NS Debate..

National service was introduced in Singapore 38 years ago in 1967, soon after we became an independent nation. NS fulfilled a critical need, which is for defence and survival. As a small country, the only way we could build a force of sufficient size was through conscription. Until now, this reason still stands, as the only resource Singapore has is her people.

The NS issue arose after celebrity pianist Melvyn Tan was fined $3000 for defaulting on NS when he returned to Singapore last year, after an absence of nearly three decades. This prompted fuming calls from Singaporeans to tighten the penalties for those who evaded NS.

No doubt imposing stiffer penalties is a way to deter citizens from evading NS, it is not solving the root of the problem. Feeling the obligation to serve the country does not come with the fact that you hold the citizenship of it, but with the reason that you feel belonged and attached to the country that you find a purpose to serve and protect it. This cannot be inculcated into the people overnight, nor can it be elucidated to them with heavier penalties. The only way to realize this is through National Education, which Singapore has been reinforcing since years back. From the time when they are young and receiving education, we have to instill the idea of national identity into them, and edify them on the importance of serving the nation for it is our duty as citizens.

Over the years, NS has become a national rite of passage which may span generations but which continues to inspire pride in many. With NS, we have built up the Singapore Armed Forces into a capable and credible force. The SAF deters aggression, protects our sovereignty and territorial integrity, and allows us to pursue our national interests without having to yield to external threats or pressure. On top of that, we have seen the escalating significance of the SAF in recent years, which other than defending the country, it serves as an important means to forge international relations and cooperation, for example through offering relieve aids to countries in need like during the tsunami. In addition, the SAF now also has to deal with a wider spectrum of threats, such as transitional terrorism and maritime security, both of which requires Singapore to work closely with many other countries in order to rectify the problem.

Being able to defend and protect a country that has raised you for at least 18 years directly should be a honourable duty to be fulfilled at all cost. In my opinion, anyone who decides to give up his citizenship so that he does not have to do NS is ultimately his very own loss. He loses the chance to repay his country for what he is today in a most respectable and rewarding way. He wasted his time on education, as he did not even learn the basic value of gratitude. In both sense, he fails as a citizen, as a person.