I think that NS should not be mandatory for all male Singaporeans.

Although it plays a role in the transformation of a boy to a man, in my opinion, it does not require having gone through army training to become a 'true man'. Boys mature over time, just as girls do.

Furthermore, not all boys mature while National Service. There are some who remain immature and behave like a kid. An example is the recent 'hot topic' - a photograph of an NS man having his army backpack being carried by a maid. This is an apparent sign of immaturity - Maids carry bags for young kids, mainly kids going to kindergarten or primary school. From secondary school onwards, they naturally become more independent, and do not require a maid to carry their bag for them anymore. But this is a case of a grown up man currently serving NS, and I don't see how he is any different from a primary school kid! Are NS men like this really capable of defending our country from a war?

Another issue I would like to bring up is the intense training NS men have to go through. Several men have DIED while serving NS, due to heat stroke and even while doing chin-ups during training. This proves that NS training is too strenous for some to the point of death. This especially applies to those physically unfit or those with medical conditions.

Now you may ask, what if Singapore is attacked by another country (which has a low chance of occurring I would say, with its tight security and good relations with other countries)?

With the advancement of technology, countries can easily launch a bomb attack on Singapore. In a situation like this, there is no way to predict or react in time, much less retaliate. A nuclear bomb would destroy the entire Singapore within seconds. How would the Singapore Army Force (SAF) be of any use when something like this happens?

Even if there is a war whereby the attacking country sends its army troops to fight Singapore, how many men would actually step out to defend our country? I say, very few would. After all, they would be fighting a losing battle, with Singapore's limited population size as compared to other countries. When a war strikes, the first instincts of many Singaporeans would be to flee rather than stay to fight for their own country.

Lastly, NSmen lose out to women of the same qualifications who have had two years more of working experience than them. Although I will not be serving NS in the future (unless there is a change in policy), but when putting myself in their shoes, I feel that the two years of headstart for women in the workforce is pretty unfair towards the guys.