National Service- How can this be amended or improved further to alleviate the problem of dodging?

National Service is a part of every boy’s life. Many people view it as good opportunity to buff up, and when they are out of there, they can impress girls with their heightened physique. There are those who view NS as a necessary before heading on the study in University. And then there are those who find NS as a complete waste of time, and it is these who dodge doing National Service. This problem is becoming more and more common in Singapore, and I hope that the problem can be solved before it further aggravates.

I feel that the reason why people dodge doing National Service is because they do not see and know the need to. To them, time is of essence, and they rather complete their studies than to spend time confined in a cage. Furthermore, many are influenced and threatened by their peers' complaints about NS life, how tiring and torturous the regime can be, instilling fear in them. Moreover, the bigger problem is the parents who, by any means, try to allow their sons to escape doing NS, even if it is only for a couple of days. Youths in NS start to feign illnesses, and with the heightened security and paranoia after several incidents that left families devastated and sad for the loss of their son, the camp-in-charge cannot possibly say ‘no’ to the ‘sick’. This exploitation, as well as unwillingness to serve and defend the nation, must be reversed before matters get out of hand. What these youths do not realise is that NS can serve as a remedy for unemployment. Many people, after serving just a year in NS, decide to sign in full time.

Firstly, a way to reduce the problem would be to implement a stricter law against these NS dodgers. Youths would, as a result, not risk dodging NS and exposing themselves to an unbearable consequence such as imprisonment and hefty fines. However, this method of solving the problem is not very good, in a way because the government is actually threatening all youths to adhere to the rules. Rather than deciding on the consequences, we should tackle the root of the problem, which is why youths are dodging NS. I believe that the reason why youths dodge NS is because they do not see the need to, henceforth the government can educate youths on the importance of defending one’s nation, especially with growing threats, like North Korea, around the world. Also, parents have to be educated on NS life, and how it is not as torturous as it may seem, and how it is more important that it may seem.

Also, I feel that another way to curb the problem would be to allow more benefits for the youths in NS. Instead of increasing their pay, more scholarships can be awarded to NS-men who are keen on going overseas to study and are capable of doing so. This way, it serves as an incentive for the youths, rather than threatening them to avoid dodging NS. Also, awards and merits should be awarded to further enhance the youths’ resumes, allowing them to get jobs more easily.

In conclusion, I feel that it is better to tackle the root of the problem rather than threatening youths to stop dodging NS. This way, youths will not view the government as an authoritative, paternalistic, sovereign power.