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[h=2]NS in Singapore – learning from Taiwan[/h]
December 29th, 2013 |
Author: Contributions
NSMen
Globally, conscription terms have been shortened or abolished altogether in the past few years in almost every corner of the world. In 2010, Germany set out to scrap compulsory military service altogether while there are currently talks in Cyprus to reduce the term by half. Even in the case of Taiwan, the government is seeking to scrap the 3-month long basic military service. Unfortunately for Singaporeans, we still have yet to see any palpable improvement as more and more Singaporean Sons suffer despite the ‘wayang’ put up by the PAP dogs.
Persistence and true Taiwanese leadership
When Taiwan decided to move towards a fully professional army, they only managed to fill up 4,000 places out of their 28,000 aim. Yet, the Taiwanese government plans to increase the pay of regular servicemen to attract them due to their low sign-up rates. While there is some delay, it is good to see the Taiwanese government stick to their plans and not give empty promises like the PAP to look into affairs while giving tons of disclaimers, like how NS cannot be monetary incentivised.
Comparative geo-political threats?
Clearly, Taiwan faces a much higher geo-political threat than us because Beijing refuses to recognize its independence and has an estimated 1,500 missiles pointing at the Taiwan. Such a threat clearly exceeds that faced in Singapore. Not only have we have built up comprehensive relationship with our neighbours, we also have “one of the most sophisticated [military] hardware” as cited from Jane’s Defence Journal. It is sad that Singaporean males have to suffer that much because of a cranky old man’s perception and insecurities about our neighbours.
Socioeconomic costs to our Singaporean sons?
With 2 years of freedom, corporate pay, experience and promotion opportunities sacrificed, the costs of NS could amount to as much as a $100,000 for your average graduate. The pay difference of $2,500 multiplied by 24 add up to more than $60,000 while the other intangibles such as freedom and corporate experience may be hard to measure but could amount to a higher amount given individual preferences. For example, if your average graduate is willing to pay $1,200 a month to abstain from NS, then clearly the value he places on his freedom and corporate experience adds up to approximately $30,000.
Continued disappointment?
Even though government surveys show a high support rate for NS, the fact remains that their sample size of 1,000+ respondents are not reflective of the population while we do not know the conditions where the survey are conducted. Are these respondents given unnecessary pressure? Are they overly-enthusiastic officers who have nothing better to do? One could look to cyberspace to understand the growing resistance faced by NSmen against the backdrop of massive immigration.
Concluding remarks?
While the PAP continues to live in denial, alternative political parties have already made good plans to reduce the term of NS because they understand the realities of the modern world. While the PAP has proposed a defence tax, we see that such measures are nothing but bullshit and cheap talk. Over and beyond stubbornness, they reflect the fact that they are out of touch with the ground and deserve to be voted out. Come 2016, to hell with the old man and his party!
Joseph Kheng-Liang Tan
* The author is a 21 year-old polytechnic graduate who is currently pursuing his law degree in Australia. A believer of the free press, he has contributed extensively in his personal capacity to popular socio-political sites.
Globally, conscription terms have been shortened or abolished altogether in the past few years in almost every corner of the world. In 2010, Germany set out to scrap compulsory military service altogether while there are currently talks in Cyprus to reduce the term by half. Even in the case of Taiwan, the government is seeking to scrap the 3-month long basic military service. Unfortunately for Singaporeans, we still have yet to see any palpable improvement as more and more Singaporean Sons suffer despite the ‘wayang’ put up by the PAP dogs.
Persistence and true Taiwanese leadership
When Taiwan decided to move towards a fully professional army, they only managed to fill up 4,000 places out of their 28,000 aim. Yet, the Taiwanese government plans to increase the pay of regular servicemen to attract them due to their low sign-up rates. While there is some delay, it is good to see the Taiwanese government stick to their plans and not give empty promises like the PAP to look into affairs while giving tons of disclaimers, like how NS cannot be monetary incentivised.
Comparative geo-political threats?
Clearly, Taiwan faces a much higher geo-political threat than us because Beijing refuses to recognize its independence and has an estimated 1,500 missiles pointing at the Taiwan. Such a threat clearly exceeds that faced in Singapore. Not only have we have built up comprehensive relationship with our neighbours, we also have “one of the most sophisticated [military] hardware” as cited from Jane’s Defence Journal. It is sad that Singaporean males have to suffer that much because of a cranky old man’s perception and insecurities about our neighbours.
Socioeconomic costs to our Singaporean sons?
With 2 years of freedom, corporate pay, experience and promotion opportunities sacrificed, the costs of NS could amount to as much as a $100,000 for your average graduate. The pay difference of $2,500 multiplied by 24 add up to more than $60,000 while the other intangibles such as freedom and corporate experience may be hard to measure but could amount to a higher amount given individual preferences. For example, if your average graduate is willing to pay $1,200 a month to abstain from NS, then clearly the value he places on his freedom and corporate experience adds up to approximately $30,000.
Continued disappointment?
Even though government surveys show a high support rate for NS, the fact remains that their sample size of 1,000+ respondents are not reflective of the population while we do not know the conditions where the survey are conducted. Are these respondents given unnecessary pressure? Are they overly-enthusiastic officers who have nothing better to do? One could look to cyberspace to understand the growing resistance faced by NSmen against the backdrop of massive immigration.
Concluding remarks?
While the PAP continues to live in denial, alternative political parties have already made good plans to reduce the term of NS because they understand the realities of the modern world. While the PAP has proposed a defence tax, we see that such measures are nothing but bullshit and cheap talk. Over and beyond stubbornness, they reflect the fact that they are out of touch with the ground and deserve to be voted out. Come 2016, to hell with the old man and his party!
Joseph Kheng-Liang Tan
* The author is a 21 year-old polytechnic graduate who is currently pursuing his law degree in Australia. A believer of the free press, he has contributed extensively in his personal capacity to popular socio-political sites.
