Incheon-Jeju Ferry Tragedy Updates - death toll past 187 now. Another PR lesson to learn: The Rescue Chief said he is not sure when the 'recovery of bodies will be over'! The PR answer: 'We will stop when the bodies count and the survivors totalled the number of passengers on board when the ferry sunk!' NO??
"Govt benefits should not be linked to NS status: Aware - AsiaOne Saturday, Apr 26, 2014
SINGAPORE - Gender-equality advocacy group Aware has said it disagrees with the move to enhance benefits for NSmen in the areas of housing, healthcare and education, as announced by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Thursday.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Aware stated: "Every person deserves access to housing, education and healthcare, because these are basic requirements for human sustenance and social participation."
"AWARE disagrees strongly with any link between support for fundamental needs and an individual's status as an NSman, especially when the military may not be suitable for many people, regardless of their gender.""
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Aware stated: "Every person deserves access to housing, education and healthcare, because these are basic requirements for human sustenance and social participation."
"AWARE disagrees strongly with any link between support for fundamental needs and an individual's status as an NSman, especially when the military may not be suitable for many people, regardless of their gender.""
As an Ex-NS man, this is my take published in the AsiaOne.com forum today:
NS men NEVER asked for any benefits in the past. There is NO NEED to as every fit young Singaporean boys have to serve it. NO favour asked and none given!
Alas, then things begin to change.
NS men start to notice that in their offices, there are foreign 'talents' who are about their age but no need to serve NS and seem to be getting the same benefits of a job and good pay. In fact, some seem to have gotten promoted as the employers felt they can work longer hours and put in more 'office time' since they don't have to serve this 'inconvenient' Reservist duties!!
Then, the NS men start to notice that the 'foreign talents' are out-numbering them in the office despite that fact that Singapore has one of the BEST educational system in the world! The FTs also seem to be able to buy HDB flats when they become or given the PR quickly!
The government leaders DO NOT seem to understand or WANT TO KNOW about it when the NS men raised their observations with them. Nah. It is just 'sour grapes'.
Well, I would be, pardon the language, 'bloody' concerned when my NS men are voicing their concerns and I just 'rubbished' them!
UNLESS, of course, I believe MY NS MEN are just useless local talents with no spine and cannot compete despite having the best education in the world in Singapore!
And if this were true, I would be EVEN MORE worried as it meant that MY world best educational system IS a LIE! It cannot produce local talents to COMPETE with FTs even in its own backyard! The Little Red Dot!!
So, AWARE is NOT understanding the REASONS for the government to give NS men MORE benefits. It is NOT about Singaporean male vs. female.
On a conventional measure, NS man will marry a female, normally. They will start a family with 3 kids (advocated by our government) and will need some help, if only public housing is 'affordable' (still a moot point as the government is CONVINCED it is affordable even when one just earn S$1k/mth!) to live in.
Then there is this little expense called: Maids (I advocate NO MAID ALLOWED when the kids reach 12 years old!!), nursery, kindergarten, school - primary and secondary, and, aah, those 'enrichment' and tuition fees (because PARENTS don't believe 'Every School is a Good School' and it is about 'learning to learn' rather than 'rote learning and regurgitating'), etc.
The NS men, this one applies to women for sure, need some help in healthcare too especially for their aged parents who MAY NOT, for whatever reasons, be insured or NOT ACCEPTABLE to insurance companies for insurance after their 'old policies expired' (i.e. become 'pre-existing' condition after the old insurance policies expired!.
So, you can see IF Singaporean NS men do not see the 'disadvantages' of being a NS man, the GOVERNMENT probably does not have to wrack their million-dollar brains to come up with incentives for the NS men.
AWARE will NOT have anything to COMMENT on as 'inequality' too in this situation. Of course, for the current minority of lesbian and homosexual couples, it is a bit difficult. Still, I am sure exceptions can be granted on a case-by-case basis to get similar type of benefits being considered for the NS men when they form a 'family'. Notes: My points of view is specifically about NS men though I agree single ladies, single mum, divorcees, etc have rights to a public flat too.
Bottom-line really is: Our NS men RATHER NOT have such benefits if they know they had been FAIRLY treated and VALUED - not in benefits but fair treatment.
NS men NEVER asked for any benefits in the past. There is NO NEED to as every fit young Singaporean boys have to serve it. NO favour asked and none given!
Alas, then things begin to change.
NS men start to notice that in their offices, there are foreign 'talents' who are about their age but no need to serve NS and seem to be getting the same benefits of a job and good pay. In fact, some seem to have gotten promoted as the employers felt they can work longer hours and put in more 'office time' since they don't have to serve this 'inconvenient' Reservist duties!!
Then, the NS men start to notice that the 'foreign talents' are out-numbering them in the office despite that fact that Singapore has one of the BEST educational system in the world! The FTs also seem to be able to buy HDB flats when they become or given the PR quickly!
The government leaders DO NOT seem to understand or WANT TO KNOW about it when the NS men raised their observations with them. Nah. It is just 'sour grapes'.
Well, I would be, pardon the language, 'bloody' concerned when my NS men are voicing their concerns and I just 'rubbished' them!
UNLESS, of course, I believe MY NS MEN are just useless local talents with no spine and cannot compete despite having the best education in the world in Singapore!
And if this were true, I would be EVEN MORE worried as it meant that MY world best educational system IS a LIE! It cannot produce local talents to COMPETE with FTs even in its own backyard! The Little Red Dot!!
So, AWARE is NOT understanding the REASONS for the government to give NS men MORE benefits. It is NOT about Singaporean male vs. female.
On a conventional measure, NS man will marry a female, normally. They will start a family with 3 kids (advocated by our government) and will need some help, if only public housing is 'affordable' (still a moot point as the government is CONVINCED it is affordable even when one just earn S$1k/mth!) to live in.
Then there is this little expense called: Maids (I advocate NO MAID ALLOWED when the kids reach 12 years old!!), nursery, kindergarten, school - primary and secondary, and, aah, those 'enrichment' and tuition fees (because PARENTS don't believe 'Every School is a Good School' and it is about 'learning to learn' rather than 'rote learning and regurgitating'), etc.
The NS men, this one applies to women for sure, need some help in healthcare too especially for their aged parents who MAY NOT, for whatever reasons, be insured or NOT ACCEPTABLE to insurance companies for insurance after their 'old policies expired' (i.e. become 'pre-existing' condition after the old insurance policies expired!.
So, you can see IF Singaporean NS men do not see the 'disadvantages' of being a NS man, the GOVERNMENT probably does not have to wrack their million-dollar brains to come up with incentives for the NS men.
AWARE will NOT have anything to COMMENT on as 'inequality' too in this situation. Of course, for the current minority of lesbian and homosexual couples, it is a bit difficult. Still, I am sure exceptions can be granted on a case-by-case basis to get similar type of benefits being considered for the NS men when they form a 'family'. Notes: My points of view is specifically about NS men though I agree single ladies, single mum, divorcees, etc have rights to a public flat too.
Bottom-line really is: Our NS men RATHER NOT have such benefits if they know they had been FAIRLY treated and VALUED - not in benefits but fair treatment.
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