SAF Volunteer Corps – SAFVC

The SAFVC was inaugurated yesterday to allow volunteers from new citizens, first generation PRs and women to serve in the SAF. The concept is right. The more people serving the SAF the more hands we have to use. It also provides an option for those eager beavers who want to serve but complaining that they are not given a chance. It also puts to test those hypocrites who have been crying out loud to serve and not the opportunity is offered to them to make good what they were claiming to do. Anyone wanting to serve this country in uniform now has a chance to do so. The real McCoy will step forward and the fakes and pretenders will step backward.
 
On paper it is a good thing to have a SAFVC. But given the nature and composition of our population, there are high risks involved. We are not a homogenous nation of people, we are a very young country and did not have the benefits of a long history and a strong glue to hold the people together as one united people. People can change sides like chameleon changing colours at will.
 
The most dangerous enemies of an army come from within. It is almost impossible to protect and defend against someone from the inside, living and sleeping together, singing the same national anthem, taking the same pledge and professed to be willing to defend and die for the same country and people. As for our very own citizens, we see them grow up, we know them and their background. Still we do not know them fully. Now we are taking new citizens into our armed forces as volunteer soldiers. How much do we know them and their family background?
 
The other problem is that we should not end up like the Americans, training and equipping people who eventually turned against them and fighting against them, armed by the Americans. Would we be doing the same, training and arming people, potential terrorists, who would turn against us one fine day?
 
Of course the SAF must have all these thought out and all the precautions and safeguards are in place. Hope it would not be as safe as the safeguards for the LPA when an absolute stranger, a foreigner, could end up holding an LPA for a very senior and lonely citizen at the verge of dementia, very vulnerable and very rich.
We cannot afford any slips in matters of national security and defence. The lives of our soldiers are at stake. Did we make a slip and lost two scholars in Sydney? Let’s hope and pray that this SAFVC thing will be well conceived and all potential loopholes for mischief are plugged. It can be turned against us, the people and nation if not carefully managed.
 
Are the benefits of the SAFVC more than enough to justify the risks involved?

Kopi Level - Yellow