[h=2]Conscripting our daughters into SAF – writing on the wall[/h]
June 5th, 2014 |
Author: Contributions
It has been a number of years since I first suspected the PAP Government has a serious plan to conscript Singaporeans’ daughters into the military.
Recently, the writing is clearly on the wall. The Defence Minister announced the government’s intention of setting up SAFVC (Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps) to allow native Singaporean women, new citizens and first-generation permanent residents to contribute to Singapore’s defence.
I read this SAFVC set up as a step by the government closer to its ultimate plan of conscripting Singaporeans’ daughters into the military – or another form of “national service” for the government, at a dirt cheap cost.
Surprisingly, such a strategic manoeuvring has not been detected by the public. Or perhaps Singaporeans have been indoctrinated to think that discussions of national defence should be kept secret and left to only a small group of people within the government? Unbelievable it may be, in this 21st century, you can still hear people saying, “If we discuss national defence publicly, our enemies will get to know it and it will be easy for them to attack us.”
The required size of a nation’s army depends on a number of factors and scenarios. We do not know what factors and scenarios our defence requirements have been based on. Given the disproportional huge resources our government has committed on defence (compared to countries that faced higher risk of a war break out), one would suspect whether our defence expenditure and manpower requirements have been based on obsolete military doctrine, or perceived fears of a man who is trapped in the era of Singapore’s pre-independence!
Among the volunteers whom SAFVC hopes to attract, it is conceivable to assume that native Singaporean women are likely to form the largest number. New citizens and permanent residents are here for economic reasons; they did not travel all the way from their home countries to Singapore for the purpose of defending Singapore’s national security; they did not come here to risk their lives for a mission of safeguarding Singaporeans’ assets, culture and values – which are so alien to them.
Sure, SAFVC will be able to draw some volunteers – there bound to be some young women who will be attracted by well written slogans and pictures put up by SAFVC or the government. However, the number of volunteers is likely to be insignificant – anyway, it does not really matter to the government. The next step which I expect the government would do is to launch a huge public relation campaign, cooking up a nice picture and motherhood statements of Singaporean women serving in military.
And when the propaganda takes root in public’s mind, the government’s next move will be “consulting” the public and experts on a problem “caused” by Singaporeans for not procreating enough : not enough boys to serve in the military!
The “experts” will then offer two choices : either extend the male reservists’ age, or conscript Singaporean women to serve national service. We can then expect a big social debate or argument among Singaporeans over which is the best option – with the government and foreigners sitting on the fence watching the drama. And when the time is right, the government will announce its decision! Yes, you are right, it will say on the ground of fairness, female Singaporean women should serve national service.
Singaporeans can continue to argue among themselves whether it is a fair deal for both male and female citizens to be conscripted into national service. What the PAP ministers do not want is Singaporeans arguing with them on whether it has been a fair deal between Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans!
We have given our sons to protect this land so that it is possible for the government to govern this nation. It is therefore a shock to discover that our sons’ sacrifices have been abused to provide a safe environment for foreigners to come and steal our children’s jobs! As if it is not bad enough, there is now writing on the wall that seems to indicate the same government has an ulterior motive of conscripting our daughters to make sacrifices for its everlasting lust for more economic growth!
Make no mistake about it, once the conscription of female citizens gets written into the Constitution, we will need a 2/3 parliamentary majority to erase it! We presently do not even have a 10% opposition power in parliament! Just look at the current hopeless prospect of getting the PAP Government to amend existing constitutional clause, so as to make lives of our Singaporeans’ sons easier! The government is not even interested to talk about it!
It would be a sad scene if one day, a tourist saw a 50-something Singaporean collecting discarded cardboard in our glitzy financial centre -
The tourist : Why are you collecting old cardboard and boxes?
Singaporean : Because I need money to buy food for myself.
The tourist : Where is your son?
Singaporean : He is serving national service … he receives only a small sum of monthly allowance.
The tourist : Where is your daughter?
Singaporean : She is also serving national service … has very little money too.
The tourist looked around : Who are all these young, well-dressed men and women walking around in this financial district?
Singaporean : Oh, they are sons and daughters of foreigners living in Singapore.
Celia Lim
* Contributed by TRE reader
Recently, the writing is clearly on the wall. The Defence Minister announced the government’s intention of setting up SAFVC (Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps) to allow native Singaporean women, new citizens and first-generation permanent residents to contribute to Singapore’s defence.
I read this SAFVC set up as a step by the government closer to its ultimate plan of conscripting Singaporeans’ daughters into the military – or another form of “national service” for the government, at a dirt cheap cost.
Surprisingly, such a strategic manoeuvring has not been detected by the public. Or perhaps Singaporeans have been indoctrinated to think that discussions of national defence should be kept secret and left to only a small group of people within the government? Unbelievable it may be, in this 21st century, you can still hear people saying, “If we discuss national defence publicly, our enemies will get to know it and it will be easy for them to attack us.”
The required size of a nation’s army depends on a number of factors and scenarios. We do not know what factors and scenarios our defence requirements have been based on. Given the disproportional huge resources our government has committed on defence (compared to countries that faced higher risk of a war break out), one would suspect whether our defence expenditure and manpower requirements have been based on obsolete military doctrine, or perceived fears of a man who is trapped in the era of Singapore’s pre-independence!
Among the volunteers whom SAFVC hopes to attract, it is conceivable to assume that native Singaporean women are likely to form the largest number. New citizens and permanent residents are here for economic reasons; they did not travel all the way from their home countries to Singapore for the purpose of defending Singapore’s national security; they did not come here to risk their lives for a mission of safeguarding Singaporeans’ assets, culture and values – which are so alien to them.
Sure, SAFVC will be able to draw some volunteers – there bound to be some young women who will be attracted by well written slogans and pictures put up by SAFVC or the government. However, the number of volunteers is likely to be insignificant – anyway, it does not really matter to the government. The next step which I expect the government would do is to launch a huge public relation campaign, cooking up a nice picture and motherhood statements of Singaporean women serving in military.
And when the propaganda takes root in public’s mind, the government’s next move will be “consulting” the public and experts on a problem “caused” by Singaporeans for not procreating enough : not enough boys to serve in the military!
The “experts” will then offer two choices : either extend the male reservists’ age, or conscript Singaporean women to serve national service. We can then expect a big social debate or argument among Singaporeans over which is the best option – with the government and foreigners sitting on the fence watching the drama. And when the time is right, the government will announce its decision! Yes, you are right, it will say on the ground of fairness, female Singaporean women should serve national service.
Singaporeans can continue to argue among themselves whether it is a fair deal for both male and female citizens to be conscripted into national service. What the PAP ministers do not want is Singaporeans arguing with them on whether it has been a fair deal between Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans!
We have given our sons to protect this land so that it is possible for the government to govern this nation. It is therefore a shock to discover that our sons’ sacrifices have been abused to provide a safe environment for foreigners to come and steal our children’s jobs! As if it is not bad enough, there is now writing on the wall that seems to indicate the same government has an ulterior motive of conscripting our daughters to make sacrifices for its everlasting lust for more economic growth!
Make no mistake about it, once the conscription of female citizens gets written into the Constitution, we will need a 2/3 parliamentary majority to erase it! We presently do not even have a 10% opposition power in parliament! Just look at the current hopeless prospect of getting the PAP Government to amend existing constitutional clause, so as to make lives of our Singaporeans’ sons easier! The government is not even interested to talk about it!
It would be a sad scene if one day, a tourist saw a 50-something Singaporean collecting discarded cardboard in our glitzy financial centre -
The tourist : Why are you collecting old cardboard and boxes?
Singaporean : Because I need money to buy food for myself.
The tourist : Where is your son?
Singaporean : He is serving national service … he receives only a small sum of monthly allowance.
The tourist : Where is your daughter?
Singaporean : She is also serving national service … has very little money too.
The tourist looked around : Who are all these young, well-dressed men and women walking around in this financial district?
Singaporean : Oh, they are sons and daughters of foreigners living in Singapore.
Celia Lim
* Contributed by TRE reader
