Budget 2013: National Service and the Defence of SingaporeKey Issues:1. MP Hri Kumar Nair had recently proposed a defence tax on non-Singaporeans as a way to sharpen distinctions between citizens and non-citizen residents, and using the proceeds to benefit NSmen. The Broader Issue discussed here is:Can everything truly be monetized? Can the notion of service to your nation, at the risk of injury or death, be compensated with something some frivolous as a defence tax?The issue was with regards to how PRs give up their status at the age of 18 so as to avoid doing National Service Mr Nair's post drew swift reactions from fellow MPs and other observers, with some saying the proposal would reinforce the message that Singaporeans remain at the core of the Government's policies. Under the proposal, families with sons liable for NS would be exempted from the tax. But, those who send their sons away before enlistment or make them give up their PR status must pay back taxes and penalties. And rather than channelling the revenue to state coffers, Mr Nair suggested putting it into an NS trust fund that can supplement the pay of less well-off national servicemen. The money can also be used to compensate NSmen injured during duty, or families of those who die. [footnoteRef:1] [1: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20130215-402233/2.html ]

However, this sparked online uproar as many serviceman, past and present, felt insulted as to how the time spent training and being readied to serve their nation was being so flippantly monetised, hence undermining the true purpose of serving the nation.2. A second key issue was how there seemed to be a dilution of the Singapore core given the increasing proportion of foreigners in our country. The recently released White Paper again sparked online furore as Singapores population is projected to hit 6.9 million by 2030, with 45% of them (3.11 million) being foreigners. This led people to question the nature and type of Singapore were defending how the increase in the number of foreigners dilute the nature and type of home were defending Questions asked include: Why are we defending Singapore if its becoming flooded with foreigners? Yet, the people who defend the need for national service suggested that what were defending are memories, our home and heartlands and our loved ones.3. Some even question the need for National Service given todays globalised world. Some say given the economic integration of world economies today, there is less likelihood of nations going to war. Conversely the lack of such integration, as seen on the Korean peninsula, is more likely to lead to war. Some also question the need for a relatively long service term given the lack of true enemies. This is especially so when one considers how Taiwan has reduced their compulsory service term to just 4 months and are moving towards a volunteer army, despite them having a natural enemy just west of them in the form of the PRC. To debunk this, many people argue that NS is still relevant as our Army serves to deter aggression the lack of a standing army makes us more susceptible to potential attacks.4. In light of all these, there has been discussion on how to strengthen our National Service to show better appreciation for those who defend our country. Many STOMP pictures about how NSmen sleep in train carriages stem from a lack of empathy people fail to understand the fatigue of NSmen and instead ridicule them for taking up seats or making the place less pleasant in smell.

Source: http://www.singapolitics.sg/features/cartoons-your-ideas-strengthen-national-service

The articles in this package provide a comprehensive package of the various issues surrounding National Service.

Hard truths about Singapore's defenceSection:Opinion

By:WILLIAM CHOONG

Publication:The Straits Times15/03/2013

Page:A30

Through the domestic looking glass, issues like the merits of imposing a defence tax on non-Singaporeans have excited recent debate. But the hard facts about defending Singapore lie in awareness of its external realities.

RECENT months have seen National Service (NS) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) popping up as topics of discussion and debate among Singaporeans.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Monday a new committee would conduct a comprehensive review of the support network around NS. Recently, Mr Hri Kumar Nair, a Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, called for a defence tax on permanent residents and foreigners.

Last year, nearly 70 per cent of Singaporeans polled in an Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) survey said that having a male child who had completed NS is an important characteristic of being "Singaporean." And Jack Neo's Ah Boys To Men two-parter hit movies about the trials and tribulations of a group of recruits has broken new records at the box office, reflecting popular interest in NS.

Focusing on questions of equity between PRs and citizens and the proper recognition of the sacrifices made by NSmen are appropriate. After all, most, if not all, Singaporean families have members who are serving or have served in the armed forces.

What success has bredTHE problem here, however, is that a focus on such issues looks at NS and the SAF through a domestic lens, and fails to put them in a more externally oriented and geopolitical context. Put differently, there is a risk of getting mired in the weeds.

The fact is that after 45 years of National Service, the SAF has fallen victim to its own success. Because the city-state has deterred potential aggressors for so long, Singaporeans have to an extent been lulled into complacency, such that they now talk about "softer" issues, be it whether PRs serve NS, and even a trimming of the defence budget.

Granted, there are some grounds to be smug. Singapore's defence budget, at a projected $12.3 billion this year, is the biggest in South-east Asia. And it is an open secret that Singapore has one of the highest per capita defence spendings in the world, after countries such as Israel. It possesses a highly-advanced "third generation" fighting force built on the principles of "see first, think quicker, kill faster".But to understand the SAF's enduring validity, and the need for a substantialdefence budget, one has to go back to where it came from.

Formed in 1967, the SAF provided strategic insurance in a Muslim neighbourhood that has often viewed the Republic's predominantly Chinese population with suspicion, if not animosity. To compound matters, Singapore suffers from a lack of strategic depth another way of saying that once an adversary had set foot on its soil, the war was all but over.

A dangerous region stillONE could argue that Singapore's current environment is more benign. After all, the Cold War has been consigned to history, and Vietnam, once feared by many South-east Asian countries, is now a key member of Asean. Globalisation ties all regional countries, including China, in a complex web of interdependence.

But the Asia-Pacific remains a dangerous place, with many potential flashpoints, such as the standoff between China and Japan over the Diaoyu or Senkaku islands, North Korea's nuclear programme and the South China Seaterritorial spats.

Closer to home, Singapore's relations with Malaysia and Indonesia have improved markedly in recent years. But this cannot be taken for granted. Dr Tim Huxley, author of Defending the Lion City, puts it across nicely. Relations with these two countries, he notes, have often been "characterised by rivalry and tension".

History bears this out. In 1991, Malaysia and Indonesia conducted a joint military exercise. Codenamed Malindo Darsasa 3AB, it involved an airborne assault by paratroopers in southern Johor. This raised concerns among Singaporeans, with some reading the scheduling of the airdrop on Aug 9, Singapore's 26th National Day, as being unnecessarily provocative.

In 1998, the Malaysian Armed Forces was put on alert, Mr David Boey, formerly this newspaper's defence correspondent, had written. Then, politicians on both sides of the Causeway had argued over the status of the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint at Malaysia's railway station in Tanjong Pagar.

Defence premium a 'must'SPEAKING to ST journalists in Hard Truths To Keep Singapore Going, former prime ministerLee KuanYewwas emphatic about the threat posed by Singapore's immediate neighbours; they will "knock us about" and "harass us" if Singapore does not have a defence capability.

This is why Singapore needs a defence premium not only to ensure that it would have the military wherewithal to repel an aggressor, but also to enable it to remain free from coercion.

The fact is that small countries have been bullied, bargained over and even dismembered through millennia. Here, realists cite the Melian Dialogue, which describes how the stronger Athenians overwhelmed the tiny island of Melos in 416 B.C. Indeed, the Athenian pronouncement that "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must" still endures today.

In 1990, Iraq stunned the world by invading Kuwait. Enjoying a 5-1 advantage, 100,000 Iraqi troops overran it in two days. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia, a former Soviet republic. In seven days, superior Russian forces reclaimed South Ossetia and drove deep into the heart of Georgia.

Similar events have occurred closer to home.

For years, the Philippine military grew its defence budget, but increasingly became preoccupied with fighting domestic insurgencies. So when Manila confronted China over the disputed areas in the South China Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was found to be wanting.

When Chinese patrol ships faced off a Philippine survey vessel near Reed Bank in March 2011, Manila could only dispatch OV-10 light attack aircraft to the area. Until recently, when the Philippine Navy purchased two former US Coast Guard cutters, its major combatant was a World War II-era destroyer escort. For years, Vietnam and China were Communist allies; the latter gave support to the former during the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

Rising regional defence billsTHAT said, however, the "lips and teeth" relationship has become a severe case of gingivitis. Both countries fought a brief war in 1979 and now have pressing disputes over the South China Sea. In response to Chinese intimidation, Vietnam has purchased Russian-made Kilo submarines and Su-30Mk2 fighters.

Such incidents, and more generally, growing unease over China's assertiveness and the future balance of power in the Asia-Pacific, have led many regional countries to up their defence expenditure.

According to Military Balance 2013, released by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) yesterday, Asian defence spending rose by 14 per cent in 2011 to US$294 billion. In 2012, it rose by an additional 7 per cent.

Such rising defence expenditures reflected concerns over Chinese assertiveness and uncertainty over the future balance of power. In addition, the IISS said there is "substantial evidence of action-reaction dynamics taking hold" code for saying the region is on the verge of an arms race.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Dr Ng said that Singapore is monitoring such trends closely. As a small country, Singapore's external environment sets its defence posture, he added.

The statement summed up Singapore's calculations well. As a small country, its defence "premium" ensures that it retains maximum freedom of action amid an uncertain environment.

In 2008, Professor Ross Babbage, a former Australian defence official, argued that Canberra should acquire enough Joint Strike Fighters and submarines to "rip an arm off any major Asian power that sought to attack Australia". Arguably, Singapore has taken a leaf from such an idea.

This might be analogous to what I term the three "D"s of Singapore's defence policy. The Republic depends on diplomacy and deterrence to keep threats at bay; but if these two legs fail, the full force of the SAF would be unveiled to defeat aggressors.

It is entirely apposite that we talk about kitchen table issues surrounding NS. But some hard truths about Singapore's defence and external environment are worth emphasising and often.

stopinion@sph.com.sg

The writer, a former Straits Times journalist, is a Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (Asia), the think-tank which organises the annual SLD

Getting back that NS feelingSection:Saturday Insight

By:GOH CHIN LIAN

Publication:The Straits Times23/03/2013

Page:D2,D3

It is a rite of passage for Singaporean males but more now question compulsorynationalservice, which new residents do not do. The Defence Minister is seeking ways to strengthen NS but what would boost citizens' buy-in?

HE TRAINED in aircraft electronics for two years, but when ITE graduate Chua Zheng Sheng undertook hisNationalService, it was as an operations clerk in an infantry unit.

Given a choice, he would have wished to serve the air force with his avionics training.

"I like hands-on a lot, I don't like admin work," says Mr Chua, 21, who completed NS last month and will go to polytechnic soon.

"But in NS, no interest also boh pian," he laments, referring to the Hokkien phrase meaning one cannot do anything about it.

His lack of opportunity to apply his skills is something a new Committee to StrengthenNationalServicewill address.

During the debate in Parliament last week on the defence ministry budget, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen floated the idea of matchingservicemen's talents to their NS stint to make it a more meaningful experience.

Amazingly, in the 46-year-old history of Singapore's institution of military conscription not to mention, rite of passage as portrayed to telling effect in Jack Neo's hit Ah Boys to Men movies it turns out that this is done only in a limited fashion.

Currently, full-timenationalservicemen may be asked if they wish to be commanders. Trained doctors become medical officers. Some use their talents in the arts and sports.

As the men who enlist for NS or go for in-camp training are increasingly more educated and have higher expectations of theirservicetime, this needs a relook. No wonder, in this age of career opportunity and individualism, Dr Ng wants to get NSmen to put their abilities to best use - and it will also underpin a larger objective.

This is to get Singaporeans to still buy into the idea of NS - that as a small country, the only way Singapore can build a force of sufficient size to defend itself is through conscription.

Signalling his priority, Dr Ng will personally head the new committee. Its remit appears to be broader than that of previous committees formed every five years since 1990, which had titles such as Recognising the Contribution of Operationally Ready NSmen to Total Defence (Record).

So, why the need to beef up buy-in for NS? How can this be done? Insight looks into the issue.

The foreigner factorDR NG'S comments came shortly after an MP suggested anationaldefence tax be levied on non-citizens. Mr Hri Kumar Nair singled out permanent residents whose children skip NS by leaving Singapore when they reach enlistment age, as a source of ire.

His proposal led to a public outcry against "cheapening NS", which military historian Bernard Loo quipped is a sign that the institution is very much intact given the masses who rose to defend it.

Underlying the MP's suggestion is the unease Singapore-born citizens feel about the influx of foreigners, which came to the boil over the Population White Paper.

MPs and academics say this is a new factor that could blunt Singaporeans' commitment to NS on at least two levels.

One is the perception of unfairness, that PRs and new citizens enjoy benefits here but escape NS, while Singaporean men must do it from age 18. The other is that Singaporean men face the prospect of giving their lives to defend a nation increasingly populated by foreigners, with a shrinking Singaporean core.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, notes:"There's a larger group of foreigners among us and we've come to the realisation: 'How come they don't serve NS and we do? Are we sacrificing for the foreigners?'"

One issue is the NS policy for PRs that exempts first-generation PRs from NS, but not their children. Currently, if the children renounce their PR status and skip NS, they may find it harder later to apply to study or work here, or to have their PR status reinstated.

Whether this is a sufficient deterrent is disputed: A third of male foreigners who became PRs under their parents' sponsorship renounced this status just before they would have had to serve NS.Mr Nair's supporters differ on whether PRs should pay a "tax" if their children skip NS or that all PRs should be made to serve a period of NS.

Others warn of giving in to popular anti-foreigner sentiment. Why not give the 300,000 NSmen more privileges, they say.

Another factor fuelling the move to match NSmen's roles with their abilities is their rising educational level. More cohorts have post-secondary education by the time they enlist. More NSmen become graduates or diploma holders.

Past Record committees proposed more frequent and larger increases in rank allowance to match their contribution. Mindef also outsourced menial tasks from cooking to collecting empty cartridges, so NSmen can focus on training for increasingly complex security threats using more advanced technology.

The difference this time is Dr Ng's focus on matching NSmen's abilities with meaningful roles.

He cited Finland, which lets its NSmen indicate their choice of vocation and how high they want to go (see side story). He suggested providing such "springboards" to maximise the potential of NSmen.

With their abilities put to the best use, and if they believe in what they are fighting for, it will give rise to greater commitment and contributions, he argued.

Sociologist Tan Ern Ser of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) says they must also feel they are growing as a person and acquiring skills that are useful in civilian life, and not doing what they perceive to be meaningless or demeaning tasks: "Such an approach to NS is likely to generate positive reinforcements, fond memories, goodwill, and in turn strong commitment."

Conversely, he adds, those who see NS as a pain would be prone to malinger, go Absent Without Leave and even emigrate.

Some, like senior IT consultant Victor Leong, 41, think NS can be compressed to six or 12 months, as opposed to two years now.

All things being equal, this will reduce force numbers, but a smaller force need not be less potent.

When Mindef cut full-timenationalservicefrom 21/2 years to two in 2004 and reduced in-camp training from 13 years to 10 years in 2005, it said better educatedservicemen could use technology and still be just as effective.

A related challenge to maintain buy-in for NS is the trend of countries relying on professional defence forces instead of conscripting their citizens. Those maintaining the draft include Singapore, South Korea and Israel.

Germany ended the draft in 2011, while Taiwan cut its draft from one year to four months this year and plans to phase out conscription by the end of next year.

NS premiumOF THE more than 30 suggestions to strengthen buy-in for NS to The Straits Times and current affairs website Singapolitics, most focused on increasing privileges for Singaporean NSmen instead of raising the bar for PRs.

Where monetary incentives are cited, it is to cut the cost of living such as through public transport concessions, subsidising further education and health insurance.

While some say giving NSmen more money will do the job, the majority still believe it takes much more than money to recognise the years that men spend in NS.

Engineer Kevin Kho, 52, says he attended a recent discussion with more than 20 senior NSmen commanders where suggestions raised include having a priority lane for NSmen at immigration checkpoints and hospitals.

Another idea was to encourage Singapore Airlines to offer seat upgrades to NSmen in uniform, where they are available, as airlines in the US do for their military personnel in appreciation of their sacrifices.

Other people have suggested givingNationalDay Parade tickets to NSmen who have completed their final in-camp training, and special discounts tonationalattractions such as the Zoo.

Those who wish to raise the bar for PRs suggest that they do a probational period of NS if they are applying for citizenship, or serve as volunteers alongside regular police officers. But senior research fellow Leong Chan-Hoong at the Institute of Policy Studies prefers taking a softer approach first through reaching out to PRs and new citizens about NS.

This should start early from school days, with field trips to army camps, as the "peer pressure" to support NS is lower for them than for born and bred Singaporeans whose relatives have done NS and can share stories about it.

Making NS meaningfulTHE SAF practises a limited form of matchingservicemen's abilities to their vocation, and giving them a chance to aim higher.

Anecdotally,servicemen with a background in biology are known to become combat medics; good swimmers join the naval diving unit; the medically unfit with a flair for advertising may work at the military's recruitment centre.

Taking this idea of a job fit further, Associate Professor Loo, who coordinates the military studies programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of InternationalStudies, envisages that men who love model airplanes could operate unmanned aerial vehicles, and those with a flair for languages could thrive in intelligence units.

But just how far these matches can go depends on fulfilling the core principles of equity and conscription to meet the critical needs ofnationalsecurity.

As Dr Ng noted when he outlined the priorities of his committee: "Singapore first, SAF and NS second, personal interest of all Singaporeans next."

This was why, Dr Loo says, he remained as a corporal in signals during in-camp training, despite his expertise in military history: "My brigade commander told me in wartime we don't need civilian military instructors. We need signallers. I fully agree."

People's expectations will need to be managed on two fronts: They may not get the choice they want. And some may choose the easy way out. Alternatively, as Dr Ng hinted, the choice could be confined to giving a springboard to those who want to aim higher.

To some, matching talents toserviceis about personal growth and acquiring useful skills for civilian life. Civil servant Leandro Ngo, 28, says skills learnt in NS such as firefighting, riding motorbikes and driving powerboats should be certified and recognised by the civilian authorities.

As a sea soldier, he piloted 7m-long boats. But he found out he needed to pay $300 for a civilian powerboat licence.

IPS' Dr Tan says that the SAF must change tack in managing NSmen: Treat enlisting a citizen like hiring a person for a job. Ensure a better fit in terms of personality, interests, skills, capabilities and the kind of work he will do in NS.

But would a focus on personal fulfilment which some academics see as a post-modern view of life detract from the institutional view of duty, honour, country?

Dr Tan disagrees: "Patriotism and self-fulfilment are not mutually exclusive.

"While patriotism does call for sacrifice, the source of patriotism is not sacrifice in the first instance, but a common identity and community derived from having a positive relationship with the nation."

Former Mindef chief psychologist Soh Star thinks that measures to create meaningful NS experiences can go beyond matching talent, to creating emotional bonds.

Studies found that people's organisational commitment comes in three ways: their identification and emotional bond with the organisation (known as affective commitment), their obligation to it, and the cost of leaving it.

"Clearly, every organisation wants affective commitment from their employees because they would be engaged in work and proactively contribute to their organisation," says the associate professor at Nanyang Business School.

While providing meaningfulserviceadds to affective commitment, to him, the best way to get emotional buy-in is to have the right leaders who can bring meaning and excitement to the training and seemingly mundane tasks that NSmen must do, and make them feel cared for and heard.

This means ensuring their safety and empathising with their need to balance workplace and family commitments, he suggests.

Such details matter in garnering support among the larger Singaporean population, as seen in pre-enlistees such as junior college student Heng Li Wei, 18.

Although he will do NS only next year, he is already set on taking the hard road to becoming an officer.

"It's pride and honour, something worth aiming for," he says. He reckons that out of 10 friends, six or seven will share his view. The rest, he admits, may think that NS is a waste of time.

His brothers, aged 24 and 21, influenced him. Both were officers with inspiring stories to tell.

One story, in particular, stuck with him. During a route march, one of his brother's superiors carried 3kg more of drinks in addition to his 20kg field pack, so that he could share them with his platoon by the end of the journey.

Says Li Wei: "I feel inspired to be like him, to serve our nation and put other people first."

SHORTEN PERIODTo have quality NS, the time frame has to be reduced significantly to six to 12 months. Many of the operation-ready training and exercises can be done during reservist or (we) can do without many of the repetitive exercises.

Senior IT consultant Victor Leong, 41, a third sergeant combat engineer who completed his final in-camp training last year

TIE TO CITIZENSHIPAll Permanent Residents (with the) intention to get citizenship must go through a five-year probation period. They must fulfil at least one month per year of NS in-camp training for males, and one month per year of civil defenceservicefor females.

Project manager Sam Yew, 46, a corporal vehicle mechanic

A QUESTION OF ATTITUDEMy peers and seniors inspired me to try to make a difference during NS. If you have that attitude, every opportunity is a learning opportunity. If you just want to do the minimum, you demotivate yourself and others, and end up feeling that NS is a darn waste of time.

Engineer Kevin Kho, 52, a lieutenant-colonel who finished his NS term but stayed on as a volunteer

RECOGNISE SKILLSAllow technical certifications of skills we pick up like firefighting, riding motorcycles and driving powerboats in NS to be recognised in the outside world.

Civil servant Leandro Ngo, 28, a corporal sea soldier

MATCH SOLDIER TO JOBI was hoping to get a vocation related to engineering and fixing stuff, but I became a sergeant accounting for weapons.

Mr Danial Sufiyan, 21, who likes building things, from air guns to remote-controlled planes. He finished full-time NS this month and will go to the Singapore University of Technology and Design in May

FIRST AID COURSE FOR ALLFemales should undergo a compulsory first aid course. This allows us to better utilise our nation's resources. During a crisis, we can perform first aid while the medics and doctors are on their way.

Junior college student Heng Li Wei, 18, who proposes that women and men learn first aid at age 15

ASSET, NOT LIABILITYOne major problem with NS is that it is seen as 'liabilities', rather than 'assets'.

Sociologist Tan Ern Ser, on making NS positive and meaningful, rather than a chore and a pain

DON'T MONETISE REWARDConscription is an obligation, not a transaction, and we should not monetise it.

Senior research fellow Leong Chan-Hoong of the Institute of Policy Studies, who suggests giving away fourNationalDay Parade tickets instead to each NSman who completes stint

SAFETY IS PARAMOUNTAs long as people are assured that the boys are in safe hands when they go for training and are well taken care of, that is the strongest buy-in point.

Ms Ellen Lee, deputy chairman of the GPC for Defence and Foreign Affairs and MP for Sembawang GRC, on securing support for NS from families

MORE support for national servicemenSection:In

Publication:The Straits Times25/03/2013

Page:5

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said he will convene and chair a Committee To Strengthen National Service to review the support network around national service.

The committee will have two working groups. Senior Minister of State for Defence Chan Chun Sing will lead the working group on Support For NS to explore ways to help national servicemen fulfil their duties and to garner more support from various groups, such as families, employers, schools and the community.Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Mohamad Maliki Osman will chair the working group on Recognition And Benefits For National Service. Both groups will seek suggestions and feedback from various groups of Singaporeans. The committee is expected to complete its work within a year.

INSIGHTNational service has been linked to the recent discussion on the need to preserve a Singaporean core that was initiated during the debate over the Population White Paper, with some calling for national service to be a means of integrating permanent residents and new citizens.

Others have called for more recognition for the Republic's 300,000 national servicemen. Following Dr Ng's announcement, a Straits Times poll of Singaporeans showed that many preferred that appreciation for national servicemen come in the form of monetary rewards.

Some preferred cash handouts to supplement NSmen's monthly allowances, which range from $480 for recruits in full-time service to $1,180 for lieutnenants. Others want subsidies for education and transport.

Suggestions for non-fiscal measures include a national service appreciation day and more recognition in the media to raise awareness of the hardships faced during service.

A separate poll focusing on what employers can do for NSmen showed that two in five respondents wanted more time off to rest, with full pay, after completing reservist training.

WHY IT MATTERSIn his speech at the Committee Of Supply debate, Dr Ng noted that Singapore and Singaporeans have changed since national service started 45 years ago."We have to respond to these changes and ensure that the commitment of a new generation of NSmen remains strong," he said.

THINKFor male students: What is your view of national service and of your role in defending the nation? How do you think NSmen can best be motivated to fulfil their duties with commitment?

For female students: While you may not have to serve national service, you are likely to have family and friends who have to. What suggestions would you have for the working groups

Time to overhaul Singapores national security policiesBy Sudhir VadakethSingapores national security policies are outdated and in dire need of revision. These policies are heavily influenced by the paranoia of the 1960s, when a vulnerability fetish gave rise to a siege mentality amongst Singaporean leaders that persists till today.One archaic assumption is that Singapore should maintain a military alliance with Israel to protect itself from its main security threatpotentially hostile Muslim neighbours. This harks back to the mid 1960s, when Lee Kuan Yew, Singapores first prime minister, looked across the world and realised there was one other state that had faced and repeatedly overcome a similar national security challengebeing a tiny minority in an archipelago of 30,000 islands inhabited by more than 100 million Malay or Indonesian Muslims.Lees decision to seek help from the Israelis was defensible then, given that Singapore had just been thrown out of the Federation of Malaysia in 1965, and that Indonesia under Sukarno was pursuing an unpredictably hostile policy of Konfrontasi.But Singapore does not face the same national security challenges it once did. Though Israel is surrounded by hostile neighbours, Singapore is not. It is very difficult to imagine a scenario where modern Indonesia and/or modern Malaysiaor any other state, for that matterwould attack Singapore.Why? Simply, Singapore has become too important to the global economy. Some 80% of the worlds oil flows through Singapore. Singapore sits at the centre of global aviation and shipping routes. Multinationals from China, Europe, India and the US have sizeable operations in Singapore. High-net worth individuals from every Asian country have second homes in Singapore.Peace in Singapore is a non-negotiable prerequisite for Asias stability. In other words, the biggest deterrent to would-be aggressors is not Singapores Armed Forces; it is the Armed Forces of China and the US, hovering around the broader Asia-Pacific region.A common argument from Singapores security hawks is that Singapore sits in a volatile, unpredictable region and hence needs to maintain a strong deterrent force. Yet, aside from the occasional skirmish between Cambodia and Thailand, all regional fracases are local insurgencies, not ones that could possibly boil over into an inter-state conflict. South-east Asian states are getting closer by the day, as the region prepares for deeper economic integration in 2015.Singapores alliance with Israel may actually undermine the countrys relations with its own Muslim population and its neighbours, and make it more susceptible to attacks from Islamic terrorist groups. This does not mean that Singapore should immediately align itself with the pro-Palestinian side. Rather, it is probably wise for Singapore to reconsider its unflinching and unreserved support for Israel.What might that mean in practice? First, Singapore should progressively reduce its military ties with Israel. Second, in international diplomacy, Singapore should lean less towards Israel. At last months UN referendum on upgrading Palestines UN status, Singapore was the only South-east Asian country not to vote Yes (it abstained).Third, Singapore should immediately quash the notion that if the country ever went to war with a Muslim country, Singapores Muslims might switch sides. This supposed risk is behind the refusal to allow Muslims to occupy many high-security positions in the Armed Forces.Relook national serviceOn a related note, if Singapore faces different national security challenges than it did in the 1960s, is there still a need for mandatory national service?Singapore is possibly the only modern state that has never been embroiled in a major military conflict but still insists on maintaining a conscript army. Yet there are many reasons why Singapore should immediately shift from a conscript to a professional army.Perhaps the most important is motivation. Anybody who has gone through mandatory national service knows that the typical Singaporean soldier is about as motivated as a Resorts World dolphin. Aside from the regulars (professional soldiers), it is unlikely that Singapore is training very dedicated and proficient soldiers.On a related and more sombre note, when a person is forced into rigorous exercise and discipline for an amorphous cause he cannot fully grasp, there is a chance he can be emotionally and psychologically affected. This may partly explain the Singaporean soldiers who commit suicide because they just cant take it any more. Just as horrific are the stories of soldiers who die in the course of their training.A separate reason is a very pragmatic, rational onethe opportunity cost of every Singaporean male losing two of the most productive years of his life. This loss is severe in todays globalised, high-technology world, where cutting-edge companies are being created overnight in garages by dynamic, pubescent teenagers.Consider that in 2004, when 19-year old Mark Zuckerberg was founding Facebook in his Harvard dorm room, almost every Singaporean male his age was busy firing a rifle.From a fiscal point of view, the money could be better spent elsewhere. The Ministry of Defence gets more tax dollarsalmost a quarter of total government spendingthan any other. IHS, a research house, forecasts that this will rise from S$12.28bn in 2012 to S$12.32bn by 2015.If Singapore spent only one-third of the current defence budget, its per capita spending would fall in line with the likes of Canada, Monaco and Switzerland. That would free up roughly S$8bn every year. If the S$8bn were redirected to the bottom 10 per cent of citizens by household incomeabout 0.33m peoplethat would equate to social spending of S$24,000 a year each. (This is a gross simplification of a complex economic trade-off. Nevertheless, the comparison serves to highlight the relative potential of that money.) It is sobering to note that Singapore, which is trying to build a knowledge economy, currently spends more on defence than on education.Finally, there is the issue of responsibility for security in a global city. Given that fewer than two out of three people in Singapore are citizens, and that first-generation citizens do not have to serve in the military, is it fair to expect male citizens alone to shoulder the citys national security burden? Singapore has essentially been targeting a demographic that comprises less than a quarter of the country, and insisting that they defend the rest. Is that fair?Put another way, the argument here is that in a global city state with a high proportion of foreigners, foreign capital and foreign firms, national integration can be improved by levelling the national security responsibilities of the locals vis--vis the foreigners.Each of these reasons on their own might warrant the end of mandatory national service. Together, they make for a compelling case.

Instead of NS, consider a National Social ServiceIf Singapores security threats have indeed evolved over the yearsand no longer includes potentially hostile Muslim neighboursthen the country needs to adapt, and prepare itself for todays main threats: pirates and terrorists.In order to combat them, Singapore needs a good Navy, Coast Guard and Counter-terrorist units. But it does not need many large traditional divisions of the Army, including Armour, Infantry and Guards.One could argue that Singapore does not need an Air Force either. But given its tiny size, it might be prudent to maintain the highly-efficient Singapore Air Force as an additional deterrent to would-be aggressors, especially since it is conceivable that a terrorist attack could be airborne.Finally, as Singapore has been doing, it should continue to push the boundaries of high-technology military research. Drones, unmanned vehicles, robots, and other futuristic weaponry should be deployed to defend Singapore against the groups that pose a threat today: pirates and terrorists.In this context, how should Singapore restructure National Service (NS)? When Singaporeans reflect on the benefits of NS, two things stand out. The first relates to discipline and independence. The second is social integration. NS forces the sons of tycoons to sweat it out next to the sons of taxi drivers, bridging divides, to some degree, in a drastically unequal society.Any change to the NS system should ideally preserve these two benefits. Therefore, perhaps two-year mandatory National Service for males could be replaced by a six-month mandatory National Social Service (NSS) for all Singaporeans, including new citizens. NSS will involve a combination of assistance to lower-income Singaporeans and developmental work around South-east Asia.In other words: Instead of Singaporean males preparing for war against supposed hostile Muslim neighbours, all 18-year old Singaporeans must spend six months helping the less fortunate, both in Singapore and in the immediate region.NSS is not Summer Camp. Recruits will work long hours on real projects with defined deliverables and performance assessments. These projects could range from assistance to disadvantaged children in Singapore to reconstruction work in post-tsunami Aceh. Discipline, integrity, hard work and team work must be emphasised. Law and order should not be compromised.Those who choose to sign on as regulars in the Armed Forces, Police or Civil Defence should be exempt from this six-month NSS. Foreigners below the age of 50 who want to become Singaporeans will have to serve this six-month NSS at some point after they get their citizenship.NSS could benefit Singapore in many ways. First, NSS would not only preserve two of the main advantages of the current two-year NSdiscipline and social integrationbut it would extend these to all Singaporeans. Furthermore, by including naturalised citizens, NSS will balance the obligations of Singapore-born citizens with those of foreign-born citizens, helping the integration of new migrants.Second, NSS will improve social cohesion in Singapore. NSS represents, to some degree, a redistributive transfer to Singapores lower-income and disadvantaged groups, who will benefit from targeted assistance by the programme.Third, NSS will not interrupt Singaporean kids higher-education dreams. As it is only six months long, it can easily be completed between secondary and tertiary education. Singaporean males will no longer feel handicapped educationally and professionally in comparison to women and foreigners.Fourth, NSS will boost Singapores standingor soft powerin the region. While there are many instances of Singaporean individuals or organisations providing aid and assistance to the broader ASEAN community, its national efforts are irregular and often only in the wake of specific disasters, such as the tsunami in 2004.Other countries have similar international development programmese.g. the USAIDand given how globalised and rich Singapore is today, it arguably has a moral obligation to implement one. From a political and economic viewpoint, there are many benefits that might accrue from boosting Singapores soft power in the region. NSS will further solidify Singapores position as the pre-eminent city for the ASEAN area, as regional integration continues apace.From a national security viewpoint, NSS could be a tremendous boonSingapores international relations and future security are arguably better served by sowing goodwill in its backyard than by maintaining its Armed Forces. NSS can, in effect, be used as a potent tool to achieve Singapores foreign policy objectives.But as with any major policy change, there will be several different constituencies who will resist.The first group comprises the national security hawks who believe that a huge, active and strong military is essential for Singapores survival. Within this group there are at least two competing narratives.The first narrative is the old, traditional one that harks back to the 1960s and maintains that Singapore is under threat from potentially hostile Muslim neighbours. The second narrative acknowledges that while potentially hostile Muslim neighbours are no longer serious threats, Singapores economic and political power depends on its strong military power.But even if Singapore must maintain a credible military force, then what exactly is credible? It would seem, given the per capita military spending numbers mentioned in theearlier article, that Singapore has a lot of latitude to reduce military spending while still being able to project the necessary economic and political power for the countrys development.Aside from the hawks, another group that might resist demilitarisation includes any individual or corporation invested in Singapores military industrial complex. No doubt, as Singapore demilitarises, it must ensure that current professionals in the Singapore Armed Forces are not disenfranchised.Certain members of the ruling party may also be against any demilitarisation as the status quo serves them well: as in many other countries, fear-mongering provides some political currency to the incumbents.Nevertheless, it would be nave for Singaporeans to assume that its neighbours will always be pleasant. There is a possibility that Singapore will one day have to contend with serious international disputes with its ASEAN neighbours.Although China and the US are heavily invested in the region today, and provide enough of a deterrent to would-be aggressors, their geopolitical priorities will evolve over time. Therefore, even if Singapore demilitarises, it must always keep open the possibility of remilitarisation.All these changes will free up government funds for spending on social services; reduce social inequalities; improve social cohesion and integration; enable Singaporean males to better compete in the global knowledge economy; sow goodwill in ASEAN; allow Singapore to achieve its foreign policy objectives through the use of soft power; and continue to protect Singapore from its main security threats.Despite the strong arguments in favour of demilitarisation, disabusing many Singaporeans of this siege mentality that they have grown up with will not be easy.Then again, maybe there really is some small chance that Malaysia will invade Singapore tomorrow, as hawks have long suggested. Just like there is some small chance that the world will perish tomorrow, as the Mayans once predicted.