I would like to explore the idea of what it would be like to not have to serve NS for the Singaporean male. This blog compares salary earned over working lifetime for both the NS and non-NS bound male. Some of the assumptions (which keep my calculations simple to make it understandable) I am making here for the Singaporean male are:
1) Has solid enough A level results to get into university
2) Obtains an undergraduate degree that takes 3 years to complete
3) Works till 60 years of age
4) Gets a job with a starting pay of $40K
5) Gets a pay raise of 5% per year
6) Gets negligible pay during NS
7) Pays the same university school fees whether NS is served or not
8) Experiences 0% inflation
9) Works continuously till retirement
*Disclaimer: This scenario is meant to illustrate the sizeable earnings difference for those who serve NS compared to those who do not serve. You are welcome to substitute other parameters such as going to polytechnic, or starting wage of $30,000, different annual pay raise %, etc. But you get my point.
| Age | NS | No NS | ||
| Info | Salary | Info | Salary | |
| 17 | Start JC | $0.00 | Start JC | $0.00 |
| 18 | Finish JC | $0.00 | Finish JC | $0.00 |
| 19 | Start NS | $0.00 | Start University | $0.00 |
| 20 | Finish NS | $0.00 | 2nd Year | $0.00 |
| 21 | Start University | $0.00 | Finish University | $0.00 |
| 22 | 2nd Year | $0.00 | Start Career | $40,000.00 |
| 23 | Finish University | $0.00 | $42,000.00 | |
| 24 | Start Career | $40,000.00 | $44,100.00 | |
| 25 | $42,000.00 | $46,305.00 | ||
| 26 | $44,100.00 | $48,620.25 | ||
| 27 | $46,305.00 | $51,051.26 | ||
| 28 | $48,620.25 | $53,603.83 | ||
| 29 | $51,051.26 | $56,284.02 | ||
| 30 | $53,603.83 | $59,098.22 | ||
| 31 | $56,284.02 | $62,053.13 | ||
| 32 | $59,098.22 | $65,155.79 | ||
| 33 | $62,053.13 | $68,413.57 | ||
| 34 | $65,155.79 | $71,834.25 | ||
| 35 | $68,413.57 | $75,425.97 | ||
| 36 | $71,834.25 | $79,197.26 | ||
| 37 | $75,425.97 | $83,157.13 | ||
| 38 | $79,197.26 | $87,314.98 | ||
| 39 | $83,157.13 | $91,680.73 | ||
| 40 | $87,314.98 | $96,264.77 | ||
| 41 | $91,680.73 | $101,078.01 | ||
| 42 | $96,264.77 | $106,131.91 | ||
| 43 | $101,078.01 | $111,438.50 | ||
| 44 | $106,131.91 | $117,010.43 | ||
| 45 | $111,438.50 | $122,860.95 | ||
| 46 | $117,010.43 | $129,004.00 | ||
| 47 | $122,860.95 | $135,454.20 | ||
| 48 | $129,004.00 | $142,226.91 | ||
| 49 | $135,454.20 | $149,338.25 | ||
| 50 | $142,226.91 | $156,805.17 | ||
| 51 | $149,338.25 | $164,645.42 | ||
| 52 | $156,805.17 | $172,877.70 | ||
| 53 | $164,645.42 | $181,521.58 | ||
| 54 | $172,877.70 | $190,597.66 | ||
| 55 | $181,521.58 | $200,127.54 | ||
| 56 | $190,597.66 | $210,133.92 | ||
| 57 | $200,127.54 | $220,640.61 | ||
| 58 | $210,133.92 | $231,672.65 | ||
| 59 | $220,640.61 | $243,256.28 | ||
| 60 | Retire | $231,672.65 | Retire | $255,419.09 |
| Cumulative | $4,065,125.55 | $4,563,800.92 | ||
The difference is a surplus of $498,675.37 in 2015 dollars over the lifetime of the male Singaporean who doesn’t serve NS. Almost half a million bucks!!! You are going to lose that to your new foreign talent coworkers who do not have to serve NS! Obviously for high flyers with more hefty pay raises early in the career, the difference would be even greater.Now that’s just the measurable portion in dollars and cents.
For those who are required to serve NS, these are the less quantifiable items:
1) Potential of death or dismemberment in NS
2) Potentially not getting hired by foreign talent bosses because you have to do reservist
3) Perhaps getting passed over for promotion because of reservist and IPPT liabilities
4) Having to apply for Exit Permit when leaving country for more than 2 weeks
5) Less time for family due to reservist and IPPT
6) Cannot emigrate with young sons without them needing to come back to Singapore to serve NS
7) Losing your girlfriends while serving NS
Note that young Singaporean males who emigrate and do not come back for NS are labelled defaulters. See my article that talks about this problematic issue. The PAP is not forgiving on this matter.
The truth is that NS is a liability for Singaporean males. It disadvantages and inconveniences them to a great degree. It is time to abolish NS once and for all.
National Slavery
*The author blogs at http://renounce-sg.blogspot.com