Training to be soldiers
to fight for our land.
Once in our lives.
Two years of our time.
Have you ever wondered?
Why must we serve
'Cause we love our land.
and we want it to be free, to be free...
Who understands the plight of the Singaporean son? Right from the birth, every Singaporean son is earmarked to give away 2 years of our lives to the country. It doesn't matter which unit we are posted to and what vocation we are assigned. We are all conscripts. Even for the safest, least physically demanding vocation, no Singaporean son escapes the humiliation of conforming to ridiculously stupid best practices and complying to incompetent, unproven scholar paper-leaders.
Our women think we tie knots and frolic around the campfire during weekdays and practice chemical welfare on public transport with body odour, during the weekends. We are a laughing stock to our women, who largely regard us as whiners.
2 years of National Service, joining the workforce later than our women translates to indisputable economic and career advancement opportunities cost. 10 years of ICT condemns the Singaporean son in terms of employment attractiveness. We are regarded not as committable to foreigners the same way employers discriminate pregnant ladies. Our government term our call of duty as National Service Liability, deems it an absolutely necessity but refuses to acknowledge the accursed Singaporean son seeking the non existent level playing field in his career. The foreigners scorn the Singaporean son and used these handicaps to their advantage. With the NS liablities and without giving more than 100% in work all the time, we are not even seen as equals to our foreign friends, who also have a higher salary margin to negotiate with due to having currency exchange rates to their advantage.
Despite these, we serve. Because we love the land which we believe belongs to each and every Singaporean. When the time times, we fight. Not because there is nowhere to run from, nowhere to go to, but we want to protect our loved ones, our people, the land and memories we treasure.
Our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong decided to hand out $50-$100 vouchers to National Service men last week. It is an insult to every Singapore son's personal sacrifices to the country. We are soldiers of Singapore, not beggars. The PM's distasteful decision to give handouts has cheapen our commitment. We want a stake in the country we serve with pride, our voice to be heard, respected and having a say in national decisions. Dishing out vouchers suggests that the PM takes the Singaporean son for granted and his loyalty can be bought by monetary tidbits the way voters bite the PAP's electoral carrots during every General Election.
Excellent! Well said. Not sure about SAF but the Police reservists, it's 2-week in camp until your 40th birthday. I would prefer to describe it as "scholar generals!"
ReplyDeletedo you think MPs, Ministers or super-scale civil servants would take vouchers also? instead of pegging it to market / private sector / top X number of top income tax payers?
ReplyDeleteChill! I'm sure the young NS men would appreciate their hard-earned extra cash!
ReplyDeleteCash? You got it wrong Mdm.
DeleteLet me get this straight: you insult the armed forces we serve by calling it the "humiliation of conforming to ridiculously stupid best practices and complying to incompetent, unproven scholar paper-leaders", complain about the "indisputable economic and career advancement opportunities cost" (which for crying out loud, I am disputing), and then get on your high horse and talk about serving because you "love the land"?
ReplyDeleteI have no problems with you doing this from a foreign shore if you're flying back and joining us for ICTs. Some of my unit brothers do this on a constant basis.
The way I see it, you're set on believing that national service is a waste of time. It might have been for you, but for many of us, it has been a time of meaningful service where we made lifelong friends.
Should the time come, you will find many of us fighting not only to save our families, but also yours. To be frank, I don't know if I can count on you to do the same for ours.
Thanks for commenting. Let me assure you I'll take up guns. I made good friends in the army and enjoyed many moments like you did. That doesn't mean I found the whole process a romantic rite of passage. I serve because I believe on its purpose but that doesn't necessarily means I have to love it.
DeleteI have never imply that National Service is a waste of time. I stated there is an opportunity cost, which is a fact. There isn't a reasonable link between the fact I am away from home at the moment or have a different opinion about National Service and fighting for the people if the need arises.
Hi Lucian
ReplyDeleteYou are still serving your ICTs, I take it. We've been there and done that, and a lot more besides.
I read a little of your blog, so I can somewhat relate to your feelings about what you say. I used to be like you as well, believing in what I read in the ST, and the information given out by the govt, and participated fervently in the rah-rah of the NDP. I have lifelong friends I made in NS as well. But reality finally set in a few years ago.
We can't change your beliefs for you, but I'll leave you to ponder a famous quote:
"You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes." -- Morpheus
Training to be soldiers
ReplyDeleteFight for our land
Once in our lives
What a waste of time
Have you ever wondered
Why must we serve
Because we are pink IC holders
And we suck thumb have to serve, have to serve YAR!
Looking all around us
FTs everywhere
FTs having fun
While we are holding guns
Have you ever wondered
Serve for fark
Pay like crap
End up we get only some farking SAFRA vouchers, sibei dui YAR!