Do we need to say this again?

Every few years, some bright (and not so bright) mind will have an epiphany (or what he, or she thinks is an epiphany) and suggests the revolutionary idea of NS for Women. Like it is an incredible and groundbreaking  idea. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has put paid to the idea. 

"The minister pointed to how some had suggested, during the debate on the White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development, that women be enlisted for reasons of gender equality, in potential roles like nurses or teachers.
“Having reached this position of strength, should we for the sake of gender equality, now introduce NS for women?” he asked, highlighting how the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), despite reduced manpower, has remained operationally ready by using technology and optimising resources.
“I think there are distinct pitfalls if conscription is implemented for any other reason than the critical need of military defence, whether it is for men or women.”
The “primary reason” for enlistment must remain to train a soldier who is able to defend Singapore, and to repel if not defeat an enemy who wants to invade the country, Dr Ng said... 

“These are inadequate justifications or reasons to mandate that someone must suspend individual liberties as a civilian, give up two years of his or her life, and if they do not, they go to jail, as our courts have sentenced NS defaulters.”

Female recruits who will go on to become regulars at the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong
on Feb 11, 2020. (Photo: CNA/Try Sutrisno Foo)

He goes on to state that there is no need to conscript women now. Yes, in times of emergencies, women, younger men (teenagers) and older men would be conscripted as was done in Ukraine. But we are not in that position today, and hope never to be.

Singapore Militarily

I had previously noted that the third most popular post on this blog, as of this writing, is "Singapore's Aircraft Carrier Ambition"... and that is an understandable hazard with mandatory National Service -- we all think we are armchair Generals.

So this blogpost is for the armchair generals (you know who you are!)

First a video:

The video describes how Singapore's military strategy evolved from "Poison Shrimp" to "Porcupine" and then to "Dolphin". It also covers how the Israelis helped Singapore set up our Military, and the nature of their help. 

Singapore's Global City Strategy - From SG History Unauthorised.

From SG History: Rajaratnam's vision of Singapore as a Global City

From the IPS Singapore Perspective 2022 video:

How did Singapore, the "Accidental Country" become the Nation that it is today?

Police Shootings (Singapore)

For some strange reasons, or perhaps no reason at all, just coincidence, or perhaps for reasons beyond human comprehension, in the last few months, there have been a spate of incidents involving men armed with knives, and in one case a sword.

In at least two cases, the police were present and tried to de-escalate the situation, but had to shoot the armed man. In the case of 17 Feb, the man with the knife charged at policemen at the Clementi Neighbourhood Police Centre. The police at the scene shot the man.

He was hit in the arm, and survived.

The Russo-Ukraine War and the (Cautionary) Lessons for China

This video below is a panel discussion on how China is reacting to and learning from the Russo-Ukraine War.

The video starts with the question: Is China ok with this war?

One naive view is that they are. That China has Russia's back, and this is fine with China. 

Be reasonable.

[This post has been "rescued" from a 2010 Facebook post.]


You may have heard this saying: The reasonable person adapts to circumstances and the environment. The unreasonable person expects circumstances and the environment to adapt to them. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable person.

Seeing as how Singapore has progressed quite a bit since independence, can we then conclude that Singaporeans are probably a bunch of unreasonable people?

I mean the national pastime of complaining is a sign of this unreasonableness isn't it?

But wait. The one thing Singaporeans complain about the most? The Government. The PAP. 

The Empire Strikes Back (Or PAP refers Pritam to the Public Prosecutor)

If WP taking Aljunied GRC, then Sengkang GRC was "A New Hope", this could be when the PAP strikes back. (For background, click on this link.)

The Committee of Privileges (COP) had completed its inquiry and recommended that Raeesah Khan be fined, and two of the WP leaders, Pritam Singh and Faisal Manap be referred to the Public Prosecutor for investigation as to possible perjury and contempt of Parliament. And Parliament has voted to accept the recommendations of the COP. 

However, "the report did not recommend any action towards WP chairman Sylvia Lim, in view of her voluntary assistance to the committee." 

Sylvia Lim took exception to this characterisation of her and spoke in clarification:

Basically she argued that she did not contradict Pritam's testimony, but had corroborated it (like a good team player).