NSF blasts NS allowance, says National Service feels like 'underpaid intern' work
An NS recruit has complained about low allowances for full-time National Servicemen (NSFs), saying it is insufficient and that NSFs do not learn any skills that can help their future careers.
TikTok user @ruggerbud47 declared in a Dec 24 post that "NSFs do not get paid enough", and was adamant that buying power has decreased, especially with the rising cost of living.
He was also conscious that not every NSF has parents that are able to support them. "If it's (up to) the NSF to support their family and like their siblings, then that two years is very much vital ... time that they can be using to upgrade themselves and to get into the workforce and start making a liveable wage to support their family."
He added that after spending more than a year in NS, he has not learnt any new skills beyond vocational training, making him an "underpaid intern" for two years of his life - time which could have been spent in university or on advancing one's career.
Conceding that NS is not "entirely useless", given that enlisted men learn about discipline and reponsibility, he nevertheless added: "The fact is after your BMT and after like your vocational training, you're really not learning much during NS."
"I'll probably get a lot of backlash for this, but I think it needs to be said, to be honest," he concluded.
Starting in July, allowances for most NSFs were increased by about 4 to 5 per cent, bringing it to between $790 and $1,530. The allowance is periodically reviewed by authorities to ensure that it remains adequate, with the last revision in July 2023.
In a later video, ruggerbud47 added that there is "no respect" towards NSFs even though their behaviour is scrutinised in public, comparing the treatment of NSFs in Singapore to how the public treats recruits overseas.
Another TikToker who was vocal about the topic made headlines in November when he asked his followers to verify if NS recruits were asked to avoid patronising a McDonald's outlet due to complaints from the public.
'It's more than enough': Netizens debate over pay
The TikToker's initial post garnered over 98,700 views and 9,300 likes, as netizens chimed in with their opinions.
Some agreed that NSF pay is too low, saying that they should be paid "$1.5k per month at least". Another added: "The amount of respect and dignity given to NSFs in this society is like 0. It shouldn't be the case…"
Others felt he was "missing the point" about NS, with some noting that an NSF's allowance is largely used on weekends, since most enlisted men are in camp on weekdays.
Another suggested that while there were gaps in the system, NS is still necessary.
"At the end of the day, whether it's the passing down of generational trauma, or a learned helplessness response, I think NS is still an inevitability, and the only thing we can truly control is our attitude towards it," the user said.
Stomp has reached out to Mindef for comment.
