Making NS Less Fuckup - Rebates! Subsidies!

The government is again cracking its small head on how to make NS less frustrating and fuckup. OK I buy the poison shrimp, and diplomacy with deterrence doctrine, and powering up in peacetime. But I still hate ICT, as I already can't fit into my new digi uniform and I hate IPPT. Although I know the importance - look at Kuwait 1990.The pussies there were smacked like bitches all the way into Saudi Arabia. Nobody is going to smack us out of out little red dot into the sea.

$3000 pumped into my CPF is nice at different stages of my NSmen journey, but the best of the best, not SAFRA vouchers, or free SAFRA membership, but tax rebates!

That is how it makes Singaporean men feel appreciated. Instead of the current tax relief now, make it tax rebate, tiered according to high key ICT, low key ICT, silver or gold IPPT score, rank and appointment. If I get a cap of $2,000 or higher tax rebate cap the year I do ICT if I am CSM or officer , plus extra $1,000 rebate after getting silver or more if gold for 2-3 years in a row, putting a price to NSmen responsibilities makes me motivated more and even Zen about it if I am hit with an ICT this year which I can't defer.

Oh, if I can't get tax rebates, then give me decreasing HDB housing grant subsidies for 2nd and 3rd HDB flats bought, even resale. Or free polyclinic outpatient consultations up to $300-$500 a year until we MR or reach the statutory age.

Where is the money coming from. I thought there were more taxable foreigners coming here to work? Am I putting a price to my NSmen duties, yes, and that is the new reality.

"Committee to Strengthen National Service" to be formed
By Dylan Loh | Posted: 11 March 2013 2140 hrs

SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State for Defence Chan Chun Sing will lead a working group to see how servicemen's abilities can be maximised in fulfilling their duties.

This group will also look into increasing support for National Service from various groups, such as families, employers, schools, permanent residents, new citizens and the broader community.

Another group, led by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Maliki Osman, will look at issues on recognition and benefits for National Service.

The committee's goals are to strengthen Singapore, National Service, the Singapore Armed Forces, and to serve all Singaporeans.

It will comprise members with a good appreciation of National Service issues.

The committee's work should be completed within a year.

Go Sue TRS! Sue!

 From TRS' #1 Fan - Every Day Party!

The Real Singapore is in trouble again, again be happy! TRS has been posting shit for some time and it is about time it gets into shit itself. Again. Shit goes around! TRS is like the old Temasek Review, plagiarise and even post fake news, which is super weak. If they wanted to attract eyeballs and eventually ad money, just go for sex and sleaze. There is no need to fake and copy news, which is just the excuse the PAP wants to focus on in labeling any news sites out there as lacking credibility and sensationalist. BTW TRS is not the only one plagiarising - Temasek Times and Occupy Singapore do it too. Hey, is there one same person behind all these sites? LOL

Meanwhile, the former loaded surgeon turned loaded PAP minister was pissed with a recent TRS article on Mindef where TRS mixed plagiarism and fake news, a TRS first, or at least the first time TRS was found out. The defence minister has sent Davinder Singh, the PAP's elite lawyer-commando-sniper to take out TRS. TRS can't hide, can run and would only die tired.

TRS was recently kind enough to say Alex Tan and Yang Kaiheng are no longer in it. At least TRS has integrity to protect the innocent. Oh? Hmmmm or more like they are nervous that their charade is up and instead trying to pretend they not involved in it anymore? Everything sounds more and more like the old Temasek Review where the doctor insisted that he was no longer involved and had sold it off to someone else which he does not know. Sure. Whatever.

MF from TRS Exonerates Alex Tan! Steady or Do Thief Heart Fake?

Defence Minister to commence legal action against website
By Tessa Wong
The Straits Times
Sunday, Nov 25, 2012

SINGAPORE - Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen is taking legal action against sociopolitical website The Real Singapore (TRS), according to a posting by the website on its Facebook page.

On Friday morning, the website posted on its Facebook page a screenshot of an email sent by Dr Ng's lawyer, Mr Davinder Singh.

Mr Singh informed TRS that his client would be commencing legal proceedings and asked for the names and addresses of the administrators and editors of the TRS website and Facebook page.

TRS responded: "Sorry, your request does not comply with our privacy policy and is therefore rejected."

Earlier this week, TRS and another blog called SingaporeSurf were asked to take down a defamatory post about Dr Ng and publish an apology.

Both sites complied. However, in TRS' apology, additional comments were made. Readers were also allowed to post comments, some of whom left criticisms of Dr Ng and Mr Singh.

Mr Singh subsequently e-mailed TRS demanding them to take down the additional comments and post a second apology. TRS refused.

Budget "Cutted" for Reservists!

Sure, sure, sure. NSF get more money. More money for them to spend on girls and drinks, or whatever is fun nowadays for horny, testosterone-filled guys. This Budget is actually quite pathetic if you are a reservist still stuck in your 10-year cycle, waiting for that gold watch and letter confirming your MR status!

Nobody has questioned - WTF do we reservists get? Those who voted for PAP, this is what you get. Just last year we were raving and bitching about foreigners here for a free ride, while most of us guys who have not sought a specialist yet for a downgrade in medical status, have to do ICT and IPPT.

This Budget, under a new defence minister, we didn't get more money if we pass our annual IPPT. I thought they wanted us to keep fit? Where's the incentive?

We also didn't get any one-off big income tax relief or better, an increase in the NSmen tax relief claimable from the current $1,500 and $3,000 for the non-ICT and ICT year respectively. WTF! We are not even asking for tax rebate, just a tax relief also don't have. KNS As citizens with responsibilities, I thought we were supposed to be more privileged than the PRs? Where's our reward for doing ICT?

There was nothing even for those who MRed. We complained before that the old soldiers should also be acknowledged when Mindef bragged 2 years ago that there would be CPF top-ups for those at the start, mid and end points of their ICT tour-of-duty. This is the 45th year of NS right? No CPF top-up or token tax relief either for those who unwillingly served till the end? Where's the appreciation?

Rank allowance up by S$60 for NSFs, NSmen

by Amir Hussain

04:46 AM Mar 07, 2012

SINGAPORE - The monthly National Service (NS) rank allowance will be increased by S$60 across all ranks starting next month, as part of efforts to recognise the contributions of national servicemen, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Parliament yesterday.

The increase applies to full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) across the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force.

With the increase, a recruit will receive a monthly NS rank allowance of S$480, while a Lieutenant will get S$1,180. The last review of the NS allowance was in 2009, when it was increased by S$20.

Responding to questions from Members of Parliament as to whether the duration of NS could be reduced, Dr Ng stressed yesterday that "NSmen are not the second line of defence". "When needed, they are the first responders to protect Singapore when our survival is threatened. We need an adequate duration to train and prepare NSmen for their roles effectively," he added.

The reduction in NS duration in 2004 corresponded with the transformation of the 3rd Generation SAF, as well as a surge in NS intake between 2006 and 2015. But cohort size will fall from 2016, and Dr Ng said the effects of this transition has to be closely monitored. "Therefore, until further review, we should maintain the two years needed for full-time NS, and 10 years for Operationally Ready NS (ORNS), so as to bring our soldiers and units up to the level of operational readiness required to maintain a credible SAF," he added.

The Defence Ministry (MINDEF) is also looking at other ways to extend professional development opportunities to regular servicemen. For example, the SAF has joined hands with Nanyang Polytechnic to introduce a Certificate in Business Management programme for warrant Officers, specialists and military experts. The bridging programme provides these officers with a foundation in the study of business management and, upon successful completion, servicemen would qualify for direct entry into the Diploma in Business Management.

The SAF also plans to extend its online platform, LEARNet, progressively over the next five years to about 80 other units to allow servicemen access to learning resources through portable devices.

To commemorate 45 years of National Service, MINDEF will also engage Singaporeans to post their NS experiences on the NS45 website and through an online story competition, "My NS Story", which closes next month. Besides the online competition, MINDEF's mobile NS showcase will also tour the heartlands after May's Army Open House at the F1 Pit Building.

Mindef Gets It Again from AG

Mindef was rapped on the knuckles for paying DSTA in advance, about $333 million in advance. Yes, $333 million. Sure, DSTA like DSO, is Mindef-linked and it is left pocket going into the right pocket. Still it is tax-payers money and we want proper mind-boggling red tape! You know what the real slap in the face is? In 2010, just last year, $289,499 was also paid in advance from Mindef to DSTA. So it is not the first time, and from 2010 to 2011, the amount of advance payment has increased significantly. WTF!!!

Mindef has earned other rebuke from the AG before. In 2010, the AG concluded that there was $22,000 worth of unnecessary expenditure on food. That's small change compared to $289,499 or $333 million, but $22,000 is a whole lot of food to be wasted anyway. Was it honest mistake or dodgy under the table deals going on? In 2007, Mindef fined some of its staff between $1k and $5k for personal failure and negligence over the awarding of contracts. So there were no kickbacks, and only bad books, so they say.

Auditor-General ticks off errant agencies
Advance payments improperly made and other lapses highlighted in report
By CHUANG PECK MING
Published October 14, 2011

(SINGAPORE) The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has apparently failed to heed a government directive which says that, normally, payments should be made only after goods are delivered or services rendered satisfactorily - in other words, not in advance, unless it's an industry norm.


 As at March 31, 2010, Mindef had made cumulative advance payments to the tune of $333 million to the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), says the Auditor- General's Office (AGO) in its report for the financial year 2010/11.

 'This is a substantial amount of government funds being kept at DSTA,' it says. 'Advance payments could have been avoided if Mindef's arrangement with DSTA had been to pay DSTA based on actual materials cost incurred at the project milestones, which were available at the time of payment, instead of costs estimated at the time of project assignment.'

 In one project, Mindef paid DSTA $6.41 million, or nearly nine times in excess of the actual materials cost incurred by DSTA.

 'This translates to about 87.8 per cent of the total estimated materials cost being paid out by the fifth month of the 29-month- long project,' says the report, which has been submitted to the President and Parliament. 'It took DSTA 21 months to use up this excess payment received.'

 Mindef subsequently reviewed the payment schedules, and the cumulative advance payments were reduced to $90 million as at March 31, 2011.

 The report says Mindef also erred in not recovering $3.03 million in advances as at July 2009 from 358 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel who had left the service. Of this sum, about $1.78 million was outstanding for over two years.

 After AGO's discovery, Mindef acted to recover or write off almost half of the outstanding cases. Improvements were also made.

 AGO also detected lapses in the Ministry of Education (excess withdrawal from the Post-Secondary Education Fund); Ministry of Finance (weak access controls in the computer system); Ministry of Home Affairs (in administration of the INVEST Fund); Ministry of National Development (contract management); and Ministry of Trade and Industry (non-compliance with the Public Service Division's directive).

 Statutory boards such as the Economic Development Board, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and Info-Communications Development Authority have also lapsed.

 Many of the errors found this year were in procurement, says Auditor- General Lim Soon Ping. 'They arose when the government procurement rules and principles of transparency and open and fair competition were not adhered to.'

 Examples include waiving competition based on weak grounds; setting an unrealistically short time for submission of bids, limiting competition; not giving equal opportunity to tenderers to revise their bid price when requirements were changed; and accepting a tender which did not meet specifications.

 'It is important that officers not only observe procurement rules, but also uphold the principles underlying public sector procurement,' Mr Lim says.