Written by: Lemuel Teo (Photo by: Ronald Lim)

Serving Singapore: How National Service taught me to love my country

What’s your favourite National Day Song? One of my clear favourites from the nostalgic catalogue would be ‘One People, One Nation, One Singapore’:

We’ve built a nation with our hands; The toil of people from a dozen lands

We are all well-aware of how our nation is always moving, ever under construction — cranes can be found in many places, our skyline continuously morphing. The process of nation-building is an active, relentless one.

In his foreward, Colonel Wong Yu Han, the Chairman of the NDP 2014 Executive Committee, said that, “Singaporeans today have grown under the care and sacrifice of our nation’s pioneers. Their selfless contributions have laid the cornerstone to the safe and prosperous Singapore we enjoy today.” Indeed, the selfless sacrifices of every day Singaporeans continue to contribute to our way of life here at home.

One way I contribute to the Singaporean way of life is through National Service (NS). Last week, I was called up for my first in-camp training (ICT) or more commonly known as “reservist”. I did not know what to expect and felt slightly hesitant about returning to army life. How would things change now that we were not full-time NSmen? I wondered what it would feel like to meet those who were newly posted in to our reservist unit, especially when men from all walks of life — bankers, hawkers, undergraduates, lawyers, technicians — are tossed into a salad bowl.

One night, I was having a heart-to-heart conversation with an old buddy. We mulled over questions like: Why must we serve? Don’t we have better things to do than to don the green uniform? Do we really have to go on like this for another nine years? What was the purpose of all these? I felt like I was doing this army thing out of duty — it’s my responsibility, so I have to do it. I had doubts if whatever I was doing could really be counted as service to the nation.

As I thought about it, one thing became clear to me: Everyone has sacrificed something to be present for this ICT. As a local university student currently on my three-month term break, I would consider my sacrifice small in comparison to others. There were private university students studying intensely whenever there was a waiting time, as they had to take their exams immediately after booking out. I’ve come across building contractors negotiating with clients for a feasible deadline outside of the ICT period. Most poignantly, my Muslim brothers-in-arms had to give up a week of jalan raya just to show up for the ICT (I, myself, understand the pain of booking-in on the second day of Chinese New Year). I began to comprehend what my Commanding Officer meant when he said that during this 10-year reservist cycle, the sacrifices will only get tougher. In a few years time, we would have established our careers, we might have a kid or two, however the ICTs will get longer and more demanding. Would NS then be more of a duty and less of a service to the nation?

The Biblical character Nehemiah was a sterling example of loving service to the Israelites. When he heard about the terrible living conditions in Jerusalem, he was moved to great compassion and was determined to repair the city. Nehemiah rose above the call of duty — he was the king’s cupbearer — and lovingly served his people. Besides rebuilding the city walls, he restored social justice amongst the people as he cared for the poor, needy, and hungry. Nehemiah loved his people so much that when he saw the people’s needs, he easily moved beyond duty and served them wholeheartedly.

As I spoke to some of my buddies before we ended our ICT, I experienced a paradigm shift. Our unit’s task, in the face of war, was meticulously explained to us. We could see how we fit into the overall picture of national defence. More than that, we saw NS was a meaningful platform for uniting Singaporeans from all walks of life. We come from different workplaces and schools, yet together, we serve for the same purpose. The generations of NSmen before us have selflessly sacrificed their time and youth so that Singapore might enjoy the stability and prosperity we now have. ICTs might feel like a pain, but if it can help protect our way of life, then I’ll willingly sacrifice my time and energy. I realised that while NS can be seen merely as obligatory duty, I could choose to see it as my willing service to my nation — worthwhile though it might go unnoticed by others.

As we approach National Day this Saturday, I feel I have much to learn from Nehemiah’s example. As a Christian Singaporean, I can choose to love Singapore by being a blessing to our society. In Singapore, there are needs all around, if only we open our eyes to them — the classmate trapped in depression, the marginalised foreign worker, even the ah ma lost in our myriad of MRT lines. I think it starts with me deciding to pause long enough (yes, sacrifice some time) to care for them or hear them out. It’s not always about whether it’s my duty to do so, but to step out in love and reach out to someone.

The Bible exhorts us, saying that “we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love?” (1 John 3:16-17 MSG) What are the needs you see in our society? What sacrifices would you make so that Singapore becomes a better place?

To my Singaporean brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, as we cap off this week decked in red and white, admiring the fireworks display radiant above the city, may we be reminded that we all have a part to play in loving and shaping Singapore today for our loved ones tomorrow.

Every creed and every race, has its role and has its place
One people, one nation, one Singapore