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13-10-2014, 01:30 PM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
SAF VOLUNTEER CORPS: RUBBING SALT INTO THE WOUNDS OF NS LIABLE SINGAPOREANS
.node-article .field-name-link-line-above-tags{float: right;}.node-article .field-name-ad-box-in-article {float: left;margin: 15px 15px 10px 0;}.node-article .field-tags{clear: both;} Post date:
13 Oct 2014 - 7:37am
http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/AL-saf-1210e.jpg?itok=CCFDk4qB (http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/field/image/AL-saf-1210e.jpg)
Background Story: SAF hopes at least 100 Women, New Citizen, PRs apply for new SAF Volunteer Corps (http://therealsingapore.com/content/saf-hopes-least-100-women-new-citizen-prs-apply-new-saf-volunteer-corps)
The new SAF Volunteer Corps for New citizens, first generation PRs and women that has just opened up registrations has been widely criticised as an insult to NS liable Singaporeans.
The initiative is supposed to be part of the government’s efforts to “strengthen” national service but in reality the simplicity and ease for volunteers has just brought the whole compulsory NS system into question.
Compulsory vs Optional
While Singaporean males are forced to serve NS, this new initiative for New Citizens, PRs and Women is only optional. The problem here is that this group of people all still enjoy living in Singapore and enjoy the safety of the country and defence laid out by the men who are forced to serve. New citizens and PRs have clearly shown their desire to stay in Singapore permanently and enjoy life here, so why is it only optional for them to serve when Singaporeans who were born here are forced to give up large portions of their lives to serve?
Even for those who join the SAF volunteer corps, there is a lot of flexibility and they can choose which vocation they want out of 17. They can also change between them at any time. For NSFs we are assigned a role and we are stuck with it. We have pretty much no say in the matter.
2 years vs 4 weeks
Singaporean males who were unfortunate enough to have been born here are liable to serve 2 years of their youth serving the country and defending Singapore. With the new volunteer corps, new citizens, PRs and women can choose to serve 4 weeks in camp. While NS has been said to create a sense of identity, pride and belonging in the country, can this really be achieved in just 4 weeks?
Furthermore, volunteers can even choose to do this 4-week stint spread out over several weekends. It is flexible o work around their schedules and there is no sense of commitment.
Even for the reservist, volunteers can serve 3 years but have the option to leave anytime if they no longer want to serve. NS men must serve at least 10 years and can be punished if they fail to return when asked.
Citizens mistreated
In introducing the new volunteer corps, the SAF explained that they did not want to make the volunteer corps too heavy of a commitment or a compulsory thing as they felt people “would not give their best” if they felt they were “tied down”.
So what about citizens? Do we not have the right to quit if we are not motivated and feel that we are tied down? How many of the NSFs and NS men does the SAF think is “giving their best”? New citizens and PRs who have chosen to adopt Singapore as their homeland and enjoy the benefits here still get to be free to choose if they want to serve.
The citizens who were born here did not choose this life, and so they are forced to serve. Are new citizens and PRs so much better than Singaporeans that this double standard is justified? It seems we are again being treated as second class citizens in our own country.
Do you feel that the new SAF volunteer corps is “strengthening” NS or just making NS men question their own commitments?
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.singsupplies.com/showthread.php?191880-Saf-volunteer-corps-Rubbing-salt-into-the-wounds-of-ns-liable-singaporeans&goto=newpost).
SAF VOLUNTEER CORPS: RUBBING SALT INTO THE WOUNDS OF NS LIABLE SINGAPOREANS
.node-article .field-name-link-line-above-tags{float: right;}.node-article .field-name-ad-box-in-article {float: left;margin: 15px 15px 10px 0;}.node-article .field-tags{clear: both;} Post date:
13 Oct 2014 - 7:37am
http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/AL-saf-1210e.jpg?itok=CCFDk4qB (http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/field/image/AL-saf-1210e.jpg)
Background Story: SAF hopes at least 100 Women, New Citizen, PRs apply for new SAF Volunteer Corps (http://therealsingapore.com/content/saf-hopes-least-100-women-new-citizen-prs-apply-new-saf-volunteer-corps)
The new SAF Volunteer Corps for New citizens, first generation PRs and women that has just opened up registrations has been widely criticised as an insult to NS liable Singaporeans.
The initiative is supposed to be part of the government’s efforts to “strengthen” national service but in reality the simplicity and ease for volunteers has just brought the whole compulsory NS system into question.
Compulsory vs Optional
While Singaporean males are forced to serve NS, this new initiative for New Citizens, PRs and Women is only optional. The problem here is that this group of people all still enjoy living in Singapore and enjoy the safety of the country and defence laid out by the men who are forced to serve. New citizens and PRs have clearly shown their desire to stay in Singapore permanently and enjoy life here, so why is it only optional for them to serve when Singaporeans who were born here are forced to give up large portions of their lives to serve?
Even for those who join the SAF volunteer corps, there is a lot of flexibility and they can choose which vocation they want out of 17. They can also change between them at any time. For NSFs we are assigned a role and we are stuck with it. We have pretty much no say in the matter.
2 years vs 4 weeks
Singaporean males who were unfortunate enough to have been born here are liable to serve 2 years of their youth serving the country and defending Singapore. With the new volunteer corps, new citizens, PRs and women can choose to serve 4 weeks in camp. While NS has been said to create a sense of identity, pride and belonging in the country, can this really be achieved in just 4 weeks?
Furthermore, volunteers can even choose to do this 4-week stint spread out over several weekends. It is flexible o work around their schedules and there is no sense of commitment.
Even for the reservist, volunteers can serve 3 years but have the option to leave anytime if they no longer want to serve. NS men must serve at least 10 years and can be punished if they fail to return when asked.
Citizens mistreated
In introducing the new volunteer corps, the SAF explained that they did not want to make the volunteer corps too heavy of a commitment or a compulsory thing as they felt people “would not give their best” if they felt they were “tied down”.
So what about citizens? Do we not have the right to quit if we are not motivated and feel that we are tied down? How many of the NSFs and NS men does the SAF think is “giving their best”? New citizens and PRs who have chosen to adopt Singapore as their homeland and enjoy the benefits here still get to be free to choose if they want to serve.
The citizens who were born here did not choose this life, and so they are forced to serve. Are new citizens and PRs so much better than Singaporeans that this double standard is justified? It seems we are again being treated as second class citizens in our own country.
Do you feel that the new SAF volunteer corps is “strengthening” NS or just making NS men question their own commitments?
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.singsupplies.com/showthread.php?191880-Saf-volunteer-corps-Rubbing-salt-into-the-wounds-of-ns-liable-singaporeans&goto=newpost).