SINGAPOREAN men are divided in their opinions on whether women
should volunteer for NS, according to an online poll conducted by
The Straits Times on Thursday.
When asked 'Would you be supportive of your daughter, wife or
mother volunteering for NS?', 54 per cent of 1,300 respondents
indicated 'No'.
The poll was created in response to Nominated MP Viswa
Sadasivan's call to let women volunteer for NS, made in Parliament
earlier this week.
Second Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen had replied: 'The
Singapore Armed Forces will not draft women for national service
because there are no operational needs to justify doing so.'
On Facebook and Twitter, Straits Times readers debated the pros
and cons of having women don green fatigue.
Among them was Mr Melvin Hoe, who wrote: 'I'd venture a guess
that NS helps to forge a sense of national identity. What's the use
of only inculcating this in the males then?'
Echoing him was Mr Yue Sern Mok, who wrote: 'Girls have always
asked for equal rights accorded to them. So why can't they also do
NS?'
Speaking up for the ladies was Ms Geraldine Tan, who wrote:
'If us girls have to take up arms to protect ourselves, on top
of the cooking, washing, having babies and having a career, we need
men because...?'
-- ST
