I am currently serving my national service. While I wish to be
in the university with my female compatriots, I fully understand
the responsibilities I have to fufil as a citizen of this country.
So, I have no qualms whatsoever abt servin my nation though this is
sometimes put to the test - this being a free to view site, I dun
wish to go into details.
Concerning the issue of whether females should serve national
service, I believe that the status quo should be retained.
I would like all of you to consider the impact of females being
drawn into national service.
Firstly, the changes would lead to a whole batch of female
undergraduates/workers being withdrawn from their academic and job
persuits. This has serious economic consequences, given the fact
that there would be fewer graduates/workers introduced into the job
market for that particular year and the subsequant years to come
(depending on how long they decide females should serve).
Some might argue that this might be the perfect solution to our
close to stagnated economy. We might be able to get 'foreigners' to
fill in the jobs. However, another problem arises when the females
together with their male compatriots ORD! We will have to compete
with foreigners for jobs, and there might be even a shrtage of jobs
and this problem will be here to stay with a surplus of graduates
entering the job market after fufiling their academic
persuits.
Eventually, a rise in unemployment (our current predicament is that
we are struggling to create new jobs) may see a rise in social
problems and that is just the beginning of it all
Secondly, the changes would require a radical overhaul of the
structure of the SAF. How would such changes affect the
operatability of the SAF? In such precarious times (with the ever
looming threat of terrorism and rising oil prices), what would be
the consequances?
Thirdly, are Singaporean men willing to give due recongnition to
their female compatriots after undergoing NS. The females will
demand for greater gendar equality. Are we men prepared to
recognise this? Are we prepared to face the social consequances of
'a more independent-minded woman'? Male-Female relations will never
be the same, I'm talking abt a cultural shift here.
NS is a way of life in Singapore. Hate it or like it (I saw some
Officer wearing his number 4 in orchird road. Really feel like
slapping him!) We lanlan have to serve. Change, we do need change
from time to time, but the changes we take have to be
calculated.Personally, I'm all for gender equality and thus there
should not be one law for man and another for woman. The
introduction of females has several permutations; which in this
present climate might lead to undesirable consequances for our
nation as a whole. This, we cannot afford to bear.
