Mindef cares for soldiers beyond allowance; NS is not a transaction: Chan Chun Sing

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing speaking in Parliament on Feb 27.SINGAPORE - Besides monthly allowances, the Republic takes care of its full-time national servicemen (NSFs) in other ways, such as through cash top-ups and tax incentives, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Feb 27.Where there is budgetary space Mindef will do more, said Mr Chan, who cautioned against reducing national service to a transaction.Mr Chan was responding to a suggestion by Workers’ Party MP Kenneth Tiong to raise the allowance of second-year NSFs to at least $1,800, which is the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) that firms have to pay their Singaporean workers to be allowed to hire foreign workers.The defence minister said Singapore recognises the contributions of NSFs and NSmen not just for their two years of full-time service, but also the 10 years of Operationally Ready NS after that.“Those of us who have served in national service will be very careful to not use the word compensate, because, in truth, no amount of monetary compensation can be equated with the contributions of our NSmen,” said Mr Chan.To support servicemen, Mindef works with the Ministry of Finance on initiatives such as the National Service Housing, Medical and Education (NS HOME) Awards - a series of milestone payments to support their housing, healthcare and education needs, he noted.“When we have the budget space, we will do more...but I don’t want us to get into the wrong concept that this is a transactional relationship,” he said.During the debate on Mindef’s budget, Mr Tiong said NSFs’ purchasing power had fallen, despite nominal increases in their allowances over the years.On the other hand, SAF regulars serve the same duty, but with market salaries and full CPF.“By their second year, NSFs are fully trained and operationally deployed, manning posts, running day-to-day operations, performing similar tasks as regulars,” said Mr Tiong. “They should be paid accordingly.”He called for NS allowances to be raised to $1,800 as that “is the floor for every worker in Singapore; surely it is the floor for every soldier”.In response, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said there is a fundamental difference between salaries and NS allowances, and an equivalence should not be drawn between the two.A salary is compensation for work done, while NS is a unique civic duty and contribution by all able-bodied Singaporean males and not a transaction, he added.“While we acknowledge that serving NS involves opportunity cost, we should not erode our social compact and the ethos of service by casting it as an employer-employee relationship,” he added.SMS Zaqy said Mindef regularly reviews allowances and incentives for servicemen, with reviews in 2015, 2020, 2023, and in July 2025.The 2023 review saw NS allowance increased by between $125 and $200, depending on rank and vocation. The 2025 review saw allowances raised from between $35 to $75.Over the past decade, the allowance for a recruit in basic military training has risen by 65 per cent, said SMS Zaqy. Recruits currently get $790 a month in allowance, while a Lieutenant receives $1,530.During national service, the state also takes care of the vast majority of NSFs’ basic needs, such as accommodation and food, and allowances are designed to support their personal upkeep and incidentals, he added.Mr Tiong said he disagreed with SMS Zaqy’s framing that accommodation, food, and equipping are part of the compensation package for NSFs.“The fact is that people who have no choice get paid less than people who do...Why can’t we find it (in us) to pay our soldiers fairly?” he asked.In response, Mr Chan said he had never seen Singaporeans think of NS as a transaction, and that he hoped that generations of Singaporeans will continue to not view NS this way.“It is not in our interest to cause invidious comparisons, or to bring down the sacred duty of serving our country into a transaction,” he said.“Of course we will take care of our NSmen, of course we will regularly review our NSF allowances (and) do more for NS HOME awards,” added Mr Chan.“You can have my assurance we will take care of our NSmen, but I appeal to Members of this House not to conflate duty with transaction.”Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here