SINGAPORE : Operationally Ready National Servicemen can look
forward to more cash incentives in the future, if a proposal by the
committee set up to recognise the contributions of NSmen gets the
nod.
Manpower Minister and Second Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who also
chairs the committee, says this suggestion will be firmed up in
January 2006.
Chemical defence equipment for Singapore's National Servicemen
would have been unthinkable 15 years ago; today it is standard
training for all NSmen.
During a visit, some 50 civilian employers said they were impressed
by the high training standard in the SAF and most felt it was now
more prepared than ever before.
But transforming SAF into the third generation also means heavier
demands on soldiers.
Said Dr Ng, "You need leaders who can explain to the men and help
them use the tech, so it requires change in leadership thinking and
management style; more is expected from them. Each soldier will be
asked to deliver more, so we will look into more financial
incentives for this group."
And that is not all.
De Ng said, "The 40th anniversary of SAF is coming. We ought to use
that occasion, next time we do a surplus sharing, to give more to
those who built up the SAF, to recognise their contribution."
During its dialogue with the committee, most employers wanted to
learn even more about the SAF.
The committee will now expand its community outreach programmes to
include more civilian visits for spouses, families and the general
public.
Said Ricky Sim, chief operating officer, Suntec Investment, "I came
here 30 years ago as a trainee.There's a tremendous change. This
place is so different from when I was here, especially 'Peng Kang'
hill. I hope more employers can come and see for themselves, to see
what their NSmen are doing. Otherwise we thought they are just
wasting their time, and wasting the company's time."
Another recommendation is to have a historical record of a changing
SAF, which means a museum could be set up to give a fresh
perspective to a younger generation of how far the SAF has come. -
CNA /ct