Question:

I understand that LHL after passing 55 gets pension of PM while still collecting $,$$$,$$$ as working PM.

When he retired as BG to get rich in politics, was and is he still entitled to the pension of BG?

If so, does he get 2 pensions?

Just wondering how the rich & powerful gives lip service to those who paid, really paid with disablilty. Unlike white horses, they do real national service!

Any reliable sources that can enlighten?

Thanks.

Agrees with you fully that there should be transparent laws and rules on compensations for NS Consripts involved in mishaps leading to injury and death

Even if there are transparent rules and laws on compensation, so what? Kind of too little too late now for people like Lawrence. A life destroyed.

If you consider the compensation as an Annuity paying out $500 a month and an average interest rate of 3.5%. The present value of the monthly compensation is equivalent to a lump sum of about SGD$170k. However, this assumes the beneficiary being able to live for eternity. It would obviously be a better situation if SAF would just pay him a lump sum of SGD$170k instead of $500 a month, since they equate to the same sum. It baffles me why SAF decided to pay only $500 a month but it’s definitely a cheaper option than a lump sum. Pretty cheap skate to me..

The sad truth is that there are probably many others out there who suffer in silence with cheapskate compensations for their lifelong injuries and sufferings, just because when they were injured they probably did not get major news coverage or visits from MINDEF big shots.

I remember during my time there was an NSF who committed suicide by jumping from the third or fourth storey of a camp building. This wasn’t covered in the press. Anything that happens in the confines of the camp can be easily covered up.

But on a positive note I must say that also during my time, I had a case of a reservist coming back to camp for in-camp training. He suffered a stroke and became a vegetable.

MINDEF did not want to assume responsibility at first, saying that he was only on the way to camp and not in camp. But after much lobbying by some senior officers of the unit, MINDEF relented and provided free medical treatment at government hospitals.

But the facts show that when possible, they will try to minimise compensation or shrik away from responsibility.

Allow me to sidetrack by saying that deaths due to mishaps The more cases happen the more they have to avoid reporting them In a super small first world nation

Mr biao plse delete my post from scb

This is my opinion. I think $500 is a reasonable amount and it’s not too little. Why does the disabled need so much money? after all, being disabled, you can’t go anywhere, except to stay at home, why you need so much money?

Even as an abled person, I only spend about $2.00 ~$2.50 for a packet of rice for lunch/dinner or about $5 a day. For a month, this is abt $150 to $200. Per month utility bill is only about $80. Total is about $280. If I am disabled, I should have less expenses, so I don’t have to waste money on luxuries like handphones and mp3 players and I don’t take taxi.

As an abled person, I don’t even employ a maid (can’t afford).
So why should a disabled person need a maid? The person can always depend on his siblings and parents for support. Or he/she can approach the government-approved charities. After all, that’s what the social worker and charities are their for - to help the needy.

I think $500/month is reasonable (it could be less) and furthermore this is free money from government for life.

If government has to give more, then government will increase tax, do you want that?

man-in-the-street > Consider this: If you are disabled and your parents are old and don’t have much strength left, do you need somebody to wheel you around?

If you are physically weak and disabled, do you want to buy some health supplements or go for some alternative treatment such as TCM that is not covered under the CSC card?

Bear in mind that the disability came about because of NS, so it is only right that MINDEF takes full responsibility for the person’s welfare for the rest of his life. In US courts, there would have been punitive damages on top of damages for loss of earnings.

Furthermore, you think $500 is a lot of money? It makes me think that you are just a kid leading a sheltered life who haven’t been exposed the the realities of the world yet. $500 is enough for food yes, how about other expenses combined? You don’t need to take a taxi as an abled person, yes. So you expect a TPD person to take the bus or wheel himself to the hospital from home? Wake up your idea, for goodness sake!

Obviously, you never had contact or experience with anyone related to a disabled or seriously ill person. Have some empathy for others. Maybe when it is your turn to become a caregiver then you will understand the pains of these people.

there are still many who have injured themselves (via carelessness of their superiors) in service and are too worried to go through the process of enquires to get any true compensation. NSF are always at the loosing end. i have finally decided it is time to shout! i am one of them.

………

We should paralyse man-in-the-street and give him S$500 a month for his woes. If your goal in life is purely subsistence then you shouldn’t be online because you don’t need internet because you don’t need it to survive.

Obviously you don’t intend to support your parents when they are old. Cause if you did, you would realise that 500 bucks isn’t enough. Then again, since you’re so apt in the ways of survival, you might just give them rice and soya sauce to balance the books every month.

Fine, so you can’t afford a maid, but you don’t need one…duh. You can wipe your own backside, take bus to the hospital and wash your own darn plates.

Oh yeah,

What if he outlives his parents? Who’s going to take care of him? You think his siblings won’t get married and move out? You think relatives don’t have their own kids/old folks? He needs round the clock care, he doesn’t need a social worker to pop by once in awhile to chat with him.

Man, you sure are disconnected with reality, but I suppose thats normal since you view a handphone as a luxury.

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man in the street’s opinion is probably typical of many elite people on the street nowadays (sorry for the pun) - they feel that the poor and disadvantaged should be content with what they are receiving and not ask for more.

They probably have never experienced poverty before, so they will never understand the difficulties that marginalised people face.

As Li HAO, we s’porean r stupid, it times to show the world we got gut & not idiot, declared governments to be more transparant on our reserve investment, show us how to compensated NS injuries & dead during NS training, every NS regardless regular or full times must be cover with insurance with government & by themselve with against employment act.

Our leader for so many year has misuse their people in national service, as today foreigners including PR is almost 50:50 ratios as singaporean.

therefore, it can’t asking local s’porean to be a cheap slave to perform NS with cheapo allawances with no insurance coverages.

Government shld compensate back those who already completed their NS duty wthout insurance insure with cash rebated into their bank acc.

Lastly, all the best s’porean strike hard to get rich to get out sg asap.

i suspect “man-in-the-street” is our dear vivian bala-something. he sprouts the same brand of nonsense.

it makes your blood boil simply to read his post, and makes you want to curse his descendents that they will get to live on ass-a-f’s generosity of $500 for life.

darn!

First things first, do we know how much in general it is going to cost to provide better payouts ? Lets imagine we have 100 injuries every year and for each we want to give $2000/month payouts, given the calculations above net present value will be $60mln SGD per annum. Lets drop the paternalistic bullshit that government (implying somebody but not me) needs to provide bigger pay outs. Government doesn’t create anything they just take taxes in and distribute them out as services (healthcare, defence, roads and other infrastructure). Are you, singaporean taxpayers, willing to pay for this ? If yes then have your voice heard. That is what you have elections for. Raise taxes or cut other items for free up money. Obviously question is if you raise taxes given that Singapore doesn’t really have comparative advantages as a country what is going to happen to all the foreign investments. You guys need to stop bitching and start thinking rationally this. I’m tired of childish bullshit like money is going to appear out of nowhere. You are not in kindergarden any more.

Rational guy, you talk as though the government is broke. The fact is, the government has more than enough to spare in its coffers.

It is only reasonable for the gov’t to compensate and provide for a decent quality of life for people who sacrifice themselves in the course of protecting the country. The question of whether the government actually has enough to spare is secondary. In this case anyway, Singapore has more than enough to spare. What is $2000/mth compared to the humongus paychecks top civil servants are receiving?

Aren’t the merits of those who sacrifice a lifetime of happiness as a result of their service injuries worth as much as the contribution of highly paid officials? If so, then why are they not provided for adequately?

To put things in another way, try putting yourself into the shoes of a person who is permanently injured as a result of serving NS - how would you feel if the gov’t just gives you a few hundred dollars a month, not even enough to hire a maid to take care of you?

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It seems like man-in-the-street likes to torture people who are in disability. He is already so pityful yet what i think government should give him is a comfortable life. A mere $500 what can the poor guy do? You mention chicken rice, hw is he going to buy food for himself.

I am really sad and angry that you exist. I suffer a serious accident when i am on my way back home after duty from NS, causing my left leg sciatic nerve being ruptured meaning lower knee length and below unable to move yes…diabled.

I actually do lose the will to live..

lost my fiancee
lost my future
lost the freedom to walk
although not on purpose, passerby do take longer look on my left leg…. i do feel im being pity on by passer by.
I do possess local polytechnic diploma n currently doing degree part-time but Company doesnt hired me because of my physical appearance
I eat maggi mee every now and then unable to afford a decent meal.
I am unfilial instead of taking care of my parent my parent actually take care of me.

Little people know how disable feels, i actually cried when i type this, i cannot be normal again. Doesnt we deserve a better life?

man-in-the-street and just rational guy, you guys are true bastard.

3 Legged Star >> I empathize with your situation. I hope you are living well despite your problems. Live strong and try to look forward to better things. I know it is more difficult than it sounds, but I wish you best of luck. I cannot help much but I hope you will try to seek help from people who may be able to assist you…

—

When I was a clerk handling NSmen affairs during my NSF days, I came across a case in my unit where a reservist suffered a stroke on the way to report for ICT.

Initially, MINDEF did not want to pay for his medical fees, saying that he had not booked into camp yet thus was still considered as a civilian injury.

After some bargaining by my unit’s commanders, MINDEF relented and provided FOC medical treatment for the man.

Indeed, NS has allowed many boys to become men… however, it has also destroyed many lives over the years. NS’s impact on the Singaporean man’s life is more than just 2.5 years of our freedom.

It is almost more than half a lifetime of commitment and many weeks lost to annual ICTs… time that could have been spent to develop our careers, rather than to train ourselves to protect all the foreigners who are benefiting from Singapore’s pro-foreigner policies.

3 Legged Star >> Have you gotten compensation from MINDEF? I suggest that you try to obtain compensation, because in the case I mentioned above, the serviceman was having breakfast at a coffeeshop when he collapsed. He was in uniform but not booked in yet.

I believe you should try to appeal for compensation, citing the above case as an example. Please try and let me know whether you succeed or if you need more information on the above case.

Hi mr Biao actually Mindef are actually helping me by paying me monthly ex-gratia payment. They are monthly funds (for a period of 2yrs) for service man who had service injury with Medical Certificate stating service man unable to work.

But the real problem n flaw to this is, the processing take months, my last paid allowance was june, go figure the efficiency of Mindef. Same as Mr Lawrence they paid peanuts but compare to Mr Lawrence my mobility is much better and doesnt need anyone to 24hr take care of me. That sum of money had already made me struggling, i guess Mr Lawrence led a far worst life then me.

Thats the reason this blog caught my attention and i just want to share how it feels to be disabled.

Also commanders of mindef initially said cant help me, in the end those who went around asking help for me isnt my CO. Its my incheks, warrant officer who fk me ard (during NS days) most taking care of my welfare needs. That makes me wonder how come a colonel compare to a warrant officer cant anything.

Once again thx mrbiao.