NATIONAL SERVICEMEN ON NON-MILITARY DUTIES (Effects)

Dr Tan Cheng Bock asked the Minister of Defence whether the deployment of national servicemen to do non-military duties like teaching and possibly construction work will have any effect on the mentality of the people towards national service; whether this move will dilute the fervour for national service which was so difficult to build initially; and whether this will ultimately affect the morale of national servicemen who may feel exploited at being asked to do a duty which is not related to the defence of the country.

The Minister of State of Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong) (for the Minister of Defence): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to reply.

It has been the practice of the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) to deploy national servicemen, who are not physically fit for strenuous combat duties, in non-combat supportive and administrative services in the Singapore Armed Forces.

From time to time, Mindef receives requests from other Ministries for manpower assistance to carry out urgent assignments that are in the national interest. One such example is the recent request from the Ministry of Education for English-medium teachers to help the Ministry in alleviating its present shortage of English-medium teachers in primary schools. Mindef agreed to attach 48 of these non-combat fit servicemen to the Ministry as English-medium teachers on a short-term basis. The servicemen concerned were selected on the basis of their academic qualifications, interest and aptitude in teaching. Their participation is voluntary.

As for the possible use of national servicemen in construction work, Mindef and the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is in charge of civil defence, have identified a need for servicemen with skills in the construction trades in the national civil defence programme. These skills are essential for excavation, damage containment, repairs, reconstruction and other related activities. Training national servicemen in the construction trades would, therefore, have direct relevance, in the overall defence of the nation. As the feasibility of such a scheme is currently under study, it would be premature to discuss it at this time. Details of the proposed scheme will be released when the study is completed.

Mr Tan Soo Khoon: Sir, will the use of national servicemen in the construction industry be on a voluntary basis too?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, various options are being looked into, and that is one of the possibilities which we will consider.