This article talks about the fact that 2 fatalities had occurred at the Brunei Training Facility, and within 2 days. The soldiers were then exempted for a total of 3 days while investigations were carried out to find out what exactly was the cause of the deaths of the 2 NSmen.
National Service has been a topic of much speculation, controversy and debate among Singaporeans and international audience alike. It has also been the target of much criticism by many Singaporeans. For example, Evil Bunny’s creation, known as the NS Song, mocks National Service without an ounce of regret.
However, I do feel that National Service is advantageous to Singapore and that it is more justifiable than it is not, due to its advantages that clearly outweigh its disadvantages.
Firstly, National Service helps to build a sense of belonging to the community and fosters friendship amongst the different individuals that together make up the working population of Singapore’s society. This is unable to be done by any other mass participation involving activities, and thus makes National Service unique in this regard. National Service makes the conscripted individuals aged 18-20 serve and train for military action for 2 years. This prepares them for war, in case Singapore is attacked, Singapore will be able to retaliate fast, with the huge amount of conscripts that it has. By making this young men train under extremely tough situations together, the men wil inevitably grow closer towards each other and start feeling for one another. This would then proceed to bond them, and as a result the population of Singapore, given enough time will be very united.
Secondly, NS is a powerful deterrent to countries who are thinking of invading us. With a total force larger than that of Malaysia and Indonesia combined, Singapore has a force that all of the world are weary of. This can only be due to the success of National Service, and we have to give it this credit that it deserves as National Service has given us a strong international presence that many other countries are trying to still achive. Singapore is now, thanks to National Service, friends with America, the world’s biggest superpower, and they will even come to our aid and need if the matter arises. Malaysia too, is Singapore’s accomplice, and they have been faithfully pumping us their water.
However, National Service can be disadvantageous at times. In particular, National Service has utter disregard for the individual rights to choice of any human. By forcing those physically able into joining the army and serving for the compulsory 2 years, national service exerts its supposed superiority over our lives and our individual rights to freedom. In doing so, we are no longer accorded the individual freedom to think and do what we would like to do for ourselves, as during that age of 18-20, we have been fully “employed” by the government to serve National Service.
I still feel that National Service is more advantageous to Singapore than it is not. By comparing the short term and long term effects of National Service, we can arrive at this conclusion. National Service, in the short term, shows absolutely no regard for the rights of all men aged 18-20, they would be forcefully made to serve 2 years in the National Service. However, In the long term, Singapore’s citizens would be bonded so strongly that adverse circumstances would not be able to destroy this foundation of closeness to one another. This is very beneficial to a society such as Singapore, as due to its deep complex roots and multi racial, religious and ethnic population, conflict can arise very fast if the public does not feel united as one Singapore.
Therefore, I state that NS is justifiable.
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