National Service in Singapore

The following sections are included:

• About the Contributors
• Contents
• Introduction

When Singapore was suddenly thrust out of Malaysia in 1965, the betting odds were heavily stacked against its survival as a newly sovereign state. The island-state’s diminutive size, small population, lack of natural resources, its location in a tough neighbourhood — a “region of revolt” — and inability to defend itself did not augur well for a future on its own. Fifty years on, in 2015, Singapore celebrated its Golden Jubilee — in style. The once fledging state had not only defied the odds against its survival but had prospered economically in the process. Underpinning the Singapore Economic Miracle is the physical security of its sovereignty and territorial integrity provided by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), created from scratch after independence and built upon the bedrock of military conscription that was first introduced — albeit amid much controversy and opposition — when Singapore was still a British colony in 1954. Foisted once again in 1967, this time on a grander scale and on a post-independent citizenry unaccustomed to soldiering, National Service (NS) has come a long way since then. Today, NS is not only the backbone of Singapore’s defence; it has become a deeply embedded aspect of the nation’s psyche and a non-negotiable requirement of citizenship — a “way of life” and a “rite of passage” for its male citizens on whose shoulders the burden and responsibility of national defence disproportionately rested. This chapter surveys the historical evolution and administration of NS in Singapore between 1954 and 2017. It focuses on not only the rationale for NS and its undergirding principles but also shows how the post-independent city-state grappled with the burdens and the challenges of foisting common defence responsibilities on its male citizenry. In particular, the story of conscription in Singapore reveals how the continual engagement of its citizenry is necessary to win the hearts and minds of each generation of Singaporeans and get them to embrace the concept of life-long NS.

The policy of conscription, otherwise called National Service (NS), is generally regarded as the foundation stone for the defence of Singapore. As the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) asserts, “deterrence is provided by developing a strong and capable SAF … through the institutions of National Service and Total Defence …” Further, MINDEF points out, “NS has been the cornerstone of our nation’s defence and security since independence. Our national servicemen form the backbone of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) that keep Singapore safe and secure”…

National Service (NS) can presently be served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) — the latter two key services in the Ministry of Home Affairs’ operational arm known as the “Home Team”. National servicemen are recognised as being instrumental to ensuring Singapore’s peace and security. At a dinner reception held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of NS in independent Singapore (NS50), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that over a million Singaporeans have served national service in the SAF and the Home Team since 1967. The SPF “work hard to maintain law and order daily, and are prepared to deal with any threat.” The SCDF “respond to all types of emergencies, big and small and they do this not just when war comes, but everyday in peace time, around the clock … a source of comfort … because they are there for us at the time of our greatest need.” PM Lee emphasised national servicemen, and not just regulars, enable the Home Team to secure Singapore. Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam earlier noted over 260,000 national servicemen have served in the Home Team. National servicemen there now wear the same uniforms as their regular counterparts and fill similar roles as them. Some SPF units, such as the Public Transport Security Command, comprise mainly national servicemen. In a four-man fire engine crew, two or three are national servicemen. In an ambulance crew, one out of three is a national serviceman. When Minister for Finance Heng Swee Kiat collapsed during a Cabinet meeting in May 2017, one of the four ambulance first responders was indeed a full-time national serviceman. PM Lee subsequently wrote to the Commissioner of the SCDF a letter of appreciation acknowledging the competency and confidence displayed by the crew of both regulars and a national serviceman. As a matter of policy, national servicemen in the Home Team are as instrumental to protecting Singapore’s security as their counterparts in the SAF…

The following sections are included:

• Contours of the Chapter: Introduction
• Copenhagen School Securitisation
• Concerning Singapore’s Vulnerability
• Constructing Singapore’s Securitisation of Vulnerability
• Conclusion: The Next 50 Years?

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• All-Volunteer Professional or Conscript Citizen-Soldier?
• Numbers Matter
• Number Matters
• Conclusion

The 1967 implementation of National Service (NS) in Singapore was motivated by two ends. The first was to rapidly and inexpensively increase defence capacities, made necessary by Singapore’s precarious relationship with its far larger neighbours. The second, and the focus of this chapter, was to contribute to the nation-building process by bringing together the country’s diverse population and inculcating in it loyalty to the nascent nation. There should be little surprise that NS was among the chosen approaches to addressing this goal: military (and quasi-military) institutions have a long history that stretches back to the Ancient Greeks of being seen as a “school for the nation” capable of bringing about comprehensive social transformation. The purpose of this chapter is to examine how effective NS in Singapore has been in contributing towards the nationbuilding process…

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Principles of National Service
• Identity and Contestations
• Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS)
• Beyond NS50: Headwinds and Opportunities
• National Service in the Era of Hyperculturalism

In Singapore, discussions about dual citizenship often occur in tandem with the issue of mandatory National Service (NS). While debates about dual citizenship include a range of issues, this chapter focuses on how it affects loyalty and identity rather than the security arguments surrounding dual citizenship and NS. Drawing from empirical examples, this chapter evaluates the tenability of one of the often held key arguments against dual citizenship: dual citizenship is antithetical to NS’ goal of nation-building…

Perceived systemic discrimination of Malays found within Singapore’s system of National Service (NS) remains a perennial bugbear in discussions on the nation’s defence. Two questions often arise when Malays and NS are discussed. With NS being the means through which Singapore services the manpower requirements of its military, police and civil defence forces, the first question surrounds whether conscripted Malays are over-represented in the police and civil defence forces while being under-represented in the military. The second question is with regard to whether Malays are unrepresented in elements considered “sensitive” in the military. In response to these queries, the Singapore government maintains that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) takes in more Malays than the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) combined while also emphasising the progress made for the integration of Malays within all elements of the SAF over the years…

Taiwan’s policy of conscription is presently being re-evaluated with the aim of shifting its military to an all-volunteer force (AVF). This evolution has occurred in the context of the transformation of Taiwanese domestic politics, changing cross-Strait relations and defence reforms. The first part of this chapter explores the reasons why conscription was introduced in Taiwan and how the policy has been implemented. The second section details the criticism the policy has faced and how it has evolved because of these dissenting views. The chapter concludes that the politicisation of conscription has resulted in a problematic evolution to a specified end, but one that is still far from sight.

The following section is included:

• Index