Duty and Honor: A Rebuttal to the Questioning of Singapore’s National Service

In recent days, a discussion about Singapore’s National Service (NS) on Reddit has attracted widespread attention. Some netizens questioned why, in Singapore, men are required to serve, while women and foreigners do not have to bear this responsibility​1​. Faced with such doubts, we can’t help but ponder: Is this really unfair to men? Should it arouse our anger?

Undeniably, National Service is a duty, but it is also an honor. In Singapore, every man contributes to the defense of their homeland through their service. They use their youth and sweat to become a solid barrier for national security. This contribution and dedication are a mark of respect for the nation, and a protective shield for their home.

National Service is also an opportunity for exercise and growth. In military life, men not only undergo rigorous physical training, but also learn valuable life skills such as team cooperation, leadership abilities, and self-challenge. These experiences and abilities will deeply influence their life’s journey, enabling them to go further in future work and life.

The view that women and foreigners do not need to serve also deserves our deep consideration. Women play various roles in Singaporean society, and through volunteer and public services, they too contribute to the nation’s development. Foreigners residing and working in Singapore also contribute to the economic and social development of Singapore.

We must recognize that the National Service system does not exist in isolation; it is a product of Singapore’s specific historical, cultural, and security challenges. Singapore’s National Service system is a response to specific security challenges; it is a matter of Singapore’s sovereignty. To question the National Service system is, in fact, a challenge to Singapore’s sovereignty.

National Service is not just a duty, it’s an honor. In this process, Singaporean men protect their homeland with tangible actions and grow continuously through challenges and difficulties. We should understand and respect Singapore’s National Service system, rather than questioning and criticizing it.

责任与荣誉:对质疑新加坡国民服役的反驳

近日,Reddit上有关新加坡国民服役(NS)的讨论引起了广泛关注。一些网友质疑,为何在新加坡,男性必须服役,而女性和外籍人士却无需承担这一责任1。面对这样的质疑,我们不禁要思考:这是否真的是对男性的不公平?是否应该引起我们的愤怒?

国民服役,无疑是一份责任,但同样也是一份荣誉。在新加坡,每一位男性通过服役,都在为保卫家园付出行动。他们用青春和汗水,成为国家安全的坚实屏障。这种贡献和奉献,是对国家的尊重,也是对自己家园的守护。

国民服役同时也是一种锻炼和成长的机会。在军队的生活中,男性不仅接受严格的体能训练,更学习到团队合作、领导能力和自我挑战等宝贵的生活技能。这些经历和能力,将深深影响他们的人生道路,使他们在未来的工作和生活中走得更远。

对于女性和外籍人士不需要服役的观点,我们同样应有深思。女性,她们在新加坡社会中扮演着多样的角色,通过志愿者服务、公共服务等方式,她们同样为国家的建设付出了努力。外籍人士,他们在新加坡的居留和工作,也为新加坡的经济和社会发展做出了贡献。

我们必须认识到,国民服役制度并非孤立存在,它是新加坡特定的历史、文化和安全挑战的产物。新加坡的国民服役制度是对特定安全挑战的回应,它是新加坡的主权问题。质疑国民服役制度,实则是对新加坡主权的挑战。

国民服役不仅仅是一份责任,更是一份荣誉。在这个过程中,新加坡男性以实际行动保护了家园,也在挑战和困难中不断成长。我们应该理解和尊重新加坡的国民服役制度,而非对其进行质疑和抨击。

新加坡四大反对党联手,以”人民联盟”之名共同参选下届大选

据消息人士于6月1日披露,新加坡四个反对党——人民之声,改革党,人民力量党和民主进步党已经联手组建了名为”人民联盟”的政治联盟,将共同参选下届大选。

该联盟的秘书长,人民之声的领导人林添财表示,自今年1月以来,四个党派已开始商讨组建联盟的事宜,并正在向社团注册局注册。联盟获得批准后,将举行新闻发布会并正式启动联盟。

他强调,人民联盟将在下届大选中竞选各党在2020年大选中参选的所有席位,并可能增加其他席位的参选。

林添财在公开声明中表示:“我们听取了新加坡人民的呼声,认为早已过了只讨论反对派团结而不组建联盟的时期。”他指出,过去的联盟尝试,最近一次是2018年涉及七个反对党,都没有取得任何成果。

“我们决定让我们四个党派在下一届大选中以联盟的名义参选。我们已经在未来几十年影响我国人民和国家繁荣的最关键问题上达成一致。我们已经准备好将我们的政纲在大选中提交给全国人民。”林添财补充道。

人民联盟的第一届中央执行委员会名单已经确定,其中包括改革党的杰亚雷特南(Kenneth Jeyaretnam)担任主席,人民之声的林添财担任秘书长,人民力量党的吴明生(Goh Meng Seng)担任组织秘书等。

需要注意的是,新的人民联盟并非首次在选举中挑战执政党的反对党联盟。早在2001年6月28日,就有一个名为新加坡民主联盟(SDA)的四党联盟成立。该联盟最初由新加坡人民党(SPP),国家团结党(NSP),新加坡公正党(SJP),新加坡国家阵线(SNF)和新加坡马来人民组织(PKMS)组成。

林添财坚称,即使组建了人民联盟,四个成员党仍将作为独立的政党继续存在。

目前,这四个党派均没有国会议员。他们的目标是在下一届大选中挑战这一现状,希望能够打破现有的政治格局。在过去的尝试中,由七个反对党于2018年组成的联盟并未取得预期效果。而现在,林添财和他的队伍准备好用人民联盟的旗帜再次迎战大选。

人民联盟目前已经达成共识,对影响我国人民和国家繁荣的最关键问题持有相同的观点。他们已经准备好将自己的政纲在大选中提交给全国人民。

下一届大选将于2025年之前举行。人民联盟的首次中央执行委员会将包括主席杰亚雷特南先生,副主席苏彼得先生,秘书长林添财先生,助理秘书长雅斯敏·瓦伦蒂娜女士,财务长哈米姆·阿里亚斯先生,助理财务长迈克尔·范先生,组织秘书吴明生先生,助理组织秘书朱莉亚娜·朱瓦希尔女士,成员阿卜杜勒·马利克·拉赫马特先生,成员林连进先生,成员邱信光先生,以及成员马哈布布·巴查·阿卜杜勒·拉希德先生。

然而,人民联盟并不是第一个反对执政党的反对党联盟。早在2001年6月28日,一个名为新加坡民主联盟(SDA)的四党联盟就已经成立。它最初由新加坡人民党(SPP),国家团结党(NSP),新加坡公正党(SJP),新加坡国家阵线(SNF)和新加坡马来人民组织(PKMS)组成。当时,这个联盟是由新加坡人民党的秘书长詹姆斯·唐领导的。

然而,这个联盟经历了一些变动,2007年和2011年,NSP和SPP分别退出了这个联盟,使得SDA最终成为了由SJP和PKMS两党组成的联盟,目前的领导人是林柏泉先生。

SDA也在2020年的大选中竞选,根据其官方网站和Facebook页面的信息,他们仍在与居民进行家访,并在多个政治议题上公开表达他们的立场。

林添财在声明中表示,反对党需要团结一致,以便在新加坡政坛上发挥更大的作用。他强调,过去的几次反对党联盟并没有取得预期的效果,但是他希望这次人民联盟能够有所突破。

为了实现这一目标,人民联盟已经准备好在下一届大选中全力以赴。他们承诺将全面审视每个政策问题,以确保他们的政纲能够真正反映新加坡人民的需求和期望。他们鼓励所有新加坡公民参与这一过程,共同为新加坡的未来出谋划策。

对于林添财和他的队伍来说,接下来的挑战将是如何凝聚更多的反对党支持者,以便在即将到来的大选中对执政党形成更大的威胁。人民联盟的成立无疑将为新加坡政坛带来新的动态,而我们将继续关注这个新联盟的发展。

Four Opposition Parties Forge ‘The People’s Alliance’ to Challenge in Next Singapore General Election

In a significant development in Singapore’s political landscape, four opposition parties have announced the formation of ‘The People’s Alliance’ to contest in the next General Election (GE). The coalition will comprise of the Peoples Voice, Reform Party, People’s Power Party and the Democratic Progressive Party.

The leader of Peoples Voice, Mr Lim Tean, announced on his Facebook page that the alliance would contest all the seats that the constituent parties had vied for in GE2020, as well as others. This development comes after months of dialogue among the parties, with discussions to form an alliance commencing in January. The coalition is in the process of registering with the Registry of Societies.

Once the registration is approved, a press conference will be held alongside the alliance’s official launch. Mr Lim, who will serve as the secretary-general of The People’s Alliance, expressed that the formation of this alliance was in response to the calls from Singaporeans for greater opposition unity.

Despite previous unsuccessful attempts at forging alliances among opposition parties, this new coalition aims to challenge the status quo and present a unified front in the forthcoming GE. Mr Lim stated that the parties are in agreement on the major issues impacting Singapore’s future prosperity and have developed a manifesto for the GE.

In light of the development, the individual parties forming The People’s Alliance will continue to operate separately. Each of these parties has had no representation in Parliament.

The People’s Alliance isn’t the first coalition of opposition parties in Singapore. In June 2001, the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) was formed comprising the Singapore People’s Party (SPP), National Solidarity Party (NSP), Singapore Justice Party (SJP), Singapore National Front (SNF) and Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS). The SDA has gone through several shifts in its composition and continues to engage with constituents and express its views on political issues.

The emergence of The People’s Alliance indicates a dynamic shift in Singapore’s political arena. As this alliance prepares to contest in the next GE, it remains to be seen how this unified front will impact Singapore’s political future.

李显龙总理再次确诊新冠,医生称其为“反弹”感染

新加坡总理李显龙在短暂康复后再次被检测出新冠病毒阳性。他在周四早晨的Facebook帖子中表示,他感觉良好,医生建议他自我隔离,直到抗原快速检测结果为阴性。

李总理说:“我的医生说这是新冠后反弹,这种情况在5到10%的病例中会发生。”他补充说,虽然仍有传染性,但与初次感染相比,风险并不高。

他原本非常期待参加今天早上的Sri Thendayuthapani Temple的献殿仪式,但为了确保他人安全,他不得不错过。“对组织者和所有参加仪式的人表示歉意,祝愿大家献殿和庆祝活动成功!”

李显龙,71岁,首次被检测出新冠阳性是在5月22日。医生建议他自我隔离,直到无症状,并由于他的年龄,开了抗病毒药物Paxlovid。

副总理黄永宏将在李显龙缺席期间担任代理总理,新加坡总理办公室周四发表声明。黄永宏将在周五主持第八次新加坡-澳大利亚年度领导人会议。

据路透社2022年的一份报道,美国政府研究人员的一项研究显示,服用Paxlovid的一些患者新冠症状反弹可能与健全的免疫系统有关,而不是弱的免疫系统。参与研究的患者症状反弹的都有较高的抗体水平,他们都不需要额外的治疗或住院。

PM Lee Tests Positive for Covid-19 Once More, Doctors Point to ‘Rebound’ Phenomenon Occurring in 5-10% of Cases

Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, has again tested positive for Covid-19, a few days following his initial recovery from the virus. In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, he stated that he feels well and has been advised by his doctors to self-isolate until he tests negative on an antigen rapid test.

PM Lee explained that his doctors attribute his situation to a post-Covid rebound, a phenomenon that occurs in 5 to 10 percent of cases. He added that while he remains infectious, the risk is not as high compared to the initial infection.

PM Lee expressed his disappointment in having to miss the consecration ceremony of Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Thursday morning, a decision made to ensure the safety of those around him. He expressed his regrets to the event organizers and attendees, wishing them a successful consecration and celebration.

Mr. Lee, 71, first tested positive for Covid-19 on May 22. His doctors advised him to self-isolate until he was symptom-free and prescribed the antiviral medication Paxlovid due to his age.

During PM Lee’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will serve as Acting Prime Minister, as announced in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday. Mr. Wong will host the 8th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting on Friday.

A 2022 Reuters report cited a study by US government researchers suggesting that a rebound of Covid-19 symptoms in some patients who took Paxlovid might be related to a robust immune system rather than a weak one. The patients in the study who experienced a rebound in symptoms had higher levels of antibodies, and none of them required additional treatment or hospitalization.