All Singaporean males will have to go through this sooner or later. National Service or NS for short, is a type of conscription. Due to Singapore being small and having limited manpower, this is necessary to ensure that there are a pool of poeple who can defend our country should a war break out. Time of service is 2 - 2.5 years.
I served as a combat medic durin my NS time. It was very tough and challenging and many time I asked myself why I had to go through this. It sure didn’t sound like fun doing it but after I went through the 2.5 years and looking back now, it sure was tons of fun. I made many close friends and experience many new things. NS sure was fun. Not many may feel the same way as me though.
Happened to come across a forum thread where this guy was saying that he hated NS. He’s only 16 and have not even enlisted and reading his posts, I feel that he deserves a slap on his face and a kick on his ass… Lets see some of the more interesting post that he made. He’s Ayukat.
Ayukat
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Technology
will take over, there is no need for so much manpower.
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Brutus
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technology?
like wat?
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| Ayukat
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Traps like
dig a hole on the ground, useful and cheap. Technology like
explosives and cannons which are operated indoors.
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Hmmm isnt that kind of dumb?? Technology like traps?? Hahaha… Explosive that are opperated from indoors? This guys sure can crack a joke.
He even insist on women serving just so to be fair to the guys.
Ayukat
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How dare you talk FAIRNESS. If it is really fair, why are we being
forced and why are the girls exempted? |
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Why don’t he try to give birth as well. Or do housework, cook, have menses etc…
Finally, he agreed that NS is necessary but….
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Ayukat
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Okay,
I’ll put aside doing away of National Service in this post. I have
no complains about the training but is it really neccessary to do
drills and learn all the commands? Is it really neccessary to cut
off your hair? You could tell me its all about discipline but what
is discipline? In a war, there is no discipline, discipline will cost
you your life…………What? In war must stand in
one straight line and march? |
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For me, I’m glad I have short hair when i put on my kevlar helmet. This Ayukat has never experienced it before so I guess he doesn’t know. Having long hair is damn irritating when having to wear the helmet.
No discipline in war????? Discipline will cost you your life??? He sure is wrong. Discipline is wat keeps you alive in a war. Being the 2 IC of my medical platoon and subsequently the IC, taught me this.
1) Discipline is about listening to your superior’s orders, and carrying them out. Imagine your country getting invade and your RSM ask you to charge. You run away cos of no discipline. Wat happens is that everybody will then die.
2) Its about staying awake during your guard duties so that ur peers may rest soundly. Would you go to sleep knowing that your friend on guard duty is also sleeping? You may never wake up again..
3) Its about having and following proper hydration regimes for your own protectionand applies also to proper body maintenance regimes.
And finally, someone had the sound of mind to write the next post. I salute him. I know not many may feel the same way but still..
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My take
on this entire issue.
I for one,
do not enjoy NS nor do I support it. Yet, I still believe that it is a
necessary concept. SmallPanda, you talk about forcing someone to do something
against his will. But have you ever stopped to think about what the enemy
could force YOU to do against your will if they were allowed to waltz
right into Singapore? Whether we like it or not, we need this deterrent
force in order to prevent an idea of invasion from even materializing
in the minds of our neighboring leaders. You talk about being childish
because we believe that we are surrounded by enemies. Without attempting
to sound like a bigot or racist, picture South East Asia and Singapore’s
position. We are merely a little island surrounded by Malaysia, Indonesia
and Southern Philippines. What are these countries? All Muslim ones. All
Malay ones. I’m not trying to imply that Malays or Muslims are the aggressors
and I’m sure the ones in Singapore are not like that. But who’s to say
these countries wouldn’t band together to destroy everything we hold dear?
Remember that jealousy often breeds much contempt and for at least 35
years, our neighbors have been jealous and often, embarrassed by our astonishing
progress. I for one would definitely not put it past a strife-torn Indonesia
facing severe economic and social distress to take their anger out on
us.
Ayukat, you
for one, need to grow out of this phase of self-centric ego. True, some
of us are forced to serve in the Army for 2.5 years and it is a fact that
a number would not like it. But if exempting these people were a possibility,
what would it make the Singapore Govt look like? Democracy is about equality
and the say of the people. Wouldn’t the Govt want to preserve this essential
tenet of democracy by ensuring that everyone goes through the same thing?
You talk about hiring a conscript army and how it would ensure Singapore’s
survival. What a ridiculous proposition. Imagine this scenario : You hire
a security guard to stand guard at the main gate of your house for $150
a day. A thief comes along and offers him $250 and he offers to open up
your gate, unlatch the front door and smiles while the thief goes inside
and steals your valuables, kills your brothers and abuses your sisters.
Now do you see the fallacy in that argument? A soldier is not a good soldier
if he is not loyal to the cause he is fighting for. That is a fundamental
concept which you obviously have not grasped.
It seems to
me that your argument about the Government not ‘touching’ you is laughable.
Fine. If the Government were to just leave you alone, how about you try
leaving the Government alone as well. Pay the full amount in school fees
of $200 a month for your education. Be charged $50-60 for each consultation
at a polyclinic. Fork out $15,000 a year for University tuition fees.
In more ways than one, you have taken from this Government and institution
you so despise. So don’t go crying when they ask you for that little sacrifice.
Compared to the Taiwanese conscripts or even the German ones, our Army
is what we would term ‘chicken feet’.
I may not support
the Government on certain decisions to certain issues, but what I will
concede and agree on is that they have done a magnificent job in defending
the interests of Singapore. But there is one area in which they have failed.
Failing to provide a proper upbringing to the youth of today.
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Anybody have anything to add or comment 
