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Netizens allege Tony Tan helped son escape NS
inSing.com Editor
InSing.com
<cite style="display: block; font-style: normal; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; ">Netizens question Dr Tony Tan on his Facebook page. (Pic / Internet)</cite>
A netizen has openly questioned the integrity of presidential candidate Dr Tony Tan on his Facebook page.
In a post dated 27 July, netizen "Jessica Tan" wrote, "Elected President candidate Dr Tony Tan helped his son to escape military National Service. He had arranged for his son to do civilian work (research work at National Cancer Center) and be paid NS salary. It is legally right but morally wrong.'...can Dr Tony Tan verify the above statement?"
Dr Tan posted a response to "Jessica Tan", saying that she is mistaken. He goes on to explain that his son attended Basic Military Training, Officer Cadet School, and disrupted his National Service to attend an overseas medical school. His son was then assigned to become a defence medical scientist and performed research at the National Cancer Centre.
Dr Tan goes on to explain that his son received an NSman's salary and "fulfilled all requirements of NS such as IPPT and in-camp training".
In response, another netizen "Mohammad Nizam TransformingPap" comments, "Then it is very strange. I also disrupted from NS, I took up a PSC (Public Service Commission) scholarship and did my Master of Science in Biological Sciences".
He continues, "I was sent to mop floors at a sick bay after that, as a medic for 11 months. I wonder why your son has such treatment, whereas for me, I can't do research in the defence lab, instead, I had to mop floors".
"I wonder why. Is it because my father is a road sweeper, and my mom is a housewife? I really wonder if it is because my mother is not a graduate?"
The indignant netizen adds that together with a fellow doctor (who served NS as a combat Medical Officer), they are both not aware that disruptions are possible for overseas medical studies. "Only local", he explained.
In addition, he says there is also no such vocation as a defence medical scientist.
He finished off by asking, "Is this fair? "
Another netizen "Paul Tan" agreed and reasoned that this is because the above netizen is "not Dr TT's son".
Dr Tony Tan served as Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister from 1995 to 2005. He was also Defence Minister until 2003.
Dr Tan's son, Dr Patrick Tan, was a research scientist at the Defence Medical Research Institute from 2000 to 2003. In the same resume available online, he was also a senior scientist at the National Cancer Centre from 2000 to 2002, and the centre's principal investigator from 2002 to 2006.
inSing.com Editor
InSing.com

A netizen has openly questioned the integrity of presidential candidate Dr Tony Tan on his Facebook page.
In a post dated 27 July, netizen "Jessica Tan" wrote, "Elected President candidate Dr Tony Tan helped his son to escape military National Service. He had arranged for his son to do civilian work (research work at National Cancer Center) and be paid NS salary. It is legally right but morally wrong.'...can Dr Tony Tan verify the above statement?"
Dr Tan posted a response to "Jessica Tan", saying that she is mistaken. He goes on to explain that his son attended Basic Military Training, Officer Cadet School, and disrupted his National Service to attend an overseas medical school. His son was then assigned to become a defence medical scientist and performed research at the National Cancer Centre.
Dr Tan goes on to explain that his son received an NSman's salary and "fulfilled all requirements of NS such as IPPT and in-camp training".
In response, another netizen "Mohammad Nizam TransformingPap" comments, "Then it is very strange. I also disrupted from NS, I took up a PSC (Public Service Commission) scholarship and did my Master of Science in Biological Sciences".
He continues, "I was sent to mop floors at a sick bay after that, as a medic for 11 months. I wonder why your son has such treatment, whereas for me, I can't do research in the defence lab, instead, I had to mop floors".
"I wonder why. Is it because my father is a road sweeper, and my mom is a housewife? I really wonder if it is because my mother is not a graduate?"
The indignant netizen adds that together with a fellow doctor (who served NS as a combat Medical Officer), they are both not aware that disruptions are possible for overseas medical studies. "Only local", he explained.
In addition, he says there is also no such vocation as a defence medical scientist.
He finished off by asking, "Is this fair? "
Another netizen "Paul Tan" agreed and reasoned that this is because the above netizen is "not Dr TT's son".
Dr Tony Tan served as Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister from 1995 to 2005. He was also Defence Minister until 2003.
Dr Tan's son, Dr Patrick Tan, was a research scientist at the Defence Medical Research Institute from 2000 to 2003. In the same resume available online, he was also a senior scientist at the National Cancer Centre from 2000 to 2002, and the centre's principal investigator from 2002 to 2006.