Do you love Singapore?
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Busymom:
I have friends that have gone overseas for years, decided to return to Singapore for the sake of their kids. Enough of being second class \"citizens\".
Yes, to each his own.Way2GO:
I hv known of some friends who migrated for various reasons.
They have also served the country in their time.
But they left for the sake of their kids.
Still, I can't help but feel sad. -
Busymom:
NS is a key policy, unbendable in its implementation.
Now this sounds very bleak for the future of our sports here. Imagine those who have the potential will opt for overseas citizenship if given a chance...
Does anybody know specific criteria for exemption from NS?
MINDEF does not say; it's deliberately left that way.
Sure we will lose special talents in sports, arts etc for this unyielding reason.
But if MINDEF make exceptions, will it open the floodgate?
Will people start to find ways around it?
You see this behaviour in people finding ways to gain advantage, however slight, in getting good schools for their children.
It's human nature.
Will the citizenry become mature enuf to accept and not sneer that exceptions can be made for special talents and take that as another form of NS when they develop their talents, contribute to the country and make S'pore proud?
The gahmen is afraid to take this step forward.
Until they do, we will lose talents when these talented few have the means and resources to ply their talents elsewhere where they will feel more appreciated.
This is a very small minority. It is not going to make any significant dent in the manpower requirements of the SAF.
It is plausibly for the same reason that the number is so small that S'pore is prepared to lose them to avoid dealing with the wider implications of every Tom, Dick n Harry looking to avoid NS.
It's a shame really. -
Busymom:
He was in Indonesia for a few years and his family was with him.
Have his kids been living much in Singapore? From memory, doesn't seem so.spikey:
if they represent South Africa, they have no way of coming back as FT. They are from Singapore. They have lived off Singapore. They are the children of Singapore's favorite son. Duty to country demands that they serve their country as expected of them...
So I don't quite agree with Spikey's view that 'they have lived off Singapore'.
Those words can sound very hurtful to the recipients.
MINDEF does have a standing policy that makes it increasingly difficult
for a male Singapore citizen reaching 13 years old and who is resident in Singapore
to leave Singapore shores for long periods of time.
The explanation given is that the eligible male by 13
would be deemed to have benefited from S'pore society sufficiently
to do mandatory NS.
It is easier for a male child to leave Singapore before he reaches 13.
13 now is the magic number.
You would notice that Fandi's kids are all not yet 13 and they are currently not residing in Singapore. -
Way2GO:
He was in Indonesia for a few years and his family was with him.
Have his kids been living much in Singapore? From memory, doesn't seem so.Busymom:
[quote=\"spikey\"]
if they represent South Africa, they have no way of coming back as FT. They are from Singapore. They have lived off Singapore. They are the children of Singapore's favorite son. Duty to country demands that they serve their country as expected of them...
So I don't quite agree with Spikey's view that 'they have lived off Singapore'.
Those words can sound very hurtful to the recipients.
MINDEF does have a standing policy that makes it increasingly difficult
for a male Singapore citizen reaching 13 years old and who is resident in Singapore
to leave Singapore shores for long periods of time.
The explanation given is that the eligible male by 13
would be deemed to have benefited from S'pore society sufficiently
to do mandatory NS.
It is easier for a male child to leave Singapore before he reaches 13.
13 now is the magic number.
You would notice that Fandi's kids are all not yet 13 and they are currently not residing in Singapore.[/quote]sure sure...where were the kids born? What subsidies did they enjoy when they were delivered locally? Where did they have their pre-school education when they were young? What subsidies did they enjoy for pre-school? Not lived off Singapore? Wake up la. -
Spikey, I don’t know where u deliver your kids or
where your kids went to for pre-school education.
My DW didn’t get any subsidy for delivering both our kids.
Neither did my kids receive any subsidy for their pre-school education.
I don’t know if Fandi and family was also thus ‘privileged’ like u.
Even then, we all pay taxes which help to support the system here, don’t we?
Or u don’t pay taxes?
Live off Singapore? Don’t sound very nice la.
He also served NS and contributed in his adult working life, isn’t it? -
Me and my big mouth. With NDP coming, TS created a thread on S'pore. I started talking about Fandi for wat? :clubmyself: :spank:
Could we be nice and call truce? If this carries on, it would only make me feel guilty. Plssss :imsorry: -
markfch:
I'm alright, Mark.Me and my big mouth. With NDP coming, TS created a thread on S'pore. I started talking about Fandi for wat? :clubmyself: :spank:
Could we be nice and call truce? If this carries on, it would only make me feel guilty. Plssss :imsorry:
I'm ready to be nice.
It was just an open discussion,
till Spikey's last statement in his last post which I thot was uncalled for.
Don't u agree?
PS Actually u started an interesting discussion regarding Fandi's case.
If u were him, what would you do?
U are in a dilemma about people's perceiving u as being disloyal to the country of your birth and doing what u think is best for your kids?
Some of us may yet face this situation. -
So far, not many has shared yr kids side of view. Do yr kids love Singapore & any special behaviour they have to show their love? I rem when dd was young, whenever she heard the national anthem, she would stand straight n not moved. :lol: