Basis Of Singaporean Spirit - People Power: How Far Would You Go to Protect Our Home?

[This is part of the book: “Basis Of Singaporean Spirit - People Power”. Links to the different versions: Online Version in this Blog; Printed Version in Amazon.com; eBook Version: Google Play / Google Books / Kindle]

There are a lot of talks about the purpose of National Service. There are also talks about how National Service disadvantaged Singaporeans.

I recalled an advertisement that stated: “How Far Would You Go to Protect Our Home?”

So here I am, asking this question to you: “How Far Would You Go to Protect Our Home?”

I shall leave the rest of this page blank. Think about this question to yourself before you turn over.

[Once you are ready, please turn over to the next page]

Great, I hope you have some answers.

If your answers focused on “How Far” or “Would You” or “Protect”, then you are not thinking in the right direction.

This is because the basis of that question is “Home”. If the “Home” is not defined correctly in the first place, the rest of the words such as “How Far”, “Would You”, and “Protect” are all meaningless.

The reason why you had jumped to those words is because subconsciously, you had assumed “Singapore” as your home, which it may or may not be.

So, what is a “Home”?

Home is the place in which one’s affections are centred.

So technically speaking, this place can be anywhere; however, this place must be the most suitable and most conducive place to build the home.

In the past, there is no doubt that Singapore was the best place, but today, given how our leaders labelled us with all sorts of names, given how the People are worried about jobs and retirements, etc, is Singapore still the best place to build a home?

What was so valuable of Singapore that was worth protecting? In other words, what was the uniqueness of Singapore that you cannot find elsewhere?

It is our belief, embedded within our Pledge. Our Pledge is one of the strongest in the World:

We, the citizens of Singapore,

pledge ourselves as one united people,

regardless of race, language or religion,

to build a democratic society

based on justice and equality

so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and

progress for our nation.

Today, are we united? Do you think there is justice and equality? Have we achieved happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation as a whole? 

If we adhered to our Pledge, like what we did in the past, Singapore is really a great place to build our home and of course, worth protecting because nowhere in the World would you be able to replicate this spirit.

Pledge is a guiding principle for a country to progress. If leaders are not following the guiding principle of a country, what do you think they are following? Don’t ask me, ask them.

In closing, let’s recall what Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said:

“... Keep Singapore happy and make the people feel that they are wanted, not step children or step brothers but one in the family, and a very important member of the family...”

“What are our priorities? First, the welfare, the survival of the people. Then the democratic norms and processes, which from time to time we have to suspend.”

“... to give every family a stake in the country. In other words, that we should find a way to give them ownership of their own homes, their own apartments. Then if their son had to go to war and fight, they are fighting for themselves.”

When people felt that they do not have a stake in the country, why would they not question the value and the purpose of National Service?

BOSS Wisdom: “The basis of national security is to give everyone a stake in the country, something that people are willing to give up their life to protect.” – BOSS 

[This is part of the book: “Basis Of Singaporean Spirit - People Power”. Links to the different versions: Online Version in this Blog; Printed Version in Amazon.com; eBook Version: Google Play / Google Books / Kindle]