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SINGAPORE: With regular reviews of its medical protocol, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) can assure national servicemen and their parents that the teenagers are given a thorough medical check-up before they are enlisted.
This is according to MP Michael Palmer, who sits in the Government Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs.
Mr Palmer added that it is also important that the SAF is not complacent when it comes to safety procedures during training.
When two SAF servicemen died within two days during training last week, the SAF took an unprecedented move of suspending physical and endurance training activities for three days to review the procedures.
Observers say the two deaths are a wake-up call on the importance of adhering to laid-down principles and procedures in national service training.
At the same time, Singaporeans have shown that they remain confident in the ability of the SAF to safeguard the country's security.
This is important, said Mr Palmer. "If you lose confidence in the SAF, the regular forces, their morale would be dampened, the national servicemen, their morale would be dampened and people would not want to go for their NS reservist training. So you are going to have a force that is depleted.
"From the SAF point of view, no commander wants to lose a man. In wartime, yes, but in peacetime, no commander wants to lose a man. So from the SAF's point of view, every commander would want to make sure that procedures are properly followed and that we have confidence in our commanders and military."
He added: "Most of the feedback I get is in terms of timing, in terms of studies and whether they would be able to catch up with their studies after they go and do their national service. So far, parents have not expressed that concern about safety. Overall, my view is people have that confidence and we need to maintain that confidence."
The Defence Ministry says the SAF has also received a number of suggestions from the public on safe training procedures. These will be evaluated as part of its on-going process to ensure that training is carried out safely. - CNA/ir
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