- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 33,627
- Points
- 0
[h=2]Dr Parag: When the time comes, my son will do NS[/h]
April 29th, 2014 |
Author: Editorial
Dr Parag Khanna (Photo: www.paragkhanna.com)
Dr Parag Khanna, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International
Affairs and Adjunct Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy,
became an instant “celebrity” on social media when he famously told the audience
at a forum organized by the Straits Times (ST) last year that Singapore can fit
8 million people or more by the year 2030.
In a follow-up media interview, he criticised the Singapore government for
responding to public unhappiness with the 6.9 million figure published in the
Population White Paper:
That was their (Govt’s) mistake. I have no sympathy for that.
I do not believe that it’s the job of a government to perpetually react to
whatever sentiments and whims that are emerging and then be handicapped in
making strategy by those whims. Governments which do that (will)
fail.
On his own website (www.paragkhanna.com), Dr Parag describes
himself as a leading global strategist, world traveler and best-selling author.
Born in India, he grew up in the UAE, New York, and Germany. He has travelled to
more than 100 countries on all continents, climbed numerous 20,000-foot plus
peaks and trekked in the Alps, Himalayas, and Tien Shan mountain ranges. He
speaks Hindi, German, French, Spanish, and basic Arabic.
On Saturday (26 Apr), he said in an ST article (‘National service for the
21st century’) that his son would serve “Singaporean national service”.
However, in the article, he argued that NS must evolve with the times to
encompass other non-security functions:
The state has substantial and diverse priorities. These include national
defence and internal security, social services, and a desire to stimulate
creativity and promote economic growth. Singapore’s NS should therefore be
broadened to encompass these functions in a way that does not compromise
fundamental security needs.
The SAF is a crucial foundation of this strength – but it is not the only
one. Nor is it the only one that requires able-bodied citizens to commit time
and effort.
Indeed, it is rather odd for a country whose civil service is perhaps the
world’s most competent and effective to limit formal service requirements to
defence alone.
He wants to see NS become a menu of options across military, civil,
commercial and social entities.
He suggests providing a wide range of NS positions across corporate, civil,
social and military functions, with dynamic quotas based on positions available
and needed each year. Students will indicate their preferences across “hard” and
“soft” placements, but with the SAF, SCDF and police having priority to ensure
they meet their force adequacy requirements.
“Fairness should be built in by requiring each NS-hosting entity to take in a
representative cross-section of youth from all backgrounds and education levels
to avoid giving unfair career advantages to those in corporate or civil roles
rather than military,” he said.
If choices are unevenly distributed – for example, if too many young people
choose the engineering option and not enough choose the educational one – a
ballot may be held and some people may be routed to their second or even third
choices, he suggested.
As an example, he said that during World War II, the US exempted from the
draft men working in crucial sectors such as automobile and tank assembly.
“Shouldn’t some NS men become structural engineers, building next-generation
infrastructure at home while developing skills for a lucrative industry
Singapore can export?” Dr Parag asked.
He also explained that the French system includes rigorous training in public
administration as well as work in commercial entities. He suggested that
Singaporeans should similarly become “commercial cadets” within the many
government-linked companies, learning management skills essential for both
climbing the corporate ladder and running entrepreneurial start-ups.
“They could even do service projects in neighbouring Asean countries in a
Singapore-style peace corps,” he said.
Other areas where Singaporeans can serve their NS are education and
healthcare, he suggested.
“Many of those who begin with teaching apprenticeships during NS may later
choose education as a profession,” he proposed.
“Healthcare, particularly for the elderly, also needs a manpower boost.”
Dr Parag concluded by saying:
When the time comes, my son will do Singaporean national service whatever
form it takes. So the question is not whether to serve, but what service is
needed?
If Singapore continues to focus on security needs (i.e. SAF, Police, SCDF)
and ignores his non-security NS proposal, would Dr Parag still let his son serve
“Singaporean NS”?
What do you think?
Dr Parag Khanna (Photo: www.paragkhanna.com)
Dr Parag Khanna, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International
Affairs and Adjunct Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy,
became an instant “celebrity” on social media when he famously told the audience
at a forum organized by the Straits Times (ST) last year that Singapore can fit
8 million people or more by the year 2030.
In a follow-up media interview, he criticised the Singapore government for
responding to public unhappiness with the 6.9 million figure published in the
Population White Paper:
That was their (Govt’s) mistake. I have no sympathy for that.
I do not believe that it’s the job of a government to perpetually react to
whatever sentiments and whims that are emerging and then be handicapped in
making strategy by those whims. Governments which do that (will)
fail.
himself as a leading global strategist, world traveler and best-selling author.
Born in India, he grew up in the UAE, New York, and Germany. He has travelled to
more than 100 countries on all continents, climbed numerous 20,000-foot plus
peaks and trekked in the Alps, Himalayas, and Tien Shan mountain ranges. He
speaks Hindi, German, French, Spanish, and basic Arabic.
On Saturday (26 Apr), he said in an ST article (‘National service for the
21st century’) that his son would serve “Singaporean national service”.
However, in the article, he argued that NS must evolve with the times to
encompass other non-security functions:
The state has substantial and diverse priorities. These include national
defence and internal security, social services, and a desire to stimulate
creativity and promote economic growth. Singapore’s NS should therefore be
broadened to encompass these functions in a way that does not compromise
fundamental security needs.
The SAF is a crucial foundation of this strength – but it is not the only
one. Nor is it the only one that requires able-bodied citizens to commit time
and effort.
Indeed, it is rather odd for a country whose civil service is perhaps the
world’s most competent and effective to limit formal service requirements to
defence alone.
commercial and social entities.
He suggests providing a wide range of NS positions across corporate, civil,
social and military functions, with dynamic quotas based on positions available
and needed each year. Students will indicate their preferences across “hard” and
“soft” placements, but with the SAF, SCDF and police having priority to ensure
they meet their force adequacy requirements.
“Fairness should be built in by requiring each NS-hosting entity to take in a
representative cross-section of youth from all backgrounds and education levels
to avoid giving unfair career advantages to those in corporate or civil roles
rather than military,” he said.
If choices are unevenly distributed – for example, if too many young people
choose the engineering option and not enough choose the educational one – a
ballot may be held and some people may be routed to their second or even third
choices, he suggested.
As an example, he said that during World War II, the US exempted from the
draft men working in crucial sectors such as automobile and tank assembly.
“Shouldn’t some NS men become structural engineers, building next-generation
infrastructure at home while developing skills for a lucrative industry
Singapore can export?” Dr Parag asked.
He also explained that the French system includes rigorous training in public
administration as well as work in commercial entities. He suggested that
Singaporeans should similarly become “commercial cadets” within the many
government-linked companies, learning management skills essential for both
climbing the corporate ladder and running entrepreneurial start-ups.
“They could even do service projects in neighbouring Asean countries in a
Singapore-style peace corps,” he said.
Other areas where Singaporeans can serve their NS are education and
healthcare, he suggested.
“Many of those who begin with teaching apprenticeships during NS may later
choose education as a profession,” he proposed.
“Healthcare, particularly for the elderly, also needs a manpower boost.”
Dr Parag concluded by saying:
When the time comes, my son will do Singaporean national service whatever
form it takes. So the question is not whether to serve, but what service is
needed?
and ignores his non-security NS proposal, would Dr Parag still let his son serve
“Singaporean NS”?
What do you think?
