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In the year 2019, SAF soldiers finally have a piece of technology where they can claim they have ownership of their NS life. Yes, 2019, when all other technologies have zoomed pass, our NS boys finally have an app where they control check their NS issues, such as training and ORD official count down time.

An SAF Infantry officer successfully developed what he called a "Soldier App", and is now a working prototype being used by some soldiers who are undergoing National Service. The app is supposed to be able to tell the soldiers about their unit's training schedules, badges the soldiers earned (such as marksmanship) and even an IPPT tracker. The app was so well received, that users have feedback that they should also include countdown to ORD, and even workflow modules to reduce paperwork.

According to the post this was a ground up initiative, which shows that we really do have a thinking Army. Just that all the thinking are done by people on the ground, and not the paper generals. 

Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss from Singapore People's Party (SPP) made a Facebook post questioning the need for Gurkha soldiers in Singapore. She wrote:

"We cannot outsource our security and defence to anyone else; we have to defend Singapore ourselves." - LHL
QUESTIONS:
Why does the Singapore Government retain an army of Gurkha soldiers? 
Being paid soldiers, aren't they mercenaries?
Being mercenaries, aren't they loyal only to their paymasters and have no love of Singaporeans? 
What is the role of the Gurkha mercenaries in Singapore National Security?
Can Singaporeans do their job being done by the Gurkha mercenaries? If not, why not? 
Whose interests do these hired hands / paid soldiers serve and protect?

For those who don't know, Gurkhas are elite soldiers from Nepal recruited by different parties such as the Nepalese Army, Indian Army, British Army, Gurkha Contingent Singapore, UN’s peacekeeping force and other war zones around the world.

Ms Chong-Aruldoss was bashed by netizens over her motives for such a post. They questioned if she was just trying to seek attention and many others asked her to study up more about the history of Gurkhas.

Thankfully, a daughter of a Gurkha clarified by commenting on the post:

Valid questions.
First and foremost, Gurkhas are not dogs that are “loyal to their masters.”
They’re human beings like you and I. I saw some silly comments saying they will shoot anyone “their masters” order them to kill. No, they follow protocols as you would know from the Shangri-La Dialogue shooting.

Their work is not just for monetary gains like mercenaries. Being a Gurkha is an honor in Nepal. It’s a tradition that has existed long before Singapore’s independence. If you look at the requirements to become a Gurkha, you’ll know how incredibly tough it is. Not anyone can become one.

Their job?
They work as a paramilitary force under SPF and are highly trained in combating terrorism. 
They don’t just protect the “elites.”
They guard important locations and are deployed during national/high profile events. They also train Singaporean officers. 

As for their necessity, yes, Singapore does need the Gurkhas. Despite how Singapore prides itself for being a multicultural country, racial disparities still exist. This is one of the biggest reasons why the Gurkhas are needed. They act as a neutral force and remain impartial towards the four main races of Singapore. 
One may say that a racial riot has not happened in years but what if it does? No one can guarantee that it will never happen. 
And when it happens, how are Singaporeans going to subdue it? Even if a Singaporean officer remains impartial, he/she is still going to face backlash and God forbid a Chinese officer attacks a Malay rioter or a Malay officer attacks a Chinese rioter. 
On top of that, Singapore’s geographic location makes it vulnerable if racial riots were to occur. 
The Gurkhas have played a vital role in all the racial riots that broke out in Singapore.

The Gurkhas also act as a deterrent force. They have a fierce reputation around the world. Singapore having Gurkhas as part of their forces gives them a stronger image as a secured country to hold high profile events such as the Trump-Kim summit. You can search up the number of news articles about Gurkhas that popped up during that period. It’s basically a good assurance not just to Singaporeans but to foreign officials as well, knowing that the Gurkhas are there as security. 

I don’t know if Gurkhas have love for Singaporeans but one thing I can say for sure is they definitely love Singapore and their job is to protect it. Think about it, they come to Singapore when they’re 18 and spend 27 years working there. By the time they retire at 45, they would have spent more than half their life time in Singapore than in Nepal. Moreover, most of their children are born and raised in Singapore like myself. 
I dare say a lot of Gurkhas love Singapore more than some Singaporeans. 

Ps: Saw a comment mentioning Mas Selamat’s escape. That was most likely an intentional trap done by the government to follow him after his escape and find out his connections. ?‍♀️

Now you know what the Gurkhas are all about. Will you continue to welcome them in Singapore?

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have appointed Brigadier General (BG) Tan Chee Wee as the first Inspector-General of SAF. This follow the recent spate of deaths of NS men and regulars, including the the accident that claimed the life of celebrity Aloysius Pang. He will assume his role on 27 February, concurrently with the role of Chief of Staff - Joint Staff.

In his first statement on his appointment, BG Tan said that he will work closely with the SAF senior leadership to make sure that SAF personnel continue to have a culture of safe training for everyone. His aim was to have zero training fatalities while realistic training is conducted. BG Tan also want to introduce open reporting, where servicemen of any rank can report unsafe practices during training without fear of being charged for insubordination.

All this are just talk, of course, until the day he assume his role and the subsequent months, to see if there are any more training mishaps. Another paper general have assumed an important role, just how effective will he be? The Singapore public will watch this one closely.

The husband of the year award has got to go to this guy. He lives on $20 a day simply because his wife said so. But he is a willing party as he believes that this is how he can show his wife he loves her and let her feel more secure. Even though some netizens feel that he is just being henpecked, there are many who sang praises about him.

You can read the full post here:

Everybody was asking, why was your wife too controlling?

How much control, is too much? After married or before married I find my wife much more controlling esp during her pregnancy time. She wanted to know my every move and whereabouts.. She also wanted to know how much money i have in my wallet when i left home for work and how much i had left when i got home. Somehow deleted everything that she didnt like that made her insecure , yes. there's isn't any females ladies wasn't in my contact list/real life It does sound a little ridiculous, But i let her.

Why?

She is married to me, she give her lifetime of happiness to me, she fight with her life just to bring a new life into our life. Ugly stretch marks, flabby tummy even she doesn't bare me a child just me and her and that for good reason is because I love her thou she is a very very strict wife. Again, it did take me a little while to figure this out.. I decided to give her all the control she wants to make her feel at ease.

I gave her power in 100% of my finances. I surrendered my bank statements, bank cards and I give her every single cent I got. Everyday, I would have $20 on me when i left for work and she knows. It was not a choice my friends were celebrating. No more boys night out after work, no more mindless catch up with friends. It was strictly work and home. Some of my friends laughed at me. But hey, im not sleeping next to them evry night, does they do my laundry, cooking , born a child for me? That's why the person i should be bringing a smile to was my wife, not my friends. If they couldnt respect my decisions for my family, i couldnt be friends with them. Afterall, if a friend cant transition into my life while i transition into a family man, its time to part ways. No hard feelings.

Conclusion

Give her all the control she wants. It gives her the confidence and assurance she needs.. It doesnt make you weak or whipped, it shows that you are man enough to know your priorities and sacrifice the one you love. Dont let pride prevent you from giving her the assurance and comfort she needs.

This is true love, guys. Would you go to this extent as well?

Editors note: the Facebook post has since been removed.

A unit in St Regis Residences located in Tanglin caught fire late on Wednesday night, causing one resident to be hurt, while other residents were evacuated. SCDF said it received reports of a fire there at 11:30pm.

The residents had been safely evacuated by the building management upon SCDF's arrival. SCDF also said that the fire involved contents in a bedroom of a 12th storey unit. The resident who was hurt was living on the same floor as the unit on fire, and the person was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. Some residents said that the scene was chaotic, with smoke everywhere. As the lifts were grounded because of the fire, the staircase was also crowded with people desperate to get down.

However, some other residents said that the evacuation was done in an orderly manner, and that there were no panic.

I'm sure many of you has seen foreign workers taking a nap at void decks or other shady areas during their breaks. Would you go up to them and tell them off for doing so? A resident of Kaki Bukit would. 

A video by one Joey Chin showed a resident from Kaki Bukit telling off a foreign worker for taking a nap after his lunch at a void deck. Chin also claims that the foreign worker was not in the way of anybody.

The man can also be heard telling the foreign worker about the laws of Singapore:

"If you stay here ah, I call the police. I don’t call police, you lucky ah, understand? You come here and work, know the law — Singapore law, okay?”

Chin stopped the video when he could not stand the foreign worker getting scolded any longer to confront the man.