Singapore Expats

PRs who fail to serve NS face serious consequences

Do you have a question about National Service (NS) in Singapore? Discuss it here.
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Wd40
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Post by Wd40 » Wed, 06 Aug 2014 7:14 pm

Barnsley wrote: You work a long time mate , whats with the rush to join the daily grind?

2 years doing something completely different probably good for the mind also.

Ultimately what is two years in the context of a working life , dont get so hung up on money.
I know, but you see your statement above sounds more like a consolation. In the other thread, PNGMK was talking about CPF annuity and stuff. Imagine, you worked 2 extra years, yet retiring at the same age, how much your corpus increases.

Look at it this way. If were a given a choice, do NS or dont do NS, which one will you choose, if there were no penalties. You have your answer.

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taxico
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Post by taxico » Wed, 06 Aug 2014 9:32 pm

ecureilx wrote:...since green card was harder he enrolled in National Guard and guess what ? he was selected to serve in 'South West Asia' and serve he did

I told him his 2 years here would have been a holiday vs posted in A war zone!!
since this was post-911... he went into it eyes wide opened. he was given the longer route but chose not to take it.

he would not have such a choice in singapore.
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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 06 Aug 2014 9:33 pm

Wd40 wrote:
Barnsley wrote: You work a long time mate , whats with the rush to join the daily grind?

2 years doing something completely different probably good for the mind also.

Ultimately what is two years in the context of a working life , dont get so hung up on money.
I know, but you see your statement above sounds more like a consolation. In the other thread, PNGMK was talking about CPF annuity and stuff. Imagine, you worked 2 extra years, yet retiring at the same age, how much your corpus increases.

Look at it this way. If were a given a choice, do NS or dont do NS, which one will you choose, if there were no penalties. You have your answer.
Look at it another way, the two years you spend in NS, if you are planning on staying in Singapore will probably translate to making up the difference 4x as fast because of the wider network you will have created during your 21 months doing NS. Think I'm kidding? I still keep in touch with some of the guys I did time with in the NAM and it's now 45 years later. You just never know. The wider you networks becomes both in scope and duration, the more valuable it is.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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taxico
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Post by taxico » Wed, 06 Aug 2014 9:47 pm

Wd40 wrote:...Look at it this way. If were a given a choice, do NS or dont do NS, which one will you choose, if there were no penalties. You have your answer.
some things in life you do not have a choice, but you come out better for it.

you can survey NS men in singapore - given a choice would they have opted to NOT serve. you will probably get a resounding "heck no, i'd serve NS again but i might do it differently this time!"

while NS men understand the reasons for NS, most pre-enlistees and recruits will moan and whine about NS... and how it's such a waste of time...

2 years may seem like an inordinately long time for conscription but MINDEF has been trying to make that period as meaningful and seamless a transition as possible. what the NSF makes of the time, is entirely up to him and the company he keeps.

hard to explain, but considering i very nearly considered becoming an NS defaulter, i believe i understand both sides equally well.

to answer your question: without penalties, not enough SC/SPRs would serve voluntarily BUT as a corollary singapore would thus not be the place it is today and it is highly likely that the average wages lost might not be as high as our current presumptions.
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rajagainstthemachine
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Post by rajagainstthemachine » Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:00 pm

I would do NS if I was a PR for the following reasons

1. no work for 2 years -

2. liberation from the corporate world

3. A chance to improve fitness of mind and body

4. An opportunity to do something different in life.

I can see many positives, no reason why so many people view this as a retrograde step in their lives.
To get there early is on time and showing up on time is late

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ecureilx
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Post by ecureilx » Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:51 pm

rajagainstthemachine wrote:I would do NS if I was a PR for the following reasons

1. no work for 2 years -

2. liberation from the corporate world

3. A chance to improve fitness of mind and body

4. An opportunity to do something different in life.

I can see many positives, no reason why so many people view this as a retrograde step in their lives.
plus more than a few guys in NS got selected for scholarships, these guys didn't meet local Uni entry grades plus they couldn't afford to go overseas

as i write this a NS Army medic is on his way to become a doctor, to be educated in Scotland, thanks to SG Inc / Army, something he could have only dreamt of otherwise ... as are a dozen or more guys currently studying in Australia.

well, those who look at NS as a loss are possibly the likes of PRs Singaporeans openly or indirectly hate .. rich and well paid, looks down on locals, and starting to dictate terms to the natives ...'(no offense .. to anybody. exact words I heard from a Singaporean, when I was with my Red cross group last weekend ... )

PS, during NS and during annual recall, NSmen get an allowance plus a few benefits including extra cash etc, so its not exactly free service

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