Violinist not allowed to defer NS

last SG · 2006-05-15T22:33:39+00:00

it's available in all major bookstores except popular. (i have, but i'm not sharing wif u. na na na na)

lwflee SG

I think he has to make a choice that all of us has had to make when enlistment time came. I do not see why he should get exemption just because he can play the violin.

MAN UP AND DECIDE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!

mfscrewu SG

You got my support on that view. If he is talented, he will be able to find his own opportunities after NS. While the same opportunity may not knock twice, if he is determined to study music, he will find his own path. If the opportunity does not seek him, then he should take the proactive role to create his own opportunities.

If most of us can go back to school after our NS, why can't a musician? Rolling Eyes During NS, he can choose to practise over the weekend to maintain his violin proficiency Mr. Green

The main point of discontent is that for those who have served or are currently serving NS is that since the law has been tightened to disallow anymore deferment, why should he be given special treatment? For many of us, we too have our share of missed opportunities, but still we served and moved on in our life.

Let's assume that if this Ike is given leave to study music before he comes back and serve NS. What is the guarantee that he will come back? Can anyone ensure that? It might be no big deal to SAF if Ike decided to skip town and play music, but it sure pissed me off badly, that I have to do his share of protecting his parents, dogs and cats while he is at it. To the arts loving people, Ike may be the next music star, but to an old boor like me, I prefer an additional man to the SAF orbat for any emergencies.

the Bear SG

let me ask one thing...

if the violinist was the son of, say, Lee Hsien Loong...

what would be your stand?

countdracula SG

i couldn't care less about playing any musical instrument. however, in this case, apparently the boy has a rare talent and has been offered a very rare opportunity. he might not get the same chance later, so let him go.

whether he returns or not so be it, no point making the parents pay or whatsoever. in life there are no quarantees, no one knows how things will turn out. let him seize his opportunity and not be bogged down by some policy just to appease others, unless everyone else plays the violin too. if he were a girl, this would be a non-issue to start with, so recognise his talent for what it is.

there's no need to habour envy or be vindictive with someone else success. what comes around goes around, quid quo pro.

mfscrewu SG

I don't know about others, but I don't habour envy and neither am I bitter about his maybe possible future success. For me the stand is clear, nobody should be more equal than others when it comes to serving NS. If the violin boy gets his deferment, then ain't we back to square one that people with "special" talents gets the special treatment? This ain't animal farm whereby "four legs good, two legs better" motto applies here.

This may be a rare opportunity for him. However, as mentioned in my earlier post, if he is really determined to stay in the music field, he should be looking for other opportunities not wait for the opportunity to look for him. A true talent will always be good at what he is, regardless of the passing of time or opportunity. If his talent can't stand the test of time, then surely it must make you wonder how true is his talent? Rolling Eyes

king108 SG

Mad Please lah. Can the violinist create 100Million annually for us. Else go and serve his national service. Just because of one string puller, wanted to bend our law..You kidding us.

Go and serve else charge him AWOL. Got 3 bar for him to pull inside. Mad Mad

countdracula SG

read orwell's animal farm again, it's about oppression not about disparity in talents. the boy sought for that opportunity more than once, it didn't come to him easily. the likes of bill gates and other mavericks broke out of the convention to get to where they are. fact of life is that there are differences and we cannot forcibly put everyone in the same mould.

galileo was a sad case, he correctly theorised that the world was round but the church and state insisted otherwise. so he recanted and everyone was 'equal', so what?

we apply different grades to people of different abilities and this is no different. the opportunity is rare and he should be allowed to seize it.

ditzy SG

Our minister of defence faces headaches like these, sometimes he wishes the opposition would just win his ward and he can step down by default. Laughing

will4 SG

He also can go after serving NS. Smile

octega SG

If the dude dun default on his NS then I dun see any reasons why deferment is not possible. If the gov is so "on" about the arts then I am believe something can be work out.

But the dude also must wake up, this is an imperfect and unfair world. No one really gets what he wants 100% of the time so if the final outcome is no deferment then take and serve. Dun need to whine to the newspaper or complain about it. Cool

macjoe SG

We can't go on importing and serving foreign talent when we keep shooting down our own local talent and making them serve the country to make it conducive for foreign talents to come.

Why are we so silly?

If one of us has the calibre to be a world-class talent and opportunity only comes by once, why are we holding him back?

Let's support the kid and let him defer and make it known to him that we hope to welcome him back as a superstar in NS.

If the kid decides to abdicate his citizenship because we refuse and impede his pursuits, the real loser is Singapore.

We need to treat our exceptional and rare local talent with exceptional nurturing treatment. Harsh treatment will only make them leave.

And what do we have on our soil? World-class facilities but full of foreign talents. That is so pathetic.

Shocked

banzie SG

Yea how many have the chance to be world class sia? How many actually fit to be in this catagory? Singapore should be more flexible in this…. I am wonder how come community service like becoming a monk or Priest can exempt NS and ICT and not world class talent? It’s the person future I say go for it. How many in the whole corhort of NSF fits into the category anyway. I think less than 10? or even 5….

ölala SG

In short let us singaporean b gracious
and allow our naitonaman who has the talent to carve his path to sucess!

I knwo many guys who went thro ns wifout deferment are angry,i too hate going ns but...

lets b ppl who sit back and relac!
If the violionlist dosent return back to serve his Ns,where wuld his intergrity be?
so no matter how sucessful a person he might b,if he dosent have intergrity and uphodl his promise,then he hasn't gone far in terms of human charecter

I tink mnay wuld agree on this

[email protected] SG

does that apply to those who have only applied previously for deferment for a basic degree, and decide after they graduate that they want to do another post-grad?

loophole schumack. equality at the cost of social progress. its nice to know we're sliding backwards. its plain stupidity.

[email protected] SG

right. so whats wrong with a deferment?

are u accusing singaporeans of being dishonourable people without integrity?

nobody is saying, "take this guy out of ns". we're just saying, "why can't he serve it 2 or 3 years later?"

and i would also like to point out: assumption is the mother of all screw-ups. then again, knowing u and how PAP supportive u are, its no wonder u commit the same cardinal sin as they do.

[email protected] SG

people here who know me know i have every moral right to comment. you're just a screw up tho, so i expect u to keep assuming anyway. People like u are forever blind to the truths afterall.

[email protected] SG

once again, therein lies the crux of the problem. if the people of singapore are as dishonourable, dishonest as the govt expects them to be, then if they're really needed to fight when the need arises, don't expect them to.

[email protected] SG

my stand would be this:

if he's achieved it purely on merit? then why not? especially if a prestigeous music college has ceritfied him purely on the basis of musical talent, why not? it wouldn't matter anymore whose son he was.

[email protected] SG

the long and short is, u look at this thread, and then u look at the way everyday singaporeans view issues like this, then u know its no surprise why we cannot progress artistically and culturally as a nation. The division here is so deep.

The funny thing is, why does the govt even bother to pretend to want to promote the arts? Why keep acting? Might as well drop the act. Backwards equality as a cheap appeasement of part of the populace will keep u in power in the short run, but does no good for the nation in the long run. Already u see some people who have this mentality that people who did not serve have no moral right to comment on such issues. That is not healthy for any nation, to breed only spiteful people who are easily greened. Worse, the same sort of people assume everything around them without bothering to check the facts 1st.

Doesn't look good then, for the future.

oxford mushroom SG

I am glad that the government has changed its policy on NS defaulters and NS deferment. It is a step in the right direction and is rightly applauded by many loyal Singaporeans who have done their national duty.

If the talented or gifted can be granted deferment from National Service to pursue further studies, then the system is no longer equitable and smacks of elitism of the worse kind. Many who have gone before have sacrificed opportunities in similar conditions. National Service is a sacrifice made by every able-bodied male Singaporean. To allow those judged to be more talented to serve at their convenience is a great insult to the rest of Singaporeans.

In any case, the gifted will do well even if they give up an opportunity in order to serve NS. Other opportunities will come by them. It might be argued that those who are less gifted and less talented have more to lose in giving up such an opportunity, for it is more likely that they will never be given a second chance.

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