Citizen Soldier: Singaporeans First (To Die)

[DannyBoyBoy]

There has been increasing reports in the main stream media telling Singaporeans to accept foreigners in our midst and to welcome them into our schools, homes and neighbourhoods. Essentially, foreigners are GOOD for the economy, and therefore, GOOD for you.

Singaporeans First
It is galling to NSmen to hear this because we know this is only true to a certain extent. The availability of labour from outside Singapore allows employers to lower wage costs and helps businesses. That helps to grow the economic pie in terms of jobs, economic activity and value-added. But how that pie is allocated between Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans is less clear-cut that Singaporeans are "first". BothSidesOfTheJohorStraits raises this argument that a number of employment related policies in Singapore benefit employers (both Singaporean and non-Singaporean) but not necessarily Singaporean employees.

Yes, healthcare, housing and other subsidies are higher for citizens. But then again, you don't ask permanent residents (1st generation) and foreign workers to run IPPT and risk collapsing. You don't ask them to cheong up peng kang hill and practice FIFO or get tekan'd by SAF instructors calling you "guniang" and "cb". You don't see PRs getting killed when the tank or M113 they were on over-turned during maneouvres and crushed the vehicle commander on top who couldn't get his vehicle overturn drill out in time to avoid death.

SM Goh talked about how Singapore should be cool and funky place to attract entrepreneur types. It's ironic that when you are a male citizen, the State forces you to have cut your hair short for the next 2 years during NS and then during your annual reservist stints, your hair would be forcibly cut to "regulation length" during annual In-camp training for the next 10 years meaning you cannot have hair longer than 1 year's worth of growth unless you are exempted from reservist or complete your cycle in 10 years' time.

So as a male citizen, if I wanted to have a "cool and funky" long hairstyle, it would not be possible. So how do I reconcile this lack of my personal rights to have long-hair given that I am a citizen but the non-citizens and PRs can have any length of hair that suits them?

This is putting Singaporeans first?

The illustration used here might sound trite - the length of your hair - but it underscores the real restraints placed on labour mobility for Singaporean male citizens who are required to serve their country. How can there be,

"'An open economy which allows for free movement of trade
, capital, people and ideas is essential'. "

When our own human capital, i.e. male citizens cannot move freely out of Singapore? You need to apply for exit permits for any overseas stay exceeding 6 months if you have not completed your reservist.

In the army, you have to follow the chain of command. What free movement of ideas are we talking about? Unless you happen to be a white horse, your ideas as a CPL or lower rank are worth nothing.

Can we defer NS if we wanted to be an entrepreneur at 18 or 19 and skip the enlistment act? Under current NS policies, you can't even defer NS for university studies unless you are on government scholarship and have to go thru NS first and then study.

The ultimate lack of "Singaporeans First" approach is our employment policies. There are very few incentives for employers to employ Singaporean men who have NS liabilities. It is disruptive to companies and organisations, there is no requirement for employers to consider Singaporeans first for employment and there is no obligation to employ Singaporeans.

Where do Singaporeans come first except to die during training accidents, IPPT collapses or ammunition malfunctions.

Majullah Singapura.

Posted by PanzerGrenadier at 11:30 PM

Labels: ns for singaporeans, NSmen, reservist, reservist conscript in lion city, singaporeans first
http://military-life.blogspot.com/2008/10/citizen-soldier-singaporeans-first-to.html

 

[DannyBoyBoy]

2 comments:

family man said...

broke my heart when I read the straits times report - how the father was given the National Flag, but he countered - "I want my son back".
So many have died, too many.
We should have a paid army, not conscription - not when it becomes an 'unlucky draw' of when the newspapers will announce the next death.
And no one in the army is liable - only the soldier himself - he did not hydrate himself - he had pneumonia and no one knew - bunch of idiots - the army killed them as they would not have died if they were not conscripted - duh
October 24, 2008 8:30 PM
Gerald said...

If Singapore were to ever be attacked, we could have the unusual situation of 350,000 Singaporean NSmen and regulars defending foreigners and PRs living in our land.
October 25, 2008 12:20 AM

 

[BlueCat]

NSMen (reservists) will be the first to go to the front-line if there is any conflict or war.
hey,this is our homeland,so it is right for us to defend it,if there is any conflict.

 

[imperialarms]

sinkie first to die, but FT first to fuck ur women

 

[twochan]

I bet the father said more than just "I want my son back", but the local stupid times didn't print it.

2 comments:

family man said...

broke my heart when I read the straits times report - how the father was given the National Flag, but he countered - "I want my son back".
So many have died, too many.
We should have a paid army, not conscription - not when it becomes an 'unlucky draw' of when the newspapers will announce the next death.
And no one in the army is liable - only the soldier himself - he did not hydrate himself - he had pneumonia and no one knew - bunch of idiots - the army killed them as they would not have died if they were not conscripted - duh
October 24, 2008 8:30 PM
Gerald said...

If Singapore were to ever be attacked, we could have the unusual situation of 350,000 Singaporean NSmen and regulars defending foreigners and PRs living in our land.
October 25, 2008 12:20 AM

 

[my thoughts]

I bet the father said more than just "I want my son back", but the local stupid times didn't print it.

There may be some truth in what you say.
Sad very sad!!!!!!

 

[ah_phah]

if there's a conflict, we shouldn't be risking so many innocent lives in the battlefield. instead should just organize a 1-to-1 death match for the 2 bickering idiots involved. save both countries a lot of resources too.

 

[Ah Hai]

Friday, February 15, 2008
Budget 2008: NSF, ex-NSmen, NSmen - Your contributions are worth the grand total of SGD 100

Frankly, I feel that this is a huge insult. Having encountered 2 fatalities during my active and reservist stints in the Singapore Armed Forces as a conscript in the Lion City, it appears that the risks we take and the responsibilities we bear are worth (during times of budget surpluses) only SGD 100.

Think about it, your life to the country is worth:

* 2 years + SAFRA subscriptions
* 9 movies on weekend rates
* 2 PC games on sale
* 33 plates of chicken rice at $3.00 a plate
* 3 Non-Fiction books from Kinokuniya
* Nokia 2626 handphone

A family man in his late 20s to thirties with dependents to support, the risks he takes during reservist has to be worth more than the SGD 100 plus the existing NSmen tax reliefs.

Thank you SAF/Mindef/Gahmen for insulting all NSmen with this pathetic gesture. Aren't I glad to be in MR after discharging my 2.5 years of full-time plus 10 years of reservist obligations. The US Army gives its veterans subsidised education and related benefits.

It is starting to be true. Jobs for FT (6 in 10 jobs created in last quarter of 2007 went to foreigners) NS for Singaporeans.

Majullah Singapura.

 

[Ah Hai]

Monday, November 10, 2008
Do not ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country

This article found in the Yale Daily News that I picked up from the Singapore Daily shares about how the US is thinking of encouraging more young people to take up national service. Yale interviewed some of their international students, some of whom are Singapore Citizens who had gone through their full-time national service.

The few students that were interviewed did not address the issue of whether conscription was unpopular in Singapore but they did talk about the inefficiencies of spending those two years in thrall to the State under the banner of the Singapore Armed Forces. Some of these Singaporean Yale college students were fortunate. One was in the SAF Music and Drama, another was a storeman likely posted to one of the logistics bases run by ST Logistics while the other was in the SAF Military Band. These are the lucky ones. Those who went through tough vocations such as guards, armoured infantry or combat engineers would thank their lucky stars for surviving such "xiong" (physically tough) vocations.

One of the issues that continue to run through my mind even as I've completed 2.5 years of full-time plus 10 years of reservist duty is whether I could have contributed in better ways to Singapore other than being a signaller in an armoured unit and later in my reservist years as a local signal sergeant in the people's defence force. I'm an accountant by training and a CPA but I never really got to apply such civilian skills to my NS vocation, that of a combat signaller and later signals sergeant.

The military bureaucracy is a machine, it generally doesn't care what or who you are (unless you are a "white horse"). It only cares if you are combat fit and what you were trained for, i.e. your vocational training. And your vocation is really determined by the luck of the draw. If you miss being picked up as a NCO or Officer calibre, then you will either be processed for mono-intake into the combat battalions if you are combat fit or you will be shunted to technical or administrative vocations if you are not combat-fit. Of course, if you are a white-horse, then you would have a good life as extra pairs of eyes will make sure nothing too demanding or risky gets to you as some senior officers' balls could be hung if you were damaged by the SAF.

In the end, the result of this system tends to be, in my own experience, a served and f*** off after-taste when it comes to the concept of duty, honour and country. You are treated as a digit and you tend to behave as one in return. For all the notion of ask what you can do for your country, I wonder if the country should consider what it can do for its citizens, especially its male citizens some of who die as part and parcel of being statistics in training accidents and other misadventures whilst under the service of the State.

I wonder if this dinosaur that is conscription should be relooked because it is an anarchronism in a world where specialisation of labour is the key to global economic competitiveness. Having citizen-soldiers who are soldiers only 3-4 weeks out of 52 weeks in a world of global terrorism, rapid deployment forces and quick response doesn't make sense. Would you trust your dentist if he were to practice only 4 weeks out of 52? How about your doctor, your lawyer or accountant? Yet we trust our citizen soldiers in reservist battalions to be an effective fighting force when they only spend very little time being soldiers?

Majullah Singapura.

 

[Ah Hai]

Citizen Soldier: How the SAF Taught me when to kill

The most useful and interesting experience in my 10 years or reservist as a citizen conscript in the Singapore Armed Forces was in knowing when I could kill someone legally.

As part of my 10 years reservist cycle, my unit was placed under operational duties twice. That meant than for 2 times in the 10 times of my reservist unit, I was not practicisng but actually doing a real duty to defend the nation using real bullets with State authority to stop and kill enemies of the State.

Operational duties were preferred than training because training involved a lot of wayang and chicken shit that was typical of a peace-time army. While this was necessary, the in-camp regimentation was usually excessive and destroyed morale as well as any goodwill towards the reservist experience.

During operations, we were given very specific duties and very specific training to allow us to discharge those duties well. The main training that was most interesting was learning about the rules of engagement. As a citizen soldier in the SAF, you are legally authorised to bear arms for the country and to use those arms and ammunition against threats to the country. Thus, when our unit was tasked to perform duties in the protection of key installations (POI) in Singapore, we were allowed to shoot people as long as the situation was clear enough to warrant use of deadly force to stop the threats from occurring to SAF personnel, civilians and to the protected place or installation.

While the responsibility was heavy, I preferred operations because what you did was for a specific and clear purpose. During protection of installations, you patrolled or did sentry to deter and to stop any potential aggressor from inflicting damage or harm to SAF personnel, civilians or the protected installation. Basically, you were there to be a deterrent and if that failed, to mitigate the threat by stopping the person using up to deadly force. Deadly force meant 5.56mm rounds from M16 or SAR21 rifles. The experience I gained from POI duties was in how you handled a weapon and live rounds while moving around in what is largely a civilian area. Basically, you looked mean and confident but kept your rifle pointed downwards and were alert to people who looked suspicious. You also had to mentally be prepared to shoot someone should he/she present a threat and was about or in the midst of launching an attack against yourself, your comrades or the installation.

During POI, millitary regimentation was more specific, i.e. when patrolling, turnout and bearing had to be good because you were the public face of the SAF during the patrols. In addition, a soldier who looks sloppy doesn't instil confidence in the public that you could protect and defend them against possible threats.

Doing operational duties twice made me aware of why a defence force is needed. However, it has not changed my mind about why we cannot professionalise the Army with more professionals than relying on citizen soldiers which is an inefficient and wasteful use of civilian resources. The utility of having lawyers, administrators, engineers, accountants etc. doing patrolling and sentry duties baffles me. You don't get SAF conscripts doing legal, accounting, engineering, etc. work but you get professionals to do grunt SAF guard duties.

Looking back on those tours of duties, I felt proud to be able to help out in the defence of the country. However, this country is changing so fast that I can hardly recognise it with all the immigrants that are here in the last 10 years that I have been a reservist conscript. It feels like I am protecting a province of China or India than defending Singapore because almost 30% of the population is not born here. 1st generation permanent residents do not have to serve national service. They get to enjoy the benefits of a defence force built on the blood of citizen soldiers but not the obligations.

You who are still serving your NS, keep yourself safe in NS.

I guarantee you it is NOT GLORIOUS to die for your country.

 

[madmansg]

my focus during guard duty is to find a nice place to sleep without getting caught.

 

[dominion]

The US Army gives its veterans subsidised education and related benefits.

in case you didnt know... foreign students who may or may not perform better than singaporean students receive MORE education benefits that singaporeans

 

[Lumpar]

my focus during guard duty is to find a nice place to sleep without getting caught.

no wonder u so fat, always fail ur lppt test, lol

 

[johnny333]

In addition, a soldier who looks sloppy doesn't instil confidence in the public that you could protect and defend them against possible threats.
.

I'm sure the FT was impressed by our smartly dressed NS boys :p

To our parents & relatives, we will always be the boy they know serving his time & they don't care about appearances.

To other NS or ROD guys, NS is a cock up place

 

[ahbengsong]

NSMen (reservists) will be the first to go to the front-line if there is any conflict or war.
hey,this is our homeland,so it is right for us to defend it,if there is any conflict.

your "homeland" belongs to the pap... dream on...

 

[johnny333]

your "homeland" belongs to the pap... dream on...

Some PAP MP proudly claimed this is Singapore Inc.
If a company wants security guards, they should pay decent wages. Why do NS guys received less than a FT dishwasher !!