This is an admin trip because there are plenty of tasks of this nature to do. It is starting to get a little sad when my returns are becoming increasingly business-like. With the possibiity of an expansion of family, such trips will have to be infrequent in the future. This kind of decision is never easy to make. None of the options is ideal and no situation is win-win.
Albany is to become a Singaporean by the end of the week. I insist on doing this because it is her birthright and I shall not deny her so. She shall hold a dual citizenship until she is 21 years old, when she shall have to choose to forfeit one of her citizenships if Singapore still does not recognises dual citizenship by then. My responsibilty ends with providing Albany her legitimate privileges. I shall not be involved in her decision making when the time comes.
As an ex cancer patient, I do not and can not expect my medical status to remain past tense. There is always a possibility of a relapse. Call me anything you want to, but it will not stop me from leaving my family the best situation to my best ability should I die prematurely one day. Albany's citizenship will make sure that we will hold on to our rightful assets that authorities have no qualms in taking away or suspending when the conditions allow them to do so.
Meanwhile, I found my CDP statement. The first thing I will do once I return to Perth to to sell a big part of my shares. There are 2 reasons doing so. One, I can clear both the profitable and cancerous stocks at the same time and start off to a clean slate. Secondly, some sort of financial crisis is looming. I have absolutely no data to back myself up, just pure gut feel. That's how I make decisions, including my decision to move to Perth. Whether my gut feel is right or wrong, I will eventually find out. The cheek of the broker actually told me he did not know how much the number of shares I am holding and I need to refer to my CDP account instead. Sure, that is the last time he will be getting a commission off my brokerage fees. I don't think he cares, since I am such a small fry. That suits me fine because I certainly don't too. Finally, a win-win scenario.
It seems like Mindef is pissed off with me because I returned later than what exit permit, permitted. I would be apologetic if their portal does not give me issues such as this
I called up the NS hotline on Sunday and was surprised that someone was manning the phone. I told them of bugs as well as the message telling me I was not eligible to apply for exit permits. I cannot help but ask the personnel if Mindef is going to have me arrested when I try to leave the country with or without an exit permit. Well you never know. Since Amos Yee can be locked up for insulting some folks, who says I cannot be arrested for failure to debug an NS portal 4000 kms from home? You can be arrested for eating your cai png while surfing the internet one day, if they don't like your face. So never be too sure. Some say there are 4 types of climates in Singapore. Sunny, fucking sunny, rainy and fear.
Fortunately the friendly admins in Mindef sent me an email by Monday to inform me my account has been "cleared" (from?) and told me to try applying for an exit permit again. I did, and the new one allows me to work outside Singapore till next April till I become a fugitive with offences again. I hope I do not get betrayed by my memory or a buggy NS portal by then. At least I have a reason to forget my wife's birthday now. Sleeping in a tent by the verandah is surely better than the possibility of an arrest at the airport.
I am surprised you are surprised mindef have people working on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteBack in the old days when NSF go ROD Loh! The mindef is so determined no one can give stupid excuses for not getting exit permit because CMPB is closed on weekend so mindef LAN LAN make all the CMPB NSF clerks come back for duty on top of their regular duties manning hq phones (that help guy likely another NSF) and then they also accept fax (so uncle here always have spare exit permit forms at home just in case).
I think you have forgotten a lot about NS
As far as SAF is concerned, there is only 2 kind of weather: training weather and no training weather ( which must be so bad that even commandos have to stop water boarding torture exercise)
When they appear to be lenient about no training weather, you will know somewhere in the world there is a training injury happen to a NSF recently, so his bad luck is good luck to the rest of the NSF community (since the SAF can only handle one complaining mother at a time)
BTW if Albany is a boy, would you be talking about giving him his birthright (and risk béing called a sabo king)?
ReplyDeletetechnically i can still apply and remove him from ns later on but i will not do that because of the hassle involved. equality, i supposed.
Delete"Secondly, some sort of financial crisis is looming."
ReplyDeleteI agree with this gut feel! Anyway with the money from the shares sold you can keep them in fixed deposit - hopefull Ozzie has fixed deposit rates of more than 4%?
When I was a PR I never did have to apply for exit permits. I remember vaguely being sent an email that says if I am overseas I am exempted...
Yes, let's see how it turns out.
Deleteeh... you still need exit permit meh? you still reservist, issit - never complete 13 year cycle?
ReplyDeleteThey gave me some kind of notice saying don't need exit permit anymore, can pass Go, can collect $200. I must be getting old. [-(
> "Albany is to become a Singaporean by the end of the week. I insist on doing this because it is her birthright and I shall not deny her so. ... My responsibility ends with providing Albany her legitimate privileges."
ReplyDeleteInteresting way to look at it. I shall have to discuss with my hubby DD about whether to go through the hassle to accord baby D her legitimate privileges. Yes, she's a girl -- we found out upon her arrival.
> XYZ: "if Albany is a boy, would you be talking about giving him his birthright"
I share ASingaporeanSon's perspective on this. I don't believe in NS conscription as per its current form -- it cost many a Singaporean men too high a price.
"Albany is to become a Singaporean by the end of the week. I insist on doing this because it is her birthright and I shall not deny her so. She shall hold a dual citizenship until she is 21 years old, when she shall have to choose to forfeit one of her citizenships if Singapore still does not recognises dual citizenship by then. My responsibilty ends with providing Albany her legitimate privileges. I shall not be involved in her decision making when the time comes."
ReplyDeleteBro, just admit and say so if you want to take advantage of the system . Albany is a ger;no ns and you are betting on Singapore gov to allow dual citizenship 20 years down the road.
Talking about SG birthright is Lame. What legitimate birthright privileges are you talking about?
Why don't you talk about letting her be a Vietnamese too.
I'm a Singaporean, not Vietnamese. I don't suppose you understand the meaning of birthright. I claim no baby bonus from the Singapore government nor a single cent from anywhere else. Neither have I applied or intend to apply a Singapore passport for my daughter. She has benefited NOTHING from your so call system thus far. I am more than willing to hear you out what of the system I want to "take advantage" of.
DeleteI can't admit to something I don't have intention for, even if it doesn't please you.