Historically a country needs a strong army to protect itself and its people from foreign invaders. Every country protects its territory and people from outside forces so that its people can live a better life. Singapore built a very strong army(inclusive of air force and navy) for exactly the same purpose, to keep foreigners out from our little piece of rock. However, this concept of keeping foreigners out seems to be an outdated thinking. Singapore now is well known for an open leg immigration policy, to bring in as many foreigners as possible into the country, with some floating the idea of having a population of 10m or more. As it is today, there are more foreigners in the island than Singaporeans with many foreigners given citizenship freely.
With such a change in the thinking, with a liberal policy of sharing the island and its wealth freely with foreigners, the concept of protecting the island from foreigners is no longer valid. With more than 50 per cent of the population being foreigners, it is as good as the foreigners taking half of the island and everything Singapore has, including a share of the reserves and assets.
This calls for a rethink in having a big army when there is no enemy to protect and keep out. Everyone is friend and potential citizen, new Singaporeans. So, is there still a need for a strong army and National Service? If this is the direction Singapore is heading, abolishing NS and the army is a natural thing to do. Why spend so much money, a huge defence budget for nothing when there is no foreigners to keep out? Singapore actually wants the foreigners to be in.
The advantages of not having a strong army and not having NS are tremendous. No need for a defence budget, no need to have so many ministers of defence and minister of states for defence, no need to buy expensive military toys and to upkeep them. At best Singapore only needs a few F35s to show off and for National Day Parade. No need so many military camps and air bases and naval bases, no need expensive training overseas. And all the able men and women can be deployed into the industries to be productive. All the land saved can be used to build more flats to sell to foreigners or to build shopping complexes.
What do you think? Good idea or not?
And Singapore can solve the problems of the two white elephants in the making. The Covid19 Pandemic is destroying the air travelling industry. Air travel is not going to be the same any more. Even Terminal 4 is going to be under utilised, not counting Terminal 5 going to be like a cemetery. How to save some money by making the two terminals, maybe even 3 terminals useful again?
Think Djibouti. Djibouti has turned itself into a rentier country, collecting rent by leasing its land to any country that wants to put its military bases there. The 2/3 terminals can be rented to the USA and China or India and collect rent. This goes the same as Tuas Terminal, another white elephant in the making with China planning to by pass Singapore altogether and working to cut across the Isthmus of Kra. Thanks to our pro American policy and inviting this rogue country to threaten China.
By subletting part of Tuas to China as a naval base, China would then not feel threatened by the Americans, and no need to cut the Kra to build a canal. Its merchant ships can then return to Singapore freely and Singapore's port facilities need not be mothballed. The two white elephants in airport terminals and Tuas Port would thus be made useful again. Can sublet the Istana also, to the super rich. Everything can go if the price is right.
And there is no need to keep building homes like crazy to sell to foreigners. Just turn them into military bases and lease them out. After all, all are welcome. Singapore belongs to everyone here. And Singapore would be prosperous forever and ministers can even be paid tens of millions with all the rents collected and money saved from having a big army. No foreign country would dare to invade Singapore, no reason to as all is welcome here, even if they do, the big powers with their bases here would do the defending.
This must be a crazy win, win, win idea for all. Caveat, cost of living would be extremely high and Singaporeans that cannot afford to stay here can move to Batam, Bintan or JB, if Malaysia and Indonesia don't mind accepting them, if they don't mind having open leg immigration policy that is free for all.
Whew, I am so brilliant.
Singapore can become the first global city, free for all to come. Singaporeans can call themselves global citizens, only believeable inside Singapore global city as no country would be silly enough to allow citizens of other countries to enter their country freely, not even global citizens of Singapore. But this is Uniquely Singapore at its best. It is called creativity and innovative thinking or disruptive thinking, disrupting the lives of daft Singaporeans.