• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Letter: MINDEF should consider putting all unnecessary in-camp living on hold temporarily

by The Online Citizen
22/04/2020
in Letters
Reading Time: 3 mins read
2

Dear Minister Ng or (to whom it may concern),
I am writing in with regards to the current measures in place for our NSFs and NS men. I thank you first and foremost for temporarily bringing to a halt all non-essential in camp activities such as Basic Military Training (BMT); this is a good first step in this critical period.
I hope you may consider possibly put all in-camp living, except that which is truly necessary, on hold temporarily. There are “essential” defence units, and truly essential units, in the context of a global pandemic that is already ravaging Singapore.
For example, I am aware that certain “essential” groups are still in camp, for example, those in the Specialist Cadet School and the Officer Cadet School of the Singapore Army.
I may be speaking out of ignorance of not knowing the rationale for their continued training, in which case I ask for your understanding of not knowing better, but it would seem dangerous that in a time of a global pandemic of a highly infectious disease, we are still putting clusters of our boys together in camp, preparing them for their subsequent postings.
It would be disastrous (as it already is) if what is happening to the foreign workers in Singapore happens to the NSFs and NS men still in camp.
As a preventive healthcare specialist (as well as a former NSF who spent close to 2 years in a bunk), the environment of living in camp is a ticking time bomb for an outbreak, even with the advanced safety measures. All it takes is one of the boys or the contracted personnel to bring it into camp after book out, or due to every day in and out of camp travel.
Given the incubation period of the virus, its possible asymptomatic mode of transmission, and its rapid spread, this has a significant probability of happening, whether you have safety checks at the entrance or not. It’s very possibly not a matter of if but a matter of when.
An analogy would be how despite our vigilance with temperature screening checks at the airports, the number of cases has surged in Singapore, significantly due to those living in communal living spaces such as dorms.
There is going to be a true eruption of a public outcry if this outbreak happens among SAF personnel, in particular, if anything serious happens to one of the NSFs whose parents entrust into the hands of Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).
I don’t mean this in a threatening way sir, but this is the reality of the situation, and the outcry will be overwhelming, given that a warning had already been issued in the form of the outbreak among our foreign workers.
I hope you may not take the smallest of risks in allowing the tragedy of the death of an NSF/NS men to re-occur, even if the risk of passing on from COVID-19 is low for the lower age groups. If a large number of young people have it, statistically, there will be one very unfortunate person who may pass away from it, and this is preventable if we act now, Sir.
I hence hope you may consult the relevant specialists on possibly halting all truly unnecessary stay-in activity during this circuit breaker.
I am not saying that we should neglect our vigilance on national defence that has always kept Singapore in good stead, but that we should not be vigilant to a point where we do more harm than good, in particular to our own citizens, in the time of a global pandemic. It is possible to remain functionally defended, but in a way with minimal possible risk to NSFs/NS men, and I hope you may strive for that truly minimal risk, and continue with activity and in camp living for activities that are only truly, essential.
Yours most sincerely,
Yeoh Lai Hsin

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police
Indonesia

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

04/02/2023
【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%
AFP

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille
AFP

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled
AFP

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn
AFP

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm
AFP

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

04/02/2023
【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023

Myanmar junta imposes tough new measures on resistance strongholds

03/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
20

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
40

...

April 2020
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Mar   May »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz