Thank You Melissa Sng

Thank you Melissa Sng.

Respect and dignity is all we ask for from our fellow Singaporeans.

You are the complete opposite of a certain Zheng Hui Ting who deem it appropriate to make a joke out of a deceased NSF with her “Singaporeans too weak. LOL” comment.

Via Melissa Sng’s Facebook page:

To the ladies of Singapore, from an NS girl
by Melissa Sng on Friday, April 20, 2012 at 4:39am ·

I was once in green as well. And though any Singaporean guy can tell you this, I just thought it’ll be good to come out from another girl’s mouth, just so you know it’s not about “weak”ness, male egos and however else females somehow like to insult their brave NS men with 🙁 So ladies, I know that the NS experience is the equivalent of a fairy story to you. But just so you know how privileged you are –

You may laugh at how funny botak heads and black spectacles look. For a new recruit whose name has become “Eh, Recruit”, and not the name he has had since always and will maybe lose to weird nicknames in the next two years of his life: at the most important stage of his life thus far, that is the last of his worries.

As you wake up leisurely just think about how they wake up, after 7 hours of sleep, to yet another punishing day of physical training.

As you freshen up remember that the amount of toothpaste they put on their toothbrush is one of the few decisions they actually get to make – at every other moment, they are told precisely what to do, and punished for anything short of robotic perfection.

As you choose what clothes to wear, know that he only has the choice between that still-damp-one-I-rinsed-in-the-sink and the-stinky-one-that-I-didn’t-get-to-wash.

And as you miss him, know that he is thinking of you every moment he can, as he does his monotonous physical exercises by each whistle blow, as he digs his shellscrape and the heat rash stings his entire body, as he listens to you say on the phone, “I wish you weren’t there. I don’t think I can do this for much longer”. Because, out of everything they have to endure, the only time I’ve seen them cry is when they think and talk about you. Their family.

Your boyfriend, your male friends, brothers and sons, may dislike the army for robbing him of his freedom and time, even his youth. Yet if you want to support them, don’t just side with them and resent the policy of NS too, just like that. Instead, please do your country a favour and treasure him, because otherwise he’s only got his buddy (and his rifle) and his commanders to watch his back and they’re all in this together; he’s got two years that he has no choice but to make the best of, while you are living your carefree life happily. Please don’t dismiss their efforts, mock the precious life that was lost and everything they sacrifice, to protect Singaporeans like you. And when they have ORDed, when they gang up together in their little huddles and talk about NS, please don’t feel left out.. I hope you feel appreciative. It’s the only thing your country demands of you in its defense.

Please do not take them for granted.

May PTE Lee rest in peace.

P.S. To all Mums: Solid home-cooked food during book-outs is a (Y).