I believe these are very well written comments by you, Mr
MIKEN80. I have not entered into this forum for almost 2 years. And
what I see is this kind of remarks being made on my return. Anyone
cared to tell this young chap what could be wrong with his
comments?
As for you, Mr MIKEN80, I have no wish to enter into a flame war
with you on this topic. But allow me to correct your comments on
certain points as follows:
1. Singapore can be defended and will be defended. I have completed
my 2.5 years of National Service since 2000 July 31st. I had been
trained on how to fight and trained to kill another man with a gun.
I never wish to fight anyone and never ever hope to see a war
happen on this land. But if it must happen, then I am ready to
fight, not for the government, not for SM Lee, PM Goh, but for the
ones I love. I fight to prevent anyone from taking their peaceful
life away from them.
2. Singapore is the only home I have and if a bomb is all that is
needed to kill my entire HDB block of people, then I pray to God
that I be there in time to shield my family from the bomb blast
with my body.
3. If the government of Singapore were to set aside a portion of
its collected taxes on feeding a 100% regulars army, there will be
no money left to build schools, build roads, Mr MIKEN80's favorite
Orchard Road. Providing clean drinking water for everyone will
become a problem too. Most of us would have to walk from point A to
point B to collect potable water everyday.
4. The $240 that each recruit gets per month is called an
Allowance. Supposed to be a form of training for money management.
It sure isn't enough for some young men who get almost $500 or more
per month from their parents. Trying to make one's "own ends meet"
on this sum makes one learn the importance of money very soon.
Training, not torture.
5. University education in Singapore is based on the concept that a
freshman starting on any of his year one modules should be given
all the required knowledge for that module. There is no expectation
for anyone to remember what they learnt during JC. Not everyone in
the universities here have a GCE 'A' Level certificate on Maths or
sciences. There are lots of foreigners that come here for a
university education without the knowledge taught to us in
JC.
6. The gentlemen in Singapore will complete their university
education about 2 years later than their female counterparts who
need not do their National Service. Entering the working
environment will mean that ladies of the same age have 2 years
extra working experience 2 years more of pay increments. But guys
are given that extra 2 years of pay increment that the ladies
experience only after two years of work immediately upon
acceptance. We call it NS Increment. This is one free 20+%
increment without even starting to work for that company. A NS guy
has his benifits.
7. I know most of us here will continue to be energetic for a long
time till we finally end six feet under. Boys become Men during
those years spent in the armed forces. Our primary school friends,
secondary school friends and JC friends have been through a lot
with us, shared our happyness and joy. We may someday forget their
names, and even their faces. But I know the friends I make during
my National Service time will stay with me through thick and thin.
For the blood we blead for each other is thicker than the saliver I
spent on chit chatting with my school friends.
8. A man's talent is not restricted by his age. Experience makes
him wiser, exposure makes him smarter. To label a validity period
on one's best creativity and capability is majorly wrong. Mr
MIKEN80, you have yet to read about any biography of any famous
person living or dead. Your opinion that "18-23" being most
creative and capable will change after you have read some.
Thanks for bearing with me if you have read till this point. The
above points 1-8 are my personal opinions, and at no time at all,
meant to change the thinking of Mr MIKEN80 in anyway. For each is
free to choose his own path of thinking.
BTW, if you are thinking that I could be some high ranking officer
preaching National Education when I was in the Army, you are wrong.
I am only an low level soldier, completing my NS with the rank of
Coporal.
Cheers.
