Melvyn Tan Should Not Be Punished

last SG · 2005-12-13T00:59:36+00:00

Be a person of commoner, celebrity, man or woman, the question here is about Principle. If one cannot fathom that responsibility, then what does it say about...

babymac13 SG

I nv say anything about migration neither about fairness, but i'm trying to give 2 perspective, one from purporters of Melvyn as well as the anti-supporters of Melvyn's action.
In sumarisation, one's dream can only happen once, but it will not come back after u miss it. Such saying After this town, there's no more this hut.
Of cos, Country come before anything else. He admit his mistakes and shld be given some credit to him to accept his punishment regardless the sentence issue.

LazerLordz SG

Might have gotten too carried away..sorry. Embarassed

Well, right points you have there.

I think we should all move on too..

pat33 SG

I think it is not the case of support or against Melvyn and certainly not the case of one's right to migrate.

For his case, up to his last and final call-up for NS, he was still a Singaporean and was served with the enlistment notice. Therefore, the conscription law applied to him there and then. But he choosen to ignore the call up. He broke the law- simple and clear cut.

A simple anology would be: A boy committed a crime and left the country before caught, came back many years later and was brought before the law. Simple and clear cut as this.

As for a child of 3 years old leaving Singapore, when he reaches a certain age, the govt will contact the parents for a security deposit and notification of the boy's NS liability upon reaching 18 (if he is still abroad). I believe there will be steps for Mindef to undertake if the parent or the child fails to response (like writing to them with first, second warnings etc). So it would not be the case where the child comes back 30 years later and being unaware that he broke the law.

It is also not the case where the govt wants to trap us and prevent us from migrating. I believe we are all free to migrate if we really want to migrate. No govt can stop us or scare us. To do so would not be the right style of any credible govt.

For Melvyn case, there are, indeed, many grey areas. The fine seems symbolic more than punitive. Even though the law seems more symbolic than punitive, it is signalling that this is not a loophole for people to exploit. I think the law is signalling that NS liability is important (even for Melvyn case, 30 years have lapsed).

When the govt reviews the law because of Melvyn case, what the govt is trying to do is to make the NS law more water-tight than it's existing.

Imagine, if the govt gives back Melvyn the $3000, says sorry because he is now a British citizen and he may go free. Will you see many rich Singaporeans rushing to exploit this loophole for their own benefit?

For all of you here who have served NS. Imagine, if the more our govt gives in to people like Melvyn, the more loopholes there will be for NS laibility. Those can run away- run, those can't run away- serve. Will you not be complaining then? Will you also not be demoralised and finding ways to escape?

I am not work for the govt or speaking for them.

[email protected] SG

Unfair comparisms.

anyways how long do u all want to drag this issue on? Forgive and forget.

LazerLordz SG

Well, if they intend to migrate and give up citizenship, of course they won't come back what.

So isn't this the same as holding the kid hostage?By not letting him renounce his citizenship?If Melvyn Tan had been allowed to renounce his citizenship at anytime ,this hoo-ha would not have happened.If someone chooses to leave, who are we to stop him? Evil or Very Mad

pat33 SG

I agree with you but from another perspective it is also about not having too many loopholes where Singaporeans can exploit it for their own benefit.

LazerLordz SG

there's no loophole.you renounce your citizenship, you don't owe us anything.

simple and sweet.

dragg SG

all rules have loopholes.

[email protected] SG

i know someone who renounced his citizenship. He did it well before he was due to serve. He called and informed them and they said ok.

Then he went back to sg a few years later n got arrested. Lol. Apparently he need to inform in writing as well. So they fined him only because he never do proper paperwork.

finoq SG

cos he’s a pianist? BTW a ‘deformed’ right leg can escape from ns ornot?

pat33 SG

The loophole is simple- renounce your citizenship comes back freely to Singapore as foreign talent. Enough of Singaporeans do that and this country goes down the drain. That is the loophole, escape NS liability if you can.

[email protected] SG

define deformed.

deformed as in, "only 5 inches long" then ya, perhaps. deformed as in "I got a pimple on my leg" the no way jose.

finoq SG

missing part of ankle bone

[email protected] SG

hmmm. that sounds serious enuf to me. I guess u need to see what your doctors say.

Parka SG

People are just wondering why is there this double standard.

[email protected] SG

simple! becos of who's in charge. When they allow whitehorses to get away with manslaughter, of course there will be double standard.

dragg SG

is there such a case?

Surprised

LazerLordz SG

This Foreign Talent policy was instituted by the government. Rolling Eyes Go figure.Never blame the people for the policies of the state if they never had a real say in them.This continual existence of this law just shows our insecurity and inability to retain talent and citizens by choice.Why do you want people who do not want to live nor serve you?

Look, if it comes to a point where we have more emigrants than people staying put, then something is wrong don't you think?And at least we can correct the state of affairs than artificially making people stay put because of subtle threat to personal freedom?

I do not believe that you can benefit from making people stay.This kind of law does not have a place in civil society.Why should the rights of the citizens and minors be infringed upon by the consequences of a policy that is already flawed and has shown to many as one that favors foreigners over citizens unfairly?You cannot blame them for wanting to come back as FTs, and even so, just think about it, those that hate living here, would leave and not really want to come back.

So where's the huge exploitation?Surely you would see many post-NS citizens doing so if it were that easy for the man-in-the-street to do so, and have a critical impact? Confused

[email protected] SG

Y E S

pat33 SG

Please do not mistaken me for being a govt's spokeman. Iam not and I am with you guys on the foreign talent stuff. I am angry too. But as I said I was explaining things on why they doing thing in a particular way.

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