Of Not Serving

OK, so, Melvyn Tan pays $5,000 and stays away from Singapore for 28 years in exchange not doing NS. Not only that, he's welcomed back macam like a hero like that, while the rest of us suffer for two/two-and-a-half years plus donno how many years ICT to defend this land.

Immensely unfair isn't it?

Yes, but then which part of life is not unfair.

Even among those serving NS, there is inequality and inequity. What do you say about those PES A and B people who become B vehicle drivers? Why some people go Infantry or Engineers but some have to go Guards or Commando? What about those rich enough to find specialists to downgrade them and become clerks and such? Why I have to stay-in for my entire NS but my friend no need? Why?

Yes, there is something about inequality that offends the human nature, especially those that are the disadvantaged. Maybe that's why the people making noise are the male portion of Singapore. I'll bet most of them are combatants too.

I served 2.5 years. I was - am - a combatant. I faced the dangers of working with armoured vehicles and will do so every year. I have a bad back and not very good knees. I probably could get downgraded if I wanted to. But I do not want to give up the life-long comradeship and the experience of shooting big guns. Melvyn Tan will never know those things and for me, personally, these made the two-and-a-half years worth it. Turn the clock back and I would gladly do it all over again, changing few things.

For me, it's "Yah, so he didn't do NS and only got a $5,000 fine, so? What are you going to do about it? Find him and beat him up? Petition the Esplanade management, ask them not to let him on their premises cos he didn't do NS? Demonstrate outside the National Arts Council building and get them to remove him from whatever board he's on?"

Live and let live; whatever hardships he'd had reaching where he is today we will not know or understand, just like he will not know and understand what NS is like. Who is to say that his life has been easier? Who is to say that one is a superior form of citizen just becos of NS?

From a utilitarian point of view, perhaps it was decided that, because of who he is and what he can bring to Singapore culturally, it is for the greater good that he be allowed to get away with it.

Why Melvyn Tan didn't just give up his citizenship in the first place and just avoid all this trouble is beyond me. Or maybe just change his sex or something. Enough flogging of this dead horse anyhow.