Why moneytising NS is indeed nothing new to Singapore

[bic_cherry]

Monetising of NS as currently available to a select few.

Monetising of NS as currently available to just a select few.

Originally Posted by MayDayMayDay
SINGAPORE: The Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS) is looking into giving national servicemen a chance to pick their vocation.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said this on Tuesday, days after his visit to Finland and Switzerland.
He had led a delegate comprising CSNS members last week to the two countries to study their conscription systems.
Dr Ng said both countries are similar to Singapore in terms of population size and the number of men who enlist into NS each year.
The two countries also give servicemen a choice in their vocations to optimise their contributions, and this is something that could be explored in Singapore.
This could mean allowing servicemen some freedom to choose specific units, based on their skills and interests. This would be an expansion of the current system where servicemen are given the chance to express their preference to attend command school or not after their Basic Military Training.
Dr Ng also noted the strong support for national service from employers in Finland and Switzerland, even without incentives.
He said that's because they see the value in the qualities and skills servicemen pick up from their stint....

Firstly, I would like to say that the Minister's comments about "not monetising" NS is misplaced if not misguided since it ALREADY happens. 'Monetisation' only occurs when renumeration is in excess of appointment value as is sometimes the case currently. The current method of paying ALL NSmen either a pittance allowance (~$400 p.m.) or whatever their civilian salary is most myopic since a fairer calculation would be the equivalent REGULAR salary or their usual civilian salary, whichever the greater. By my estimate, the number of shortchanged NSmen equals the number successfully monetising their NS training callups- by taking tactical MCs if not by gaming the NS vocation appointment system.
Currently, the unitary peg of NSman worth to civilian capitalistic endevor/skill has resulted in scores of NSmen solely focussed on either medical downgrading or a vocation change to the least strenuous such as that of 'mess boy'. Indeed there is NO reason to perform well in NS since one's current ability to MONETISE NS is SOLELY determined by one's civilian salary where one's future reservist call ups are concerned.

Surely, paying all reservist NSmen the higher of either civilian salary or the equivalent regular serviceman salary will inform our NSF currently that their soldiering skills would remain valued by Singapore even whilst they are studying (zero civilian salary) or momentarily jobless would prove Singapore's sincerity in upholding the equity of serving NS.

Those who spent their NSF days scheming up ways to skive duties as well as those who intentionally study abroad just to evade reservists call ups or even those who choose to take tactical MCs just to evade field camp SHOULD NOT continue to prosper by monetising the current NS salary scheme- as all such blatant reservist non-performers (which ought to be few) should either NOT be called for reservists due to costs constraint or else be paid only the merge equivalent NSF pro-rata allowance due to their (deleberate) poor performance.

Unless Singaporeans favour a society where the most sly and dishonest members prosper, the opportunity to be fairly renumerated for reservist NS should be available to all, rather than the current case- just to the most calculative and greedy select few.

PS: Higher salary only applies to NSmen reservist, NOT NSF who will still receive allowance for the fixed 2yr NSF duration abet with slight difference due to rank and appointment.