Article extracted from online.. Here it goes "

Submitted by farhan Sat, 09/01/2016

A glum looking enlistee awaiting enlistment has become a sensation in cyberspace. But, the circulation of the picture and the memes involving it should also re-open the debate on the conscription and defense policy adopted by Singapore.

There have been people who view their time serving in the SAF, Police or civil defense as meaningful and areas where they have gained experience. Some see it as their personal responsibility to serve the country and repay her for all the benefits enjoyed? But do all share the sentiment?

The problem with conscription is it is first and foremost a violation of human rights. Conscription forces someone, against his or her will, to take part in something which he/she does not necessarily agree to or in something which most people would find unpleasant or unpopular. It is not a hidden secret that military life and a heavily regimented lifestyle is tough.

That males in the prime of their lives are forced into this is simply and clearly a violation of their will and their rights and dignity as human beings.

I may sound like a wimp by saying this, but the fact stands. Not everyone is able to handle the tough lifestyle in the military system. I think it is cruel and unusual to force these people through this system. It is just as cruel to call these people "soft" who need to be "man-ned up" by the system.

Other counter arguments would be that there are counselling and psychiatric services available for these personnel and their PES status can be downgraded, or they can even be released from service if their case warrants so.

But the reality is, for first year or even first month enlistees, would any of them dare to come up and report that they are facing psychological difficulties? The case of the "fake PES F" and the "Ah Boys to Men chao keng incident" would make many an impressionable new enlistee think twice about reporting such cases, especially with the possibility of a malingering charge hanging over their heads. Even if their case is finally referred to MINDEF's psychiatric or counselling services, it would take about 3 weeks or more for an appointment through which damage has already been done. There have been cases where the case has been handles incompetently, like the case of one enlistee, Ganesh.

A popularly asked question is, if Singapore's sons don't defend Singapore, who would?

The question in response would be, to what extent do you think that the conscripted armed forces Singapore will be able to defend Singapore? Those at

MINDEF would know that the whole bureaucracy in the SAF is one of the worst in the entire civil service. Administrative personnel, especially if they are enlistees, often face poor morale and lack motivation, in part due to the fact that they were forced into what they are doing and paid poorly, often sit on their work. It is not uncommon that a simple assignment such as getting a medical appointment fixed or the transfer of certain paperwork would take up to 6 months to complete, or never completed at all. There are no uniform standards on administrative protocol. It is not an uncommon scenario where one SAF personnel would give a completely different story on how a certain procedure is to proceed from another. Take the case of PTE Ganesh, where his medical records were not even handed over to his superior.

My brother had a medical condition which needed review and the administrative personnel at CMPB simply sat on it for months until they were chased to fix a date. Safety protocol mean that personnel, who have understood how the system works, are able to easily miss training or operations due to claims of illnesses, some of which are highly questionable. In spite of the glossy propaganda of military personnel who take pride in serving their country and taking time off their work to do so, many reservists are finding ways to lower their PES status. A popular talk among enlistees is about plans of running away from Singapore when war breaks out.

With such poor levels of motivation and morale among NSFs, their performance in wartime would certainly be questionable. It is an open secret that most of the chiefs in the SAF are products of the scholarship system. Products of it are often fast tracked up the hierarchy, even to critical positions, that it is often questioned whether they indeed possess the ability to conduct a war.

Rightfully so, given that the generals in critical positions, such as the defence chiefs are and have been, by and large, scholars and are chosen over a wider pool of generals, colonels and lieutenant colonels who were not products of the scholarship system but have more years of experience in service.

The argument of a small, vulnerable Singapore is questionable. If Malaysia or Indonesia wanted to pick a country to attack, the first on the list would have been oil rich Brunei. Why would Indonesia and Malaysia decide to wage a war on Singapore for the sake of swallowing her up when both countries' economic ties are close, with their citizens working on Singapore soil? Even if there is a present day threat of Radical Islam, would that warrant a large, conscripted force? If anything, hasn't the Iraq war taught the lesson that in asymmetrical warfare, it is not regular armed forces that win the day but sound intelligence and swift, decisive operations by special forces instead of conventional tactics. If the PAP government does see the threat of terrorism, why is it making the customs policy on Chinese nationals more liberal? Is it not aware that Chinese nationals include Uighurs, some of whom have been involved in terrorist activities such as the Bangkok bomb blast? Is it not aware that Indonesia arrested a group of them attempting to join ISIS in 2014?

The key to defence policy is, how strong is the attachment and the sense of patriotism the people have to Singapore? Platitudes such as "Third world to first", "clean efficient government" or "look at how much better Singapore is compared to such and such country" will not work. People voted for the PAP en masse in the last election not because they love or adore the PAP but rather because of questions about the ability of opposition parties to run the government, and a sense of gratitude to the largely inflated legacy of Lee Kuan Yew, whose death coincided with SG 50, allowing the PAP to use the media machinery to play on it. But such patriotism is superficial and not shared by many. Once the SG 50 and Lee Kuan Yew sentiment wear off, the ruthless rat race will take its toll once again. It will be the same struggle to survive because there is simply no room for failure, knowing the social and financial repercussions of beoming a "failure". The reality of expensive HDB flats, possibility of higher GSTs and high transport fares will set in. People will become frustrated, once again when they do not have the opportunity to have their voices heard. The stifling environment would lead to intellectuals and creative minds to seek other places where they can express themselves with greater freedom than in Singapore. Patriotism will never be inculcated in the long run when Singaporeans see Singapore as a place where they struggle in this zero sum game until the day they die and where the government frequently milks from them. It is difficult for people to call Singapore home when her values are to stifle and discourage expression. It will be difficult for military personnel to serve with pride when they are treated as objects to be STOMPed, disrespected by Members of Parliament, coerced into service and paid poorly. Instead of defending this sacred cow, a hard look and serious discussion about defense policy is warranted.

Ronald Tan"

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