I agree with your first statement, but your second point is
factually incorrect, at least for the SAF group insurance that is
offered (and in fact is compulsory for soldiers in certain high
tempo units)-- the point of the SAF group insurance would be so
that SAF personnel would have SOME insurance coverage in case the
other insurance companies withdraw benefits like you stated. Of
course, if any insurance company publicly withdraws benefits for
soldiers just because they are deployed, the public firestorm that
follows would probably give that company some bad times.
You are correct on your point concerning the SAF Group Insurance
plan - which I must admit that I have very little details
concerning the insurance companies that are offering the special
protection plans for the SAF Personnel.
Most insurance companies have clauses that will
exclude certain vocations exposing the insured to extreme
dangers - such as parachuting, bomb disposal work, scuba
diving, and similar specialist trade.
The fighter pilots will have to pay an extra high premium for
their policies even when the RSAF has an impeccable service record
in terms of flight reliability and the number of aircraft failures
for the long period of flight operating hours.
MINDEF should look into a programme that will insure the SAF
Personnel that are exposed to harms' way - especially our troops
that have ''volunteered'' for UN sanctioned duties in Afghanistan,
Iraq, East Timor and any other war zones that are not in the daily
headlines.
MINDEF can make an effort to contribute 0.05 percent
from the Defence Budget into a Group Insurance Policy that will
provide a similar scheme comparable to the US Veteran Hospital
aftercare of injured US Armed Forces Personnel.
Alternatively, the Singapore National Budget has always boasted
the return of billions of Singapore Dollar every year from the
annual budget surplus to every Singaporean. The total sum paid out
annually can be more effectively applied to pay for a National
Insurance Scheme for the complete life time of every
Citizen - including members of the SAF.
