Guide to securing a PES F in National Service

SAF Confessions
13 June at 18:48 ·

"Hello people, I would like to share my PES F story.

Before I start, here is to the people who say people who chao keng are pussies, hum ji, ball-less, etc. Not everyone is suited for the military. Not everyone is made for getting shouted at by sadistic superiors. For my case, I decided that NS pay of $480 was not going to cover my housing rent, my car installment, my food and my other expenses. I was not going to give up my freedom for a national duty.

Here is my story. I enlisted directly into HRI as PES E9L9 due to 'depression' (as diagnosed by IMH). I first started going to IMH a year before enlistment to build up a case to get a down pes. True enough, I got downgraded to E9L9 from A. As I only have a private diploma and O levels, being PES A will definitely make me a chiong sua man. To me, my business and career is more important than NS. We can leave the NS to those who aim just to be a mediocre person in life.

On the day of enlistment, I knew I had to shave my head. Thus I managed to get a memo from the IMH psychiatrist to request an excuse from cutting hair. A bald head would just make taking MCs from hospitals harder. Despite the memo, the commanders were adamant about cutting hair. I then acted up, curled into a ball, clutched my head and start sobbing as loud as I could. Immediately, the OC told me it will be fine and asked me to get it cut myself outside. He then asked me to go see my doctor and I went to IMH. I only spent 1 hour in camp throughout my entire NS life. After walking out of the camp, I immediately went to IMH a&e department and got myself a 4 day MC.

As the 4 day MC came to an end, I realized I could not go back to camp as I could not leave my work (that would result in me having no money). I then started a spree of MCs from hospital A&Es and polyclinics. These ranged from 1-5 day MCs. Although there is a directive that MCs more than 3 days must be endorsed, I just said I was too sick to leave the house and there was nothing they could do. I believe, somewhere along the line, they instructed hospitals to stop giving me MCs as the MCs started to dwindle to 1 day in duration. I then began to impersonate officers, pilots and even had friends dress up as my superiors wheel me in on wheelchairs to the A&E. Let's just say luckily the hospitals can't verify this.

About a month into the MC spree, they had sent MPs to my house multiple times and claimed I wasn't home (I was at work obviously). Some bastard officer then threatened to charge me for not being at home when on MC. I immediately replied and yelled at him in a maniac voice that I was indeed at home and had just taken sleeping pills issued by the doctor. Why am I not allowed to rest when on MC? Need I be awake just for their stupid house visits?. I then threatened to go see my MP and talk to the press about them harassing me when I was trying to rest and this young punk officer immediately backed off.

The finale and PES F came when one day, they tried to get the police to breach my door down while I was on MC. Luckily I was at home and opened the door to the surprise of the police officers. I then conveyed my intent that I was sick and wanted to rest without being disturbed. They then left without protest.

Knowing that they would soon do more unscrupulous things, I checked myself into IMH for a 2 day resort stay fully paid for by our dear Mindef. The psychiatrist then asked if I would like to continue NS and I replied that I do not want to see people in army uniform as I wish to kill them. Immediately upon my discharge, they scheduled me to see an SAF psychiatrist and he gave me the most Honourable award the SAF can issue, a PES F as well as a 2 month MC to cover me from returning to camp while the PES F processes.

Two weeks later, a call from my camp informed me that my IC could be collected back. I went down, took my IC and walked out a free man, free of any reservist obligations, duty to obtain exit permits. I was and am elated.

In total, I was enlisted for a total of one month and two weeks, out of which, I spent only an hour in camp. On average, I spend one hour for each day MC making me effectively serve NS for one hour per day. Given the monthly allowance of $480 and given that I spend 5 hours a week taking MC, I am roughly paid $24 per hour to take MCs, making me the highest paid NSFs in service.

So to all PES F hopefuls, I want to encourage you to take this path. It is a path more exclusive than OCS, as only a select few can actually attain this highest honour. Don't be fooled by what some people say about PES F people being unable to be hired. The world is your oyster. Even if no one wants to hire you (very unlikely as people in the private sector don't give a fuck about NS and would be happier if you had no NS obligations), start a business or carve your own career. Don't let the negativity of people who verbally abuse 'chao kengsters' affect you. Majority of this people have the 'just suck it up attitude' and are happy with a mediocre life. I'm not and I am sure you are not. I want to excel and succeed and challenge the impossible.

They said it was impossible to PES F and avoid hair cuts, but I did it nonetheless.

So go out and get your PES F and let the world see.

Sincerely,
A PES F-ed Recruit."

https://www.facebook.com/safconfession/posts/293086464203387

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8 PES status: http://www.ns.sg/cs/content/eServic...nformation/medical_classification_centre.html

SAF looking into netizen’s claim of feigning depression for NS exemption
By Neo Chai Chin
POSTED: 16 Jun 2014 07:45

Servicemen with genuine psychological conditions would continue to be cared for, SAF reassures.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is looking into a netizen’s claim that he obtained a discharge from National Service (NS) by feigning mental illness, but gave the assurance that servicemen with genuine psychological conditions would continue to be cared for.

The netizen posted on June 13 on the SAF Confessions Facebook page – which is not affiliated to the SAF or the Ministry of Defence – that he began going to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) a year before he was due to enlist, on the pretext of suffering from depression.

He acted up on the day of his enlistment to avoid having his head shaven, dishonestly obtained medical certificates from various places and even checked himself into the IMH to get himself discharged from National Service.

The netizen, who signed off as “A PES F-ed Recruit”, boasted that during his enlistment period of one-and-a-half months, he spent only an hour in camp. PES F refers to the physical employment status that exempts one from NS.

He drew swift condemnation, with 270 comments on his post as of Monday (June 16). The post has also drawn more than 265 “likes”. One Facebook user, Zhaohan Chua, said he “should be ashamed for perpetuating the perception that soldiers who are diagnosed with mental illnesses are faking it to escape National Service”.

The Singapore Army said on its Facebook page at about 4pm on Sunday that the SAF was looking into the case. “His dishonesty undermines our system of managing servicemen who genuinely suffer from mental illness. This serviceman had taken the care and consideration given to him by the SAF for granted,” the Army said, adding that servicemen with genuine psychological conditions would continue to be given care and assistance.

The issue of NSmen with mental illnesses was in the spotlight recently, with Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen stating in Parliament last month that about 500 NSmen had been exempted each year for the past three years for mental health problems.

Pre-enlistees are screened by medical officers for psychiatric, behavioural and adjustment problems, and those with severe mental illnesses will be exempted from NS, a decision made by a specialist medical board, he had said.
-TODAY/cy

frankly i find the story very dubious. from what i know and seen, many recruits with mental problems usually end up with PES E not F. i worked with quite a number of them, and they clearly have some personality quirks and have to take daily medication for various reasons. one of my platoon mates who has low IQ and behaves like a 5 year old boy, can hardly take care of himself, but he kena pes B!