Army boys caught in the act
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mypaper 2 June 2010
SINGAPORE Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers are giving themselves a bad name, with a recent spate of misdemeanours.
One posted a photograph of himself in full army attire, holding a cigarette and leaving his SAR21 rifle unattended.
In another incident, a group of soldiers was caught visiting a brothel during a military exercise in Taiwan.
According to a May 22 report by The Liberty Times, a Taiwanese newspaper, a certain Sergeant Wang and three other SAF soldiers were caught visiting a massage parlour that also operated as a brothel in the southern city of Pintung.
It was reported that Sgt Wang broke away from the trio of Singaporean soldiers, as well as four accompanying Taiwanese soldiers, to visit the parlour.
After getting their dinner, the rest went to the parlour to wait for him and were ambushed by Taiwanese police, who were raiding the brothel that evening.
The news article was published on citizen-journalism website Stomp yesterday.
Also fresh on Stomp were an article and photograph of a full-time national serviceman squatting and posing with a cigarette, a "rocker" hand gesture and an unattended SAR21 rifle.
The soldier, who is believed to be on duty at a sentry post, uploaded the photograph onto a social- networking site.
The post drew a slew of reactions from Stomp users.
One user named Decadent wrote that the soldier was going to get into huge trouble, but that he deserved it because uploading the photos was stupid.
On the contrary, ToShac68 was unfazed, and said that duties in the army were only a simulation, and that the man simply wanted to "pose like American or British soldiers, holding guns and smoking in uniform".
Full-time national servicemen, however, took the postings in a more serious light. One of them, Private Timothy Tan, said: "It tarnishes the image of the SAF as most soldiers are usually very disciplined.
"They are poor representatives of the current soldiers and poor examples to future generations of soldiers."
Another NSF, Lance-Corporal Li Wen Hao, said: "It is irresponsible of them, as they represent our country. Now that it has gone public, it will affect the good reputation of other NSFs."
When NSFs were found to be forming groups on social-networking website Facebook last year, the Ministry of Defence said that all SAF personnel are not to disclose or post classified or sensitive information and photos online.
