Government Parliamentary Committee Chairman takes on National Service preferential treatment issue

The chairman of Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Defence, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, said that for next week's Parliament sitting, he has filed a question on perceived preferential treatment during NS - something highlighted during the recent Presidential Election.

He has asked Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen to "clear the air" on the matter related to Dr Patrick Tan's prolonged disruption from NS.

Dr Patrick Tan is President Tony Tan Keng Yam's son.

Dr Lim said: "There shouldn't be any doubt in Singaporeans' mind as far as Mindef's policy is concerned (that) there must be fairness in terms of who get disrupted and who doesn't get disrupted. As a result, it doesn't cause resentment, it doesn't divide the society."



On Dr Patrick Tan's NS deployment to the Defence Medical Research Institute, Dr Lim said NSmen should be deployed according to their skill sets.

Dr Lim said: "In the sense that if he has certain skills that we can use, then (there is) no point using him as a cook or a driver or an infantry man.

Dr Lim also wants Mindef to review its deferment and disruption policies, especially with many universities having different starting dates for their terms.

Dr Lim hopes his fellow MPs would raise more questions during the debate in Parliament.

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