Daily Lessons from Life 26 September 2012 - Can NS wait, I have talent to pursue?

"Can NS wait, I have talent to pursue? - The New Paper Sep 26, 2012

EXEMPT sportsmen from national service (NS). And artists too.

This was among suggestions mooted by some of the 300 student representatives from the five polytechnics gathered on Friday evening for the closing ceremony of Polytechnic Forum 2012.

Said one student at the forum: "In Singapore, men have to do NS. Sometimes, this affects an athlete's ability to perform to his full potential because he's tied down by NS.

"I'm not saying that we take it away completely. Just exempt these talented athletes for that period to allow them to train because that is a critical age where an athlete is at his prime."

Opinions were varied, with another student suggesting that men of exceptional talent in arts be exempt from NS as well.

Guest of Honour Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) said that allowing exemptions could potentially cause others who were not entitled to such privileges to be unhappy.

He said: "The majority are training hard to defend Singapore. If some individuals are allowed some waiver of that training because of some exceptional talent that they have, do you think that's fair?"

Nigel Koh, a 19-year-old accounting and finance student at Temasek Polytechnic managed to draw laughter from the crowd.

He suggested women do NS with their male counterparts. Presenting one of the more radical ideas of the evening, Nigel said: "For guys, NS is joining the army. For women, NS is giving birth."

Good to learn of the ideas and thoughts from the polytechnic students.

Lessons for me are:

1. NS is not negotiable. It has to be applied consistently and across the board without fear and favour to every single Singaporean male and every intended new male Singaporean as far as I am concerned!

2. talented people serving NS can be deployed to areas that best used their talents. E.g. the Music and Drama Company, which I think still exist today. e.g. the Singapore Armed Forces athletes club where soldiers trained post Junior College or high school, etc. So, there is NO NEED to take them out of the NS at all IF the effort is well focused and coordinated. Yes?;

3. One can mandate serving of NS but when it comes to making the ladies give birth as a NS duty will be a totally different bowl of fish! It is like WWII Adolf Hitler's Germany Republic where the boys and girls were matched and produce offspring of the best breed, supposedly. It was a mad experiment with tragic consequence. It is best to stop thinking about this option. Which, I think, was tongue-in-cheek by that young man.

Talentedd or not, male Singaporeans, and would-be male Singaporeans have to serve National Service (NS). Period. No if or but about it. Thank you very much!!