Melvyn Tan is leaving Singapore
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The public outcry and the misguided attempts to flame him only serve to show how childish and naive we as a people are. Some say we have improved as a society.Originally posted by Rexdriver:They're not complete morons but they're not infallible either. Reality check tells me that he would have received a fair amount of reassurance that he will not be jailed before he decided to come back. What extent of reassurance is anybody's guess.
So why are you so defensive about this guy anyway? I think it is perfectly reasonable that many Singaporeans' sentiments have been roused up over this issue.
Judging by our inability to interpret character and our penchance to ride on the wave of anger, it looks like 2 steps back. -
If u r a man, u serve NS. Whether u r n ah kua or not, as long as your sex is MALE, u serve NS. Wat lose is it 2 SG? There r plenty of us here who serve NS & r managing directors or musicians or entrepenuers. Dont tell me MR Sim didnt serve NS? Look at him now? As long as u r a SGrean, u do your part, if u dont, u cant blame us 4 reacting the way we r. If Mel really 1 2 contribute, he can publicly say he wants to volunteer doin some teaching or grooming of our talents. Did he? Did he even say he wants to take even 10% of his concert revenue 4 charity?
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MD, entrepreneurs don't count they aren't a "if u dun take it up now, u can never succeed" sort of career.Originally posted by MRMUSICPRODUCER:managing directors or musicians or entrepenuers
as for Musician, name me ONE male international musician who's reknown. -
Fatum: I've PMed u what I mean. So perhaps u understand why its incomprehensible that everyone is screaming like monkeys over some trivial matter because it doesn't pamper to their indignance.
anyways i really really need to sleep now. I have to be in uni later today. we'll talk again when i get back from uni. -
i dont feel cheated.Originally posted by HENG@:because it would be a bad thing for singapore or because u will feel cheated?
i just felt he came back for the wrong reasons. -
U mean entrepreneurs no need 2 take risk? They will succeed once they go into business? How much do u know abt music business anyway? Mr Mer was how old then? 12!!! Wat has he got 2 lose? Many of our local musicians have worked really hard & gone thru NS. Him? Internationally famous? So u mean 2 say if he is reknown (i dont think so) he will b priviledged? Then wat is equality? I have 2 add tat if the issue of NS was not out in the papers, most SGreans DO NOT KNOW HIM AT ALL!!!! & pls, u have not gone thru NS & is 2 young 2 b a mother & thus u wont know.Originally posted by HENG@:MD, entrepreneurs don't count they aren't a "if u dun take it up now, u can never succeed" sort of career.
as for Musician, name me ONE male international musician who's reknown. -
So evidently, you are sore because you served NS and he did not? Is that innate jealousy speaking or common sense?Originally posted by MRMUSICPRODUCER:If u r a man, u serve NS. Whether u r n ah kua or not, as long as your sex is MALE, u serve NS. Wat lose is it 2 SG? There r plenty of us here who serve NS & r managing directors or musicians or entrepenuers. Dont tell me MR Sim didnt serve NS? Look at him now? As long as u r a SGrean, u do your part, if u dont, u cant blame us 4 reacting the way we r. If Mel really 1 2 contribute, he can publicly say he wants to volunteer doin some teaching or grooming of our talents. Did he? Did he even say he wants to take even 10% of his concert revenue 4 charity? -
Respecting the guy is one thing. Like I said, good for him that he did good. I harbour no jealousy or ill-will against the guy and applaud the fact that he took the risk, beat the system and pursued his dreams. Its great, we should all be able to do that, but that's not what the system advocates.
But now he's decided to come back home, and there's a price to pay. The same system that subjects everyone else to 2-3 years of wasted youth has to name the price of dodging national service. $5,000 fine in exchange for 2-3 years of your life? That's a joke. And a slap to the face of everyone who has served NS.
So the point is that people feel that the system is not being fair and who can blame them?
As for not complaining about cases that are not reported... well that is precisely it. Singaporeans can't whine about what has been concealed from them. But that's a whole other issue. -
smart enough to think the information would not be available in public? smart enough to lose feel of popular moods? smart enough to give a half-ass official explanantion (that Colonel something)? smart enough to undermine NS as an institution in Singaporeans' minds?Originally posted by HENG@:putting a feeler out is no gurantee that u won't get jailed.
the only way anyone can be sure they won't get jailed is IF they actually did a behind the scenes deal with the govt. and if thats the case, hello, the govt wouldn't have had that "oversight" would they? i mean, sg's govt is not the most open or honest, but that dun mean they're stupid are they? u dun get to where they are by being complete morons. no u get there by being smart at certain things...
I think one would really have to go to Ivy League to learn how to screw up this good all in one go...
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Agree with you and Heng. The issue is about double standards. It is not about MT.Originally posted by Rexdriver:Respecting the guy is one thing. Like I said, good for him that he did good. I harbour no jealousy or ill-will against the guy and applaud the fact that he took the risk, beat the system and pursued his dreams. Its great, we should all be able to do that, but that's not what the system advocates.
But now he's decided to come back home, and there's a price to pay. The same system that subjects everyone else to 2-3 years of wasted youth has to name the price of dodging national service. $5,000 fine in exchange for 2-3 years of your life? That's a joke. And a slap to the face of everyone who has served NS.
So the point is that people feel that the system is not being fair and who can blame them?
As for not complaining about cases that are not reported... well that is precisely it. Singaporeans can't whine about what has been concealed from them. But that's a whole other issue. -
I like Col Bend-a-dick Lim. Everytime he kena query by the public he jus take out his laptop and copy and paste answers that he has prepared beforehand to satisfy the query of the non-ivy league educated peasants like me.Originally posted by Xprobe:smart enough to think the information would not be available in public? smart enough to lose feel of popular moods? smart enough to give a half-ass official explanantion (that Colonel something)? smart enough to undermine NS as an institution in Singaporeans' minds?
I think one would really have to go to Ivy League to learn how to screw up this good all in one go... -
I have been reading a lot of stuff about this issue and feel it is time to make my opinion known.
I will not waste time and effort in rehashing what has been said before but will instead get to the bottomline now.
The crux and point of the matter is this, Its just NOT FAIR that so many hundreds of thousands of Singapore males sacrifice so much during their 2 to 2.5 years of NS and Melvyn Tan does not do NS and gets away with it so lightly.
About the point made on him needing to fulfil his dreams and ambition and not wanting to wreck and ruin it, my counter argument is this, there are so many others who also had to pursue their dreams and ambitions but also had to put it on hold or take some disruption to it to do NS. That is NO excuse for Melvyn Tan to siam NS because of this reason.
Thats the bottomline. Feel free to reply. -
Well to side track from what has been said so far, do our "foreign talent" who are offered citizenship have to do any form of NS?
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No they do not have to. That is another unfair policy of the government.
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Well if so, there's nothing to complain about in Mr. Tan's case, is there? The whole idea of National Identity is so watered down anyway...Originally posted by THE ANALYST:No they do not have to. That is another unfair policy of the government. -
I dont think you get my point here. The thing is he broke the law, and that is the bottomline. Those FTs offered citizenship without having to serve NS did not break any law, what they did is technically legal. That is the difference.
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Actually we should thank Melyvn Tan for bringing this whole issue up since the election is coming...
Hopefully the issue has some positive influence on many singaporeans on who to vote for during the election. -
that guy's face look like fark anyway, or at least like some ah beng ah seng. i wouldnt miss him a bit.
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one thing is for sure brothers. if singapore is in trouble or in a war with some other country. we man who have been through ns know how to defend our loves one with m16 rife or s21. while that boy is gonna throw his piano key at his enemy.
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with all due respect, singapore is so small so is our army. if lets say 40% of the ns man manage to beat the system and pursued his dreams, then can u tell me what will happen to singapore when there is an attack form another country ? who will defend us ?Originally posted by Rexdriver:Respecting the guy is one thing. Like I said, good for him that he did good. I harbour no jealousy or ill-will against the guy and applaud the fact that he took the risk, beat the system and pursued his dreams. Its great,
we should all be able to do that , but that's not what the system advocates. -
this is not a question for us, it is for the self-proclaim puppet mastersOriginally posted by Prophecy_Master:with all due respect, singapore is so small so is our army. if lets say 40% of the ns man manage to beat the system and pursued his dreams, then can u tell me what will happen to singapore when there is an attack form another country ? who will defend us ? -
to let the ns defaulter , a criminal leave with $3000 is even an insult to this nation. Our mm lee preaches consistency to win trust but in this case, the laws and sentencing is inconsistence. The next ns defaulter come back, he may also be fine $3000 or less and our leaders may say, sorry for te inconvenince cause.
Terrorist planners and other country intel will sense lack and inconsistency in governance and leadership. And this will pose loopholes for internal threats. Inconsistency signals lack of condination and responsibilty in the administration.
A mere $3000 fine indicates, our gov has downgrade importance of national service as a defence and security force. $3000 to buy a defaulter release is a cheap affair. There is still chance to get him and jailed him before he leaves. This gov must wake up. -
well, here's another ivy league idea...Originally posted by AF2005:to let the ns defaulter , a criminal leave with $3000 is even an insult to this nation. Our mm lee preaches consistency to win trust but in this case, the laws and sentencing is inconsistence. The next ns defaulter come back, he may also be fine $3000 or less and our leaders may say, sorry for te inconvenince cause.
Terrorist planners and other country intel will sense lack and inconsistency in governance and leadership. And this will pose loopholes for internal threats. Inconsistency signals lack of condination and responsibilty in the administration.
A mere $3000 fine indicates, our gov has downgrade importance of national service as a defence and security force. $3000 to buy a defaulter release is a cheap affair. There is still chance to get him and jailed him before he leaves. This gov must wake up.
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trust me, there is once, there is twice. soon another case will like melvyn tan will occur again. then it is gonna be a endless debate.
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then we take up the issue again.