All this talk about National Integration and integration of foreigners into Singapore misses the mark. We are talking about welcome others when we treat our own so poorly. What am I talking about?
I am talking about National Service. I am talking about mandatory 2 years (formerly 2.5 years) of conscription of Singaporean male citizens into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
I am talking about the 10 years of reservist obligations comprising but not limited to:
- annual in-camp training lasting 2 to 21 days (in practice but legally up to 40 days under the law)
- annual individual physical proficiency tests (IPPT) for those medically fit NSmen (those who fail to clear their tests are subject to Remedial Training of twice/thrice a week)
- notifying Mindef Notification Centre for any overseas trips exceeding 24 hours
- need to apply for exit permit for trips of 6 months or longer
- annual operations manning or mobilisation exercises than can happen 2-3 times a year
These obligations are not new. They have been imposed on NSmen since the whole NS system was developed just after Singapore gained independence and as the British withdrew their military forces out of Singapore not long after.
What is new is that the pace of immigration to Singapore has increased tremendously. It has created a truly global city, Singapore Inc, with the implications of a labour market that is competitive in every sense of the word.
I saw it during my days working in the IT industry. Singaporeans have virtually no real advantages and in fact, Singaporean males who are NSmen are DISADVANTAGED because to employers, they come attached with annual ICT obligations that leave the company WITHOUT the services of their employees even if Mindef does reimburse them for the wages they continue to pay for their staff. Ceteris paribus, if I were an employer, I would choose a permanent resident or Employment Pass holder over a male citizen as I don't suffer as many disruptions to my use of this factor of production.
Competition is not wrong. I welcome it. It makes you upgrade yourself, not to take the status quo for granted and not to think you are entitled to anything unless you are smart and work hard for it. But to compete on unequal terms is simply unfair.
Discrimination in your own country
How can it be fair to Singaporean male citizens who are:
1) discriminated against female citizens who do not have NS?
2) discriminated against as compared to 1st generation Permanent Residents and newly minted citizens who do not have to serve NS (for those older)?
Let me share with you specific examples of discrimination.
During my 7th ICT, one of my unit reservists died during the 2.4km run. He died for the country. He died because of some underlying heart condition that surfaced during the run. He died because he was a citizen and was born male in Singapore Inc.
I was running a big project in my department. A few months into the project, I received the SAF 100 for a 3 week reservist doing operational duty protecting key installations in Singapore. I duly informed my bosses about it.
Guess what happened?
Yes, I was allowed to go for my reservist duty... BUT, my boss took the project away from me and gave it to my female colleague who did not have any reservist obligation.
How do you think it would affect my year end appraisal to have a significant project taken away because I wouldn't be around for 3 weeks because of service to the COUNTRY?
So if I had been killed during the operational duty (and mind you we carry live rounds and execute rules of engagement that involve the real possiblity of stopping potential terrorists or be injured or a target of attacks) my female colleague would get a shot at a better portfolio of work for her annual appraisal while I would have enjoyed a military funeral at taxpayers expense.
So now we have a new "Integration Council" helmed by not one, not two but seven ministers.
Their objective is to,
"... promote and foster social integration among Singaporeans and with new citizens and permanent residents."
May I make a small suggestion?
Can we start by treating our reservists better? This will lessen the discrimination AGAINST our own male citizens. It's bad enough that I had 2.5 years of my youth wasted in the Singapore Armed Forces.
I entered the workforce 2.5 years later and have reservist liabilities that made me less competitive vis-a-vis my competitors in the workforce who are on employment pass or permanent residence tickets into Singapore Inc. I fought hard in the workplace, I have a recognised degree from NTU, with relevant work experience and I did my duty to my country only to have it spat back into my face.
Immigration has been so pervasive that the criteria seems to be very easy. I noted that even your friendly neighbourhood hawker assistant in food courts can get permanent residency status!
That really cheapens the entire Singapore Citizenship. Don't forget, male citizenship is earned using tears, sweat and blood. Can my female citizens claim to serve their country up to the point of risking DEATH and INJURY? Who sees the pain when I was running standard obstacle course? Who empathised with me when I was insulted by regulars in the army with epithets such as "gu-niang", "cheese-bye" or having an Captain say that he will "crucify" the next recruit who said something stupid? Who shared my fear when seeing my fellow reservist COLLAPSE and DIE during his 2.4km run.
Integrating immigrants - has the Government looked at how and why it is screwing its NSmen?
The National Integration Council doesn't have to look far to uncover the seething resentment among many NSmen and NSF.
Singapore Inc runs 1st and foremost by economic considerations. I accept that. But why is the Government screwing us NSmen by imposing obligations in a way that is both disruptive and detrimental to our economic competitiveness.
They expect us NSmen to grin and bear it when we know we are competing on an unequal playing field? How can you expect us to embrace immigrants who are fighting for the very same rice-bowls and who do not need to make similar sacrifices to preserve it? I have risked my life every time I report for my annual in-camp training to protect and defend our way of life only to find that sacrifice entails having me risk my livelihood?!
This country is losing its identity and social cohesiveness even as this post is written. We are a country that now worships money. The economic imperative is the be-all and the end-all. Thus, we embrace immmigrants because they contribute to the economic fabric of the nation. They help keep the wheels of commerce and industry churning with the accessible foreign labour. Integrating them helps Singapore Inc. purr smoothly even as individual citizens get squashed in the MRT and bus during peak hours.
Embrace them even as the SAF/SPF and SCDF embraced our NSmen, sometimes to the point of losing their lives for duty, honour and country.
And that is why I am so glad that my daughter was born into Singapore Inc. She doesn't have to serve and gets to COMPETE on more equal terms to permanent residents, foreigners and the rest of her competitors in future for a piece of the pie in Singapore Inc.
Majullah Singapura.
Related Articles:
Team to help immigrants fit in - Straits Times, 27 April 2009
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16 comments:
Excellent article that reflect exactly how I feel. Thanks.
Agree with your views. However, take note:
1) government doesn't care. most of the ruling elite are scholars in government jobs. they don't suffer the same injustice as those private sector peasants. don't expect any empathy.
2) fight your own battle. if you can survive NS, i am sure you can find a way out of it or leave the country. there are better alternatives than being a singaporean. this may sound unpatriotic but when ricebowls are concerned and our government doesn't take care of the people, we should take care of ourselves.
3) work for government sector, probably the only place on earth where employers are more tolerant of your NS obligations.
Great article. Does anyone in MINDEF have the moral courage to go against the flow of how things have been done for the past few decades. Remember, these people are CONFORMISTS! Anything out of the box is out of the question!
@twentyfour_sucks
Thanks for your comment! ;-)
@captain
I have completed my 10 years of annual ICT that included two operational duties doing protection of installations.
I've done my part, now I'm 100% focussed on my family and making $$$ to give them the best life they can have.
I agree that the Mandarins and Ruling Elite doesn't give a sh**. Maybe they would when a white horse collapses during his own IPPT run.
I've given emigration serious thought but since I've gone past the NS phase into Mindef Reserve, it's time for me to REAP my citizenship rights and concentrate on getting the most $$$ out of Singapore Inc with my skills/knowledge/ability!
Majullah Singapura.
@xNSman
There are too many vested interests under the current cabinet to make any real change.
Just look at how many ex-SAF Scholars/ex-SAF military men we have helming the defence portfolios. Unless the NSmen express their opinions via their popular vote, they will continue to be screwed by the current system.
Conscription is viewed by economists as a tax imposed on all males.
Instead of paying them the market wage, which would means taxing everyone, men and women equally, they choose to pay males an "allowance".
Naturally, guys are screwed.
@Kelvin Tan
Economic discrimination is bad enough. But NSmen risk dying. It's not play-play during reservist, you risk your life during operational duty carrying live-rounds. And for that, we have to confront the brutal truth that we can easily be pushed aside in the race up the economic ladder because NS liability IS A LIABILITY.
I don't think that you should complain about the two years of national service. The experience teaches valuable lessons, and brings all of the nation's men together. What more productive thing will you do between the ages 18 and 20?
I think America would be a better nation if we had something like National Service. Harry Truman, the only president from my home state, had a dream of creating this type of system.
@CNEIL
With all due respect, I wonder if YOU have served any form of service to your country? I wonder what gives you the right to tell people not to complain unless you have served 2 years or more in a similar experience. If you are a volunteer in any recognised military force, then I stand corrected.
To answer your question, at 18-20, I would be three-quarters towards obtaining my Bachelor of Accountancy and start work at age 21-22. This will probably result in my achieving my current position 2 years earlier.
You can bring people together WITHOUT national service. Yes, there are benefits of going through NS. For one, I stopped complaining about my mother's home cooking after I enlisted. I also learnt more about physical fitness and taking care of myself.
But I also saw a regular Sergeant DIE when his SM-1 tank overturned. He was all of 25 years old. But he was a regular so he volunteered for the risks.
The point is, you can DIE for your mandatory service.
I am living in Singapore and the not the US. Perhaps you should follow @BarackObama on twitter and suggest to him to reinstate the draft?
Majullah Singapura.
I'm in my 8th year ICT this year and every ICT, when the survey forms comes around, I will always highlight this unfair discrimination. I know it might not make a difference, but since they did gave me a channel to voice out, I'll use it.
Hopefully if more of us do this we can get the msg across.
This is so messed up. Lidat might as well sign on and be a regular than to go to the private companies & get such an uneven playing field...
Messed up leh this place. Not as if we have something really brilliant to fight for, like what most other countries do.
@Ruok
The survey form doesn't make impact. Only papers written by Admin Service Officers or the blood of White Horses would make changes to policy.
Be safe during reservist.
@Fitness Fabulous
The gahmen wants you to fight for your CPF minimum sum and HDB/property.
There's nothing else to fight for.
Hi PanzerGrenadier, it's a well-written article. Exactly how I feel too.
I don't mind given up 2 years(I'm the more lucky generation) for our country, I just want people to give a damn about the sacrifices we made.
And I want it to be more meaningful. I think I don't need to spill out how we normally spend our time in ICTs...we all know.
I think CNEIL comes from a very different culture from us. "What more productive thing will you do between the ages 18 and 20?" At that age he's probably not very productive in his life, but for me, I would be also 3/4 completed in my university education and gained at least 8 months of work experience. I could have joined the property business earlier and driving my own car now, which a friend of mine who skipped that 3 years of studying is doing now, who knows?
The only thing I know is my 2 years were wasted achieving nothing for myself and my country, because I spent time maintaining an equipment which has already phased out.
The day that I ORD-ed was one of the happiest day of my life. I started work immediately the next day. I believe I would have contributed more to the country if it wasn't for that 2 years.
@PeakTooSoon
Thanks for your comments.
I think you've hit the crux of the issue, which is how NS and conscription is perceived by the rest of the population.
Among NSmen, we understand what we went though. Some of us have seen deaths during full-time or reservist days.
Employers who are non-Singaporeans have no obligations at all to want to recruit Singaporean men given their NS liabilities. They don't have to be sympathetic to remedial training and 3 week ICT stints.
In the US, they have veterans hospitals and provide subsidised education to veterans. Over here, we count ourselves "lucky" for NTU/SMU/NUS for keeping our places for us.
Majullah Singapura.
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