Is S$750 a Month Enough for NS Recruits in S'pore Today?

A TikToker has reignited debate over National Service pay, arguing that S$750 a month for NSF recruits is nowhere near enough in today’s economy.

In an eight-minute TikTok rant, @ruggerbud47, aka Sheldon, pushed back at claims that current NSFs are better off than past generations, saying critics conveniently forget one thing…

Inflation.

He said that he saw comments on an online post that people were complaining that they were only paid S$300 to S$400 when they were serving and were envious about the current S$750 that recruits were currently getting.

NSFs in Singapore are technically not paid a salary but given an allowance to cover their expenses.

Using the McSpicy as his benchmark of choice, Sheldon pointed out that while a recruit today earns more in dollar terms, his spending power has shrunk.

 A McSpicy that once cost S$4.50 now goes for about S$9.50, meaning today’s NSFs can buy far fewer burgers than their predecessors, saying his commander could have bought 106 burgers.

“Now, a McSpicy is S$9.50, and with S$750 you can get a “whopping” 77 McSpices,” he added.

His point is that higher pay doesn’t mean better pay if costs have doubled. Government handouts like CDC vouchers don’t close that gap either.

Beyond money, Sheldon argued the bigger issue is time, saying Singaporean men lose two prime years while their peers enter university or the workforce, putting them behind financially and socially.

He admits that national service isn’t entirely useless and that it is where one can learn to be more disciplined and responsible.

“But the fact is, after your BMT, and your vocational training, you are really not learning much, at least in my own experience,” he says, adding that he hasn’t picked up any new skills since, and feels like an underpaid intern.

Sheldon also points out that it will be harder for Singaporean males to date because most Singaporean girls expect their partner to make the same amount or more than them, pointing to gender norms here.

However, Sheldon also mentioned that other military conscription systems such as South Korea (which faces an active threat of war) is shorter at only eight months.

This is incorrect as South Korea's mandatory military service is typically around 18 to 21 months, depending on the branch.

Even if war breaks out with our neighbours, Sheldon is confident that allies, such as Britain, US, and Canada, will aid us due to our status as a member of the United Nations.

In his video later, he also touched on how he felt bad for those who trained hard for the two years, for a war that is not going to happen.

He said the prevailing mindset around NS is driven less by idealism and more by legacy thinking.

The older generation, having completed two to two-and-a-half years of NS themselves, often feels it would be unfair if younger Singaporeans did not endure the same experience.

“The sentiment is from the older generation, we did NS we had to f***king suffer so you [as] the younger generation have to suffer too,” he ranted.

As a result, this belief is that everyone must go through the same hardship continues to shape attitudes towards why NS remains compulsory today.

He also criticised the time it takes to be enlisted, claiming he waited six to eight months before he got enlisted as the CMPB didn’t have his medical records.

Sheldon admits that his opinion might garner backlash, and like others, can be cancelled online because his point of view doesn’t align with the general population of Singapore.

“The least we can do is not s*** on our fellow NSFs, like you know it is hard and we need to be more sympathetic towards it, and not complain about the pay because not everyone has parents that are able to support them,” he said, adding that there are Singaporeans who are struggling, especially those who need to support their family.

“Two years is very vital, and they can be using to upgrade themselves and get into the work force and start making a livable wage to support their family,” he said.

Most netizens seem to take Sheldon’s side on this with many saying they are surprised that more is not done for our servicemen.

One even wrote, “I remember a certain minister said our service should not be measured in dollars and cents”.

The statement was made by Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Josephine Teo, in March 2015 during a public forum, regarding NS pay.

The minister later clarified on Facebook that she meant to acknowledge the profound, non-monetary commitment of NS, and did not mean to dismiss the need for fair recognition.

Photos: ruggerbud47/TikTok