By Tan Hau Teck
My sympathies go out to the family of CPT(Dr) Allan Ooi.
However, I totally disagree with some of the comments about how MINDEF is to blame for his death.
Now, it could be that Dr Ooi’s job in the Singapore Armed Forces was a rather stressful one. He probably wasn’t happy, and he didn’t want to be bonded. However, he was the one who signed on the dotted line. He knew what he was getting into when he signed the Local Study Award. And his extension of bond came about because he went for further specialist training - training which he consented to.
If he did not want to be bonded, why did he go for further training?
Some argue that he was too young to bond his life away like that. Well, that is a slippery slope argument.
If he’s too young to sign a bond, then how old must one be? And perhaps then we should increase the age for young men to serve National Service or to get married, as they are probably too young to hold a rifle or have a family too, right?
Read rest of letter here:
http://singaporeenquirer.sg/?p=3068
My sympathies go out to the family of CPT(Dr) Allan Ooi.
However, I totally disagree with some of the comments about how MINDEF is to blame for his death.
Now, it could be that Dr Ooi’s job in the Singapore Armed Forces was a rather stressful one. He probably wasn’t happy, and he didn’t want to be bonded. However, he was the one who signed on the dotted line. He knew what he was getting into when he signed the Local Study Award. And his extension of bond came about because he went for further specialist training - training which he consented to.
If he did not want to be bonded, why did he go for further training?
Some argue that he was too young to bond his life away like that. Well, that is a slippery slope argument.
If he’s too young to sign a bond, then how old must one be? And perhaps then we should increase the age for young men to serve National Service or to get married, as they are probably too young to hold a rifle or have a family too, right?
Read rest of letter here:
http://singaporeenquirer.sg/?p=3068