<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>July 5, 2009
YOUR LETTERS
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Reminder of how far we've come
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I congratulate Brigadier-General Ishak Ismail on being the first Malay general in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
His promotion and the forthcoming 44th National Day celebrations bring to mind a poignant article written by Ms Nur Dianah Suhaimi, 'Feeling like the least favourite child' (Aug10, 2008).
She reminisced about how her father felt when he was not called up for national service, unlike his other schoolmates. When teased by them that he was lucky to be able to enter university straight after his A levels, he would tell them: 'What lucky? Would you feel lucky if your country doesn't trust you?'
The situation has improved since the Government candidly discussed why, because of security considerations, not all posts in the SAF are open to all races.
The reciting of the phrase 'regardless of race, language or religion' in our National Pledge would just be meaningless if not all Singaporeans feel that they are trusted as members of the same family.
=> And what are the lines that follow?
Ms Nur Dianah's article should be required reading for civil servants and community leaders.
Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan
YOUR LETTERS
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Reminder of how far we've come
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I congratulate Brigadier-General Ishak Ismail on being the first Malay general in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
His promotion and the forthcoming 44th National Day celebrations bring to mind a poignant article written by Ms Nur Dianah Suhaimi, 'Feeling like the least favourite child' (Aug10, 2008).
She reminisced about how her father felt when he was not called up for national service, unlike his other schoolmates. When teased by them that he was lucky to be able to enter university straight after his A levels, he would tell them: 'What lucky? Would you feel lucky if your country doesn't trust you?'
The situation has improved since the Government candidly discussed why, because of security considerations, not all posts in the SAF are open to all races.
The reciting of the phrase 'regardless of race, language or religion' in our National Pledge would just be meaningless if not all Singaporeans feel that they are trusted as members of the same family.
=> And what are the lines that follow?
Ms Nur Dianah's article should be required reading for civil servants and community leaders.
Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan
