guy will still undergo a hearing with SMC.
S$800 converts to CNY3,570 todays's rate, at 14 hours, that is a lot of money for a PRC worker.
A Singapore worker earning S$800, less his trasportation cost. etc.., plus donation to SINgapore pools, & contribute to customs & excise dept for Ciggies...is pittance!!
Why the SINgapore worker, let these people belittle them over comments, like they are fussy about the job, the hours the have to work etc..
And they dare now stand up to the abuses?
But their commie comrades, if you work them hard with low pay & benefits, they will raise their hammers & march, hand entwined..and sing patriotic songs...
SINgapore workers, men or mice!? ha ha ha ha
You sign a contract at the age of 18 and honour it till your death hah?
Yeah,marriage is a contract too.Till death you depart remember.Mmmm why are there so many divorces !
Never found it polite or appropriate to inquire about it, but the family is fairly well-off, which naturally begs the question of why they took the scholarship in the first place (the younger did say when one is 18, one don't have the mental maturity to consider the consequences of ones' actions when one sign off on a scholarship contract and it was merely a matter of prestige then to clinch those scholarship, which almost everyone seems to regret after when they finish their studies...)
Paying off the older's LD, if possible, for them would never have been an issue.
As I said, a hefty price was paid.
Life in SG can be the equivalent of a straitjacket for people with expansive minds. Hard to believe a smart guy like Dr Ooi is unaware of the alternative means of escaping his bond. He probably just doesn't want to lead a fugitive's life , cast aside his medical practice plus his family and friends just to break that bond. It was his life after all. Why does one need to sacrifice all in order to satisfy an antiquated system? I'm quite sure he is well aware of the shock waves that will reverberate through our walled up society as a result of his death. What message is Dr Ooi trying to send to Singaporeans?
In my humble opinion I guess it's 宁为玉碎，不为瓦全.
In my humble opinion I guess it's 宁为玉碎，不为瓦全.
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