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The banning of the song “Purple Light” in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) could possibly have set a new precedent. I say this because the SAF has been typically quite slow and stubborn to react to feedback, and thus the banning of this song because a women’s right group has protested may be seen as a positive one. However, if we look into the bigger picture, it may also be argued that this is another instance where SAF is again repressing its servicemen while trying to give the illusion that it is objective and a dynamic organization.
What went ‘wrong’ along the way?
Typical of military tradition, songs have evolved and are sung so as to reflect the feelings of the servicemen in a light-hearted manner.
In its original form, the lyrics went along the lines of “Booking out, see my girlfriend, Saw her with another man, Broken heart back to army, With my rifle and my buddy and me.” While there are no concrete statistics to support this, there are no doubt many instances of Singaporean males sacrificing their relationships due to the unjustifiable commitments of national service to a country whose government has been repressing us Singaporeans.
Over time, a single sentence has been changed tongue-in-cheek from “Broken heart back to army” To “Kill the man, rape my girlfriend.” While this is obviously not justifiable behavior, the whole essence of this is that such changes were meant tongue-in-cheek because of the extent of its absurdness. Could it really have been carried out? Obviously not! In addition, it could also be said that such actions are reflective of the unhappiness and the oppression that our conscripts face.
Understanding the whole picture: Why was it banned?
Simply, the lyrics drew some rebuke from women’s right group AWARE and they are not too happy about it. Hence, they wrote in to MINDEF who decided to ban it outright. As a serviceman, I am not unhappy that the group has decided to voice its unhappiness against such offensive lyrics. Rather, the essence of it here is that MINDEF handled the issue in a very bad light by simply bending to an external organization without fully understanding the culture of the foot soldiers as well as conduct proper dialogue to those involved.
What does this say about the MINDEF/SAF complex and their ideas?
Essentially, this issue reflects two things. Firstly, MINDEF does not understand its servicemen’s frustration and how the lyrics have evolved over time. Secondly, it also reflects how much contempt and disregard it has for the welfare and culture of its servicemen by simple virtue of listening to an external organization and banning the song altogether without any form of consultation. This is intolerable in the context where MINDEF has put up a recent ‘wayang’ in an attempt to engage its serviceman.
What should MINDEF have done instead?
While they are not wrong to ban the song, they should seek to understand how the song has evolved by servicemen frustrated by the sentiments that they have brought about. They would be in a better position to factor such into recent reviews of the national service policy and allow more flexible hours to servicemen (are all of them required to stay in after operational hours?). In addition, dialogue could also have been conducted to educated its servicemen on this perceived lack of social consideration and restore the lyrics to the original and non-offensive ones so as to preserve military tradition. Engagement these days is better than opposing and repressing.
Conclusion
MINDEF is an organization which has an impact on the lives of many Singaporean males. By showing itself to be such an irresponsible organization, it will only lose its legitimacy as time goes by.
- http://chinaporean.wordpress.com/20...-light-reflects-how-screwed-up-mindef-saf-is/
What went ‘wrong’ along the way?
Typical of military tradition, songs have evolved and are sung so as to reflect the feelings of the servicemen in a light-hearted manner.
In its original form, the lyrics went along the lines of “Booking out, see my girlfriend, Saw her with another man, Broken heart back to army, With my rifle and my buddy and me.” While there are no concrete statistics to support this, there are no doubt many instances of Singaporean males sacrificing their relationships due to the unjustifiable commitments of national service to a country whose government has been repressing us Singaporeans.
Over time, a single sentence has been changed tongue-in-cheek from “Broken heart back to army” To “Kill the man, rape my girlfriend.” While this is obviously not justifiable behavior, the whole essence of this is that such changes were meant tongue-in-cheek because of the extent of its absurdness. Could it really have been carried out? Obviously not! In addition, it could also be said that such actions are reflective of the unhappiness and the oppression that our conscripts face.
Understanding the whole picture: Why was it banned?
Simply, the lyrics drew some rebuke from women’s right group AWARE and they are not too happy about it. Hence, they wrote in to MINDEF who decided to ban it outright. As a serviceman, I am not unhappy that the group has decided to voice its unhappiness against such offensive lyrics. Rather, the essence of it here is that MINDEF handled the issue in a very bad light by simply bending to an external organization without fully understanding the culture of the foot soldiers as well as conduct proper dialogue to those involved.
What does this say about the MINDEF/SAF complex and their ideas?
Essentially, this issue reflects two things. Firstly, MINDEF does not understand its servicemen’s frustration and how the lyrics have evolved over time. Secondly, it also reflects how much contempt and disregard it has for the welfare and culture of its servicemen by simple virtue of listening to an external organization and banning the song altogether without any form of consultation. This is intolerable in the context where MINDEF has put up a recent ‘wayang’ in an attempt to engage its serviceman.
What should MINDEF have done instead?
While they are not wrong to ban the song, they should seek to understand how the song has evolved by servicemen frustrated by the sentiments that they have brought about. They would be in a better position to factor such into recent reviews of the national service policy and allow more flexible hours to servicemen (are all of them required to stay in after operational hours?). In addition, dialogue could also have been conducted to educated its servicemen on this perceived lack of social consideration and restore the lyrics to the original and non-offensive ones so as to preserve military tradition. Engagement these days is better than opposing and repressing.
Conclusion
MINDEF is an organization which has an impact on the lives of many Singaporean males. By showing itself to be such an irresponsible organization, it will only lose its legitimacy as time goes by.
- http://chinaporean.wordpress.com/20...-light-reflects-how-screwed-up-mindef-saf-is/
