Comments on: Military is no place for foreigners

By: Ricky

Ricky — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:51:46 +0000

Gerald Giam 严燕松 –

“Beyond philosophical notions of loyalty and allegiance to country, our soldiers are also entrusted with very sensitive state secrets like knowledge of the SAF’s military doctrine, battle procedures, how the weapons are deployed and employed in the battlefield, and the morale and psychological preparedness of the soldiers on the ground.

Would the SAF reveal all this information to foreign agents? If not, why are they willing to reveal them all to non-Singaporean soldiers?”

Considering how every able bodied male Singapore citizen upon reaching 18 must complete National Service, what about those who have already completed NS and have obtained citizenship elsewhere and relinquished Singapore citizenship. Wouldn’t these former Singapore citizens who have now become foreigners know about the SAF’s secrets? If foreigners should not be allowed to join the SAF on the grounds that they are foreigners, would it not be the same if a Singaporean had joined the SAF and then became a citizen of another country. After all, he is now a foreigner with information about the SAF.

By: Charles " Waya" Bridges

Charles " Waya" Bridges — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:37:03 +0000

I like your statement and I am in agreement. I am actually from the US and I live in Thailand. Singapore has always been and always will be one of my favorite countries in Asia but enough of the praises I want to share why I agree with this. With that said, I am of the firm belief that if a forigner is going to live any place with the intention of either A) Perminently stay there as a first gen PR B) Work there or C) start a family there ( either way you want to stay there) then they need to prove themselves like everyone else and the first thing to do to prove themselves is change the citizenship and begin that process and it needs to start the 1st opportunity they get not the 2nd or even the 10th, if they want to live there then they have to allow themselves to be assimilated among the people there ” When in Rome do as the Romans do”. The 2nd they cant skip on service they have started out as guests just like staying as a guest in someones home its polite to return the kindness. Your country is showing the forigner a motherload of courtesy, hospitality, they have a job, they have a house maybe their kids are going to school they need to pay it back no questions asked they have to show their appreciation for it and NS is the best way to do it and they cant just say they are thinking about doing it they should go to the recruiter say what they want to do and do it ( to the forigner reading this -and get yourself on your way to being a citizen and swear allegiance to your new home too so you dont end up being a freeloader and if your an American pulling that crap then you need to start wearing a Mexican hat cuz you’ve made yourself the town Mexican. Your buddies at home are criticising those guys making an honest living and your doing the same thing so you deserve to be called a freeloader the most) If any forigner is unwilling to do this for any reason then they seriously should rethink staying in Singapore. They have to do the right thing and dont involve themselves with the NS or their people. If their just there for work then they should seriously consider what I am saying these people are showing you hospitality but they are taking advantage of their kindness. If these people are working then they shouldn’t be given high positions in any industry until they do these things. In America our biggest complaint is when foreigners dont do this and even my countrymen are doing this in Singapore and everywhere else and its hypocritical.
I will confess it right now I do want to live in Singapore. I have a family too and we are going to get a PR together and denounce our current citizenships. I have nothing against my country but I chose to live in this part of the world, and I am going to set the example for others I am going to move to singapore the right way going for citizenship, I also want to join NS and join my brothers in arms cuz I am not going to freeload and not prove myself to be one of you. I will swear allegeance to singapore alone and as far as the US is concerned I have no obligations to them. Thank you for reading this if other foreigners also read this I hope they will take it to heart especially if they are American and if they are I hope I will meet you there and join the NS together as Singaporeans.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:58:48 +0000

I am an American-born Chinese (ABC). My mother is from – SINGAPORE. From my mother’s side, I have a family that consists of an auntie, grandmother, grandfather, grandmother’s siblings, as well as second cousins that all live in Singapore. Despite growing up in the USA, I remain very close to my family there. Culturally, I behave more like they (Singaporeans) do than the average ABC. If I were able to join the SAF, I would more than likely do so, because I am serving not only my family members there, but also to the people of Singapore I feel close to since I grew up according to this culture. In no way, would I ever disclose secrets about Singapore to any non-Singaporean nation if I were told about it. After all, if I did this, I would be hurting my family of 9+ relatives there.

By: Devon Telle

Devon Telle — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:02:35 +0000

Hey there are using Wordpress for your site platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you require any html coding knowledge to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated! Bless you!

By: Non-Singaporean NSmen « Everything Also Complain

Non-Singaporean NSmen « Everything Also Complain — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:33:25 +0000

[...] February 7, 2010 From Military is no place for foreigners 20 Dec 2009 http://www.Geraldgiam.sg [...]

By: complainking

complainking — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:56:12 +0000

Can I quote excerpts from this entry under my Army category for my history of complaints blog?

By: The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 52

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 52 — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:13:45 +0000

[...] Service – Gerald Giam’s Blog: Military is no place for foreigners – Sam’s thoughts: NS deaths: Confidential Operational Matter or Issue of Public [...]

By: ObserverOne

ObserverOne — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:54:30 +0000

When pledge is taken as an aspiration,
this is what we have today.

By: ObserverOne

ObserverOne — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:50:01 +0000

It is a very wise write-up from An Old Friend. I respect it.

By: nsman

nsman — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:43:46 +0000

I agree with gerald, in no time, we will have espionage incidents happening in singapore.

there are other alternatives, national service does not mean serving the millitary only. are we not also require firefighters, a post, a post just as noble? can we also bring back the ‘white mouse’ – vigilante corp, maybe to realign their duties to assist the shortage of patrolling constables.