<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Have new citizens do community service
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to last Tuesday's letter by Mr Xiao Fuchun, 'NS for adult new citizens not practical'. Mr Xiao's observations, while pointing out that it is impractical for new citizens to do national service (NS), seem rather selective.
Singaporeans do NS in the form of reservist training up to the age of 50 on top of their mandatory two years of full-time service.
Most of Singapore's youth would have completed some form of tertiary or vocational education before enlisting for NS, and so could be economically productive and contribute to Singapore's economy immediately. Their academic, career and social pursuits are put on hold for two years.
In essence, Singaporeans doing NS face the same issues brought up by Mr Xiao.
Yet the importance of this sacrifice is well understood by Singaporeans, for NS contributes to the national security of Singapore. There cannot be a home without having a country first.
NS for adult new citizens need not mean serving in combat vocations. It could be in the form of community service, in schools, hospitals and other non-governmental organisations.
The time served could also be made flexible to accommodate working adults.
This would help to integrate them into the community naturally and gradually, and show native-born Singaporeans they are making a genuine effort to be accepted as Singaporeans.
A citizen is a stakeholder of a country. Hence, if new citizens hope to be accepted and integrated into the country, they should play their part and take an active role in contributing to Singapore, as other true blue Singaporeans have done.
Ooi Teck Chau
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to last Tuesday's letter by Mr Xiao Fuchun, 'NS for adult new citizens not practical'. Mr Xiao's observations, while pointing out that it is impractical for new citizens to do national service (NS), seem rather selective.
Singaporeans do NS in the form of reservist training up to the age of 50 on top of their mandatory two years of full-time service.
Most of Singapore's youth would have completed some form of tertiary or vocational education before enlisting for NS, and so could be economically productive and contribute to Singapore's economy immediately. Their academic, career and social pursuits are put on hold for two years.
In essence, Singaporeans doing NS face the same issues brought up by Mr Xiao.
Yet the importance of this sacrifice is well understood by Singaporeans, for NS contributes to the national security of Singapore. There cannot be a home without having a country first.
NS for adult new citizens need not mean serving in combat vocations. It could be in the form of community service, in schools, hospitals and other non-governmental organisations.
The time served could also be made flexible to accommodate working adults.
This would help to integrate them into the community naturally and gradually, and show native-born Singaporeans they are making a genuine effort to be accepted as Singaporeans.
A citizen is a stakeholder of a country. Hence, if new citizens hope to be accepted and integrated into the country, they should play their part and take an active role in contributing to Singapore, as other true blue Singaporeans have done.
Ooi Teck Chau
