10/23/2012
Another token of appreciation for NSmen?
A small hongbao of recognition for a life time of service to the nation, risking lives and limbs, NSmen will receive vouchers of $50 to $100 exchangeable for food, recreation, petrol or dining. Is that all to die for?
Ask not what the NSmen can do for the country. Ask what the govt can do for the NSmen. This statement is gaining relevance and a pain among the people. Treat the sacrifice of the NSmen seriously and give them a stake in the country, give them something to fight and die for, give them a reason to be proud to be NSmen.
In the past, the most important consideration of the govt is to provide every citizen with a roof over their heads. And they were not thinking about NS, just every ordinary citizens. And uniformed officers were either provided with govt quarters or given priority for housing.
Today, NSmen can be expected to defend and die for this country and without the right to buy a public flat. And they are not asking the govt for handouts, for $50! They have all the right to demand that they be given priority to buy a house as any other citizen, as any new citizen as any PR. Can this be done? Is this too much to ask for, to die for?
The rest of the tokens of appreciation are all simply craps. Not worth a single cent. Give the NSmen a roof, through priority housing. Cut out all the crappy rules that disqualify NSmen from buying a HDB flat. Enough said to deaf frogs. They don’t listen, they don’t care. You can keep your token of appreciation. They are not worth it, meaningless and an insult to the sacrifice NSmen made for the country. They can never appreciate or understand what it means to be an NSman as many did not really go through the whole shit like any ordinary NSman, roughing out in the fields, reservist trainings and job and family disruptions.
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34 comments:
Why vouchers and not cash?
Maybe because a $100 voucher was bought for only $10?
Let's have transparency in our public finances.
Where is the money coming from?
And how much is it really costing the Singapore taxpayer?
The right thing to do is for Singaporeans to fight for National Service to be abolished.
All tat is needed is to have a truely professional army which Singaporeans are proud to be in it. It will also provide employment to those who wish to take up military career.
patriot
Totally agree with Patriot.
NS is no longer relevent for a money driven city state as open as the world wide web.
It should be listed on wall street to be traded like any other publicly listed company.
Langger
Hi Langgar, you serious to quit blogging?
Not me lah. I'll use Gintai if I comment on other's blogs. I don't believe in hiding behind anonymity. If I dare say or comment, I will stand by it or I stand corrected or even die cock standing! Esp coming to your blog! Many ppl have learnt to use "langgar" from me. That's my legacy. Lol!
Talkng about $50 voucher I feel it is an insult to the dignity of our NS boys! You think they are "beggars?" Come on! If you really appreciate the sweat, tears and blood of our NS boys, pls do something concrete. Not $50! Like u say, it used to be NS men and regulars given priority for HDB flats. What happened now? Greed has overcome this. I say give every NS man the priority. Sure get first time HDB owner with another 10% off the sale price!
That I feel is real solid recognition rather than throwing a piece of $50 on their faces like throwing some tokens to a beggar! Langgar tiang terus! It's such a simple well meaning gesture that even an idiot can think of. Why didn't they think of this?
To be conscripted is oredi very the cham(suffering).
To be treated like beggar and insulted
is even worse.
patriot
LHL Please use the money to employ FT to protect our county.
Hi Gintai, thought langgar was you. This word is synonymous with you in the blogs.
The country is facing a crisis of identity and misplaced loyalty and misplaced trust.
Cannot see, needs feedback and needs natcon to know. So far natcon only want to talk about graciousness and the future. So still cannot see or don't want to see.
Hey Bengster.
I dare you to start your NS Men Kopitiam Movement. I will report you and get you arrested before you can even say KNS.
Everywhere in Sin, we see newly completed condos and many more under construction.
Many are built at former housing estates mostly less than few decades old.
There cannot be so many Native Singaporeans buying all these condos. So who are the buyers? And why were the former buildings demolished when they are good for many more decades to come? Why such sinful wastage?
patriot
Yet some NSmen are salivating on National TV.
Goes to show how hard up some Singaporeans are, salivating just because of $50 to $100 bucks.
If the PAP thinks such tokens will placate the NSman who have been short-changed all these years, they are dreaming.
All said, I think it is better not to give than to try such half hearted measures that is neither compensating nor sincere.
All those condos meant for cash rich FTs. If the average Singaporean got problem buying a HDB flat, you think he will dream of getting a condo? Enbloc old est to build more condos for foreigners. The poor are increasing chased out to the ulu places. Only the rich could afford to live near to the city and near mrt stns. That's a fact.
Believe the demolition and and some of the renovations on wet markets and hawker centres are for churning biznesses and the economy, despite the wastage.
Contractors, building material suppliers, architect firms etc will have to close shops when building stops. Rent and fee are raised each time market and hawker centre are renovated or re-renovated.
As for enblock development, new units are usually build taller with more smaller units tat cost much more.
When all the people in the property industry make their piles, they naturally become supporters of the Regime. It therefore becomes a winning formula for the Rulers. GDP goes up, their bonuses tag along nicely and supports are won.
But, as You(Gintai) say here, many Native Singaporeans will be adversely affected.
patriot
If I were one of the building contractors making piles of money, I'll surely support this govt by donating generously for their election campaigns despite the wastage and unnecessary demolition of good working condition hawkers centre. 2 egs - Eunos and Bedok South HC I can quote here. See for yourself.
Why vouchers ? Simple reason being some fat cat middlemen will benefit from it, maybe some grassroots leader.
Especially when it is done legally, sanctioned corruption is OK.
Wow the internet brigade must be out in force picking up the vibes about what we NS men true feelings are ...
@ Anon 12:42 PM
Have the police on me before i could say KNS?
Its just a grass root of 900000 NS Men ... Sons of Singapore
whats so illegal about that??
Hmmm ... what will make a good movement? like The Black Sunday Movement??
YA!! i know ... The NS MEN Green PT Shirt Movement ...
Wow just imagine if we could convince 30% of NS men to wear our old unit or BMT Green PT Shirt on a Sunday to show our solidarity !!
Actually we NS Men are the last stand against tyrants , they can never order us to go against our own fellow country men
We took a oath to lay down our lives for Singapore and to protect it against any dangers and threats ! external and internal
I take my oath very seriously and lots of Singapore's NS MEN do too.
We will raise like LIONS !!
We, members of the Singapore Armed Forces, do solemnly and sincerely pledge that we will always bear true faith and allegiance to the President and the Republic of Singapore.
We will always support and defend the Constitution.
We will preserve and protect the honor and independence of our country with our lives.
Thats right ...
Defend our Country, Honor our Constitution and remember our Heroic President Ong Teng Cheong!
Bengster NS MAN
It is almost a perfect scheme, except for the very unwholesome end result of getting most Native Singaporeans enslaved.
patriot
100 million dollars, 900k Singaporean sons each receiving $50 to 100, even if all the Singaporean sons received $100. That will meant that for every dollar, 10 cents is going to gods know where? i didn't even mentioned the bulk discount government will get for the voucher.
Since PAP government always take from one hand before giving back, god know how much has been taken to warrant this altruism.
I have done too little to deserve such kindness, long live LHL, Long live KKY, long live PAP.....
Vouchers are most likely for NTUC, SINGTEL, M1,STARHUB, SPC, town council, SMRT, SBS, Singapore power and such, and what are the denominator, they are the gahmen.....
So all can be seen, there is no heart left in this G, the thot that $50 vouchers can placate the fury that is building up.
How much is 2 years of our lives worth?
If really want to give, then give additional housing grant of $50k on top of the HDB grant for first time home buyers, this will make up for the 2 years of service to nation n maybe also make the housing seem a little more affordable.
i believe the story doesnt stop there... all of you have clearly forgotten the classic army song which we sing when we do road march:
they say that in the army,
the pay is mighty fine!
they give you 100 dollars,
they take back.....
i know you all know this song.. haha..
NS should be something you guys should be proud of and dun expect special privilege of housing priority and those petty things.
I will feel insulted if they give me the voucher.
This is the land that we need to protect,regardless of who is the Garmen or how poorly it is manage .
We must respect our grandfathers 's choice of choosing to be here.
Protect our Nation,our country,our home without thinking of any benefits.Sad that many have wasted 2 years chia leow bee and Mindef have fail to brainwash you.Garmen should not spoil you all by giving voucher.These money should be for our less privilege.NS is the way to go.
Agongkia, it used to be like that before. No NSmen would ask for anything but to do their duty to country. But when privileges were given to PRs and new citizens and they be disadvantaged, and if they remain gong gong, then they deserved to be called daft and be treated like daft.
Don't be a gongkia.
RB,
This post just came out. It's mainly directed at you. Read http://politicalwritings.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/demand-change/
Thanks Gintai. Just posted my comments there.
He is criticising my article because he did not think I am asking enough. He is calling for the people to make bigger demands on the govt as what the people should be deserving. My comments there are:
Hi, I can agree with all your demands. But you failed to see the points that I am making. In the first place the subsidy mentality is not in the people but in the govt. Just think a little and you will understand why I said this.
As for public housing, the people are not asking for free housing. The people are paying for it. They just want the right to buy, not subsidies. And the prices of public housing is not cheap today. The new launches are near a million. Private is even worst.
The pain is that new citizens are eligible to buy while our own citizens, who sacrificed so much are not allowed to. In the past, no one even harp about their sacrifices for doing NS. But when they found out that they are getting a raw deal, anger creeps in. Why sacrifices to benefit new citizens while they got deprived themselves, victimised, alienated by their own govt? Hope you can see the difference. No one is asking for free handouts, just to be treated a bit fairer.
Brilliant reply! We don't want free handouts to bankrupt the govt. So long as the govt don't squeeze us on everything imaginable in taxes and levy, we are grateful. We are merely asking for first priority for HDB flats for NS men instead of waiting so long and maybe at a discount. Not free flat! Nothing is free in this world. That every idiot knows. How to procreate when they got no flat to live? how to give them a stake in the country they defending when new citizens are treated better than us? For example why shld I pay maid levy when I employ a maid to look after my invalid parent? Why the tax? Why must the govt tax - levy on the maid on one hand and give grants on the other hand with do many terms n conditions attached? Why tax me for filial piety? I'm not asking the govt to look after my parents. I'm not asking for free handouts right? Same as CPF. Why can't I use my retirement account to pay off my housing loan? My own money I earn throughout my working life and now want to pay off my HDB loan. Why can't I do that? Is that free handout? Hey it's my own money and its up to me to spend it right? Do not be misled easily. Think hard and deep what's happening. Do not be fooled. Read behind the lines. All my life I have lived here. I've seen so much in life to be conned so easily!
Sinkies without half a million in cash to prepare to pay hospital bills be very afraid.
And Sinkies without much savings are going to see stars when a big hospital bill landed on their lap, a double tragedy. First, somehow having serious illness, second, all savings gone and may not be enough.
Gintai,
the only substantial tax on the very people that can afford to pay,estate duty, they done away with.
Yet hey have the squeeze the ordinary citizens for every drop of their money,maid levy, govt charges and now even increased NEA
disposal charges for hawkers.
I don't want to dwell into the internet rumour about the reason for the abolishment of ES, but then it begs the questions of where
this Govt's fiscal priorities are.
Gintai:
Excellent points!
Why are we deprived the Rights and Freedom to manage our own life and
belongings.
So long as we do not kill, rob, steal and cheat, we shud enjoy Human Rights.
Sin is not a lawless land and anyone who misbehaves will not be free to enjoy misdeed.
Or are there unlimited Rights for some to manipulate and control the live of others?
patriot
STForum letter: 25 Oct 2012
"Let NSmen donate rewards"
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/let-nsmen-donate-rewards-20121025
I think it would be good to keep the money and give to charity. NSmen are a proud lot. If you think they are worth that much, keep it and shaft it into some other holes.
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