There will always be those among us who will reject the need for National Service in Singapore, like the naive people behind the 'All Singapore Stuff' website.
They advocate the abolition of NS. They claim that there has been no debate in parliament about the need for NS. They rile up anger by saying that Singaporean men are being exploited as cheap labor, that we are being disadvantaged in our education and careers.
But how conveniently, they forget that outside the borders of Singapore, the world is not at peace.
Tensions continue to simmer over Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and more recently, it's expanding influence over Georgia.
Nearer to home, tensions in the South China Seas continue over territorial disputes over China's claims. On 17 August 2015, a bomb exploded at the Erawan Shrine in the heart of Bangkok, killing 20 and injuring more than 120 people - including several Singaporeans. And now ISIS agents are reportedly in Thailand and threatens more attacks.
Bloody conflicts, acts of terror and even thinly-veiled attempts at land grabs - these are the harsh real world realities.
And here's a dose of reality if you think that Singapore has friendly neighbours.
“If Singapore’s foreign policy was prejudicial to Malaysia’s interest, they [Malaysia] could always bring pressure to bear on them [Singapore] by threatening to turn off the water in Johore.”
Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Prime Minister, 1965
(via British High Commissioner, Anthony Head)
Mahathir, ex-PM of Malaysia, had this to say in a speech made at the Institute of Economics and Politcal Studies (IKAPE) in December 2005.
"... I want to tell you, we had wanted to buy Russian MiGs (fighter planes). You know Russians, they are very inferior. Somehow or other, it was wangled without my knowledge, that part of the money (only to be used to purchase MiGs was also used) to buy (the American made) F-18 (planes).
The very good American aircraft costs twice as much as the MiGs. And then, we acquired eight F-18s and 18 MiGs. MiGs are sold to us without any condition.
If we feel like bombing Singapore, for example, the Russians are not going to object. Any Singaporeans here? Or ex-Singaporeans? ..."
And who does not know about the Malaysian politician's favourite tactic to win nationalistic support from the voters? Simply blame the cause of the Malaysia's woes on Singapore and threaten to cut off our water supply in retaliation.
In February 2014, Indonesia named a new warship KRI Usman Harun, after the two marines, Usman Mohamed Ali and Harun Said, who had bombed MacDonald House in 1965 killing three people and injured more than 30 others.
Despite the obvious sensitivities and the inherent implications of naming a warship after soldier who had carried attacks in Singapore, the Indonesian government made no apology nor did they change the name of the warship.
If Singapore does not have a strong defence, how else would we defend ourselves from such threats?
Those naive and stupid people behind All Singapore Stuff had better wake up their bloody ideas.
"If you, who are growing up, do not understand that you have to defend this, then in the end, we will lose. Other people will come, smack you down and take over."
Lee Kuan Yew, speaking on the importance of NS in 1967
Lee Kuan Yew had this to say when he was asked why Singapore was building the SAF.
“He [Mahathir] was direct and asked what we were building the SAF [Singapore Armed Forces] for.
I replied equally directly that we feared that at some time or other there could be a random act of madness like cutting off our water supplied which they [the Malaysians] had publicly threatened whenever there were differences between us … In [the Separation] agreement, the Malaysian government had guaranteed our water supply. IF this was breached, we would go to the UN Security Council.
If water shortage became urgent, in an emergency, we would have to go in, forcibly if need be, to repair damaged pipes and machinery to restore the water flow.
I was putting my cards on the table. He denied that such precipitate action would happen. I said I believe that he would not do this, but we had to be prepared for all contingencies.”
Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Prime Minister (The Singapore Story, Page 276)
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