ARE Singapore's top military commanders too young and
inexperienced?
Are they fast-tracked to the upper echelons because of their
scholar credentials, while more experienced non-scholars or
"farmers" as they have been unceremoniously labelled toil in
vain?
Are soldiers here soft because of the emphasis on safety during
training at the expense of realism?
And do officers lack professionalism and commitment because
mandatory retirement at 45 means many see their time in uniform "as
a stepping stone" to a second career in politics or business.
These questions, and several others, are the subject of a critique
of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) published in United
States-based journal Armed Forces & Society. The quarterly
circulates some 2000 copies worldwide.
The article, which has made its rounds in Singapore and created a
stir among the uniformed ranks, was written by an American soldier
Sean Walsh, who was stationed at the United States Embassy in
Singapore for several weeks in 2004, during his summer break from
the US Military Academy.
In the article, The Roar of the Lion City, the writer also claimed
that women have been held back from holding high posts in the SAF,
and that there is a policy to keep Malays out of sensitive
areas.
Despite his criticism of the SAF, Mr Walsh, who graduated from the
US Army Ranger School, concluded his article by saying "there can
be no doubt that the SAF is the most competent, well-equipped and
best trained force in the whole of South-east Asia" a claim the
SAF itself has not made.
He also admitted that the SAF was "more than capable" of defending
Singapore's borders, conducting peacekeeping missions and dealing
with asymmetric threats in the wake of 911. It possessed a
"world-class" special operations force which would not require
outside assistance, he noted.
So, why the paradoxical praise and criticism of the SAF?
Mr Walsh, who is deployed in Germany, could not be contacted, but
in his article he pointed to the age of SAF's top commanders such
as Brigadier-General Desmond Quek, who was 39 when he was promoted
to the post of Army Chief and concluded that "youth naturally
corresponds to inexperience" and this "casts obvious doubts on
their ability to lead in a conflict against battle-hardened
troops".
However, responding to queries from TODAY, Col Benedict Lim,
director of public affairs at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef),
said: "The SAF does not seek out wars but will not flinch from
putting its soldiers into harm's way to fulfil its primary mission
of protecting the vital interests of our country."
He also pointed out that the SAF carries out about 70 exercises
annually with other countries' armed forces, some of which have
considerable combat experience, and has been praised for its
professionalism. The SAF has also carried out humanitarian
missions, for example during Hurricane Katrina in New
Orleans.
Defence analyst Dr Alvin Chew told Today that the debate centred on
Singapore's defence policy, which is based on diplomacy and
deterrence. As such, the relative youthfulness of SAF officers, who
are groomed in building bilateral or multi-lateral relationships
with foreign militaries, was not a major drawback.
Also, given that fighting a war is not the Republic's most pressing
concern, defence analyst Dr Bernard Loo said that early retirement
meant that the SAF's best and brightest could be deployed for
"broader or higher national purposes whether it is in running the
economy, or running the Government".
Defending Mindef's policy to aggressively recruit and offer
scholarships to the "brightest and most capable young men and
women", Col Lim said that the SAF, like the rest of the public
sector, operates on the principle of meritocracy, and those "who do
not perform adequately are released".
But are Singapore soldiers ready to be stand in harm's way?
Mr Walsh wrote that a heavy emphasis on safety and the fact that
"any major injury or death causes a very public uproar among
parents" has resulted in a force less than ready for
deployment.
Taking a different view, Col Lim argued that "an emphasis on safety
and rigorous, realistic training are not mutually exclusive" and
that the SAF prepares its servicemen to "fight, survive and win" in
battle.
As for women in uniform, Mr Walsh's claimed that one of the SAF's
"greatest shortcomings" was that high rank and important commands
were closed to most women. Admitting "there was no policy that
pushes gender integration for its own sake", Col Lim said that
women with proven merit in the SAF currently "command ships and
army units, fly combat aircraft and serve in many combat
vocations".
Perhaps the most controversial claim by the US soldier was that
"official discrimination against the Malay population remains an
open secret" and those of the race are "systematically kept out" of
sensitive areas.
Mr Walsh claims that this has two major consequences: It "limits
the involvement of the ethnic group most inclined to join the
military" and it feeds the "perception of a second-class status
among Malays, a fact which terrorist recruiters have taken
advantage of before, and they may do so again" referring to the
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members arrested in Singapore for plotting
terrorist attacks.
Addressing this charge, Col Lim said: "The writer's prescription
for ethnic integration in the SAF seriously underestimates the
challenges of building ethnic and religious harmony in
Singapore.
"Singapore has made much progress in ethnic and religious
integration. Singapore does not gloss over the fact that there is
yet more to be done and addresses these challenges directly and
openly."
Stressing that integration in the SAF would proceed in tandem with
nation-building, Col Lim added that there are a good number of
Malay SAF officers, some with higher degrees, whose studies were
sponsored by the SAF, and whether a Malay SAF officer makes it to a
higher appointment depends solely on merit.
In fact, Malay officers have risen through the ranks and held
senior appointments.
"We have Malay pilots, commandos and air defence personnel. Those
who have shown the potential to take on higher appointments in the
SAF are given every opportunity to do so. Malay officers in the SAF
hold key appointments such as Commanding Officer," said Col
Lim.
"In fact, the proportion of eligible Malays selected for specialist
and officer training is similar to the proportion for eligible
non-Malays."
Mr Zulkifli Baharudin, a Malay community leader and former
Nominated MP, said that the JI arrests had shown that some
Singaporeans "will not react primarily to our national interests
and are not completely colour-blind in our instincts".
He added: "We have also seen in the past that events in India and
China have had and I'm putting it mildly reverberations here."
- TODAY
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