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Singapore soldier "remorseful" for letting maid carry his bag
Source: Xinhua |
April 5, 2011, Tuesday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
THE photograph of a Singapore soldier letting his maid carry his field pack has sparked controversy in the city state recently as some accused the recruit of being a softie.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement published on Friday by local newspapers that the soldier, who had his back to the camera in the photo, had identified himself to his commander, saying he was "remorseful."
He was a recruit undergoing the physical training preparatory phase prior to the basic military training, said Colonel Desmond Tan, director of public affairs at the Ministry of Defense.
"The recruit is remorseful for his actions and realizes that it was wrong for him to have allowed this," he said.
It is compulsory for all fit and able-bodied men in Singapore to join the full-time national service upon reaching the age of 18.
Tan said that the recruit has been counseled and continued his training, and that the army has reminded all servicemen to "be mindful of their conduct in the public."
The image was taken from a Facebook account and surfaced on the Straits Times online portal on March 27.
It spawned emotions ranging from outrage to amusement to angst about the state of local youth, and led to a frenzy of forum postings, tweets and articles, though some said that it should be taken too seriously and that the soldiers are good.
The newspaper said today that the soldiers had been told to be mindful of their conduct in the public.
"It's a very well-known case, so we were sternly told to be mindful of what we did and to not disgrace the uniform," the Straits Times quoted serviceman Randy Wong as saying.
Another soldier said his superior also mentioned the photo in a briefing last Thursday.
"Most of us just felt a sense of pity for the poor guy. Plus, he is a rookie so I don't think he knows much about being a soldier," said David Tan.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement published on Friday by local newspapers that the soldier, who had his back to the camera in the photo, had identified himself to his commander, saying he was "remorseful."
He was a recruit undergoing the physical training preparatory phase prior to the basic military training, said Colonel Desmond Tan, director of public affairs at the Ministry of Defense.
"The recruit is remorseful for his actions and realizes that it was wrong for him to have allowed this," he said.
It is compulsory for all fit and able-bodied men in Singapore to join the full-time national service upon reaching the age of 18.
Tan said that the recruit has been counseled and continued his training, and that the army has reminded all servicemen to "be mindful of their conduct in the public."
The image was taken from a Facebook account and surfaced on the Straits Times online portal on March 27.
It spawned emotions ranging from outrage to amusement to angst about the state of local youth, and led to a frenzy of forum postings, tweets and articles, though some said that it should be taken too seriously and that the soldiers are good.
The newspaper said today that the soldiers had been told to be mindful of their conduct in the public.
"It's a very well-known case, so we were sternly told to be mindful of what we did and to not disgrace the uniform," the Straits Times quoted serviceman Randy Wong as saying.
Another soldier said his superior also mentioned the photo in a briefing last Thursday.
"Most of us just felt a sense of pity for the poor guy. Plus, he is a rookie so I don't think he knows much about being a soldier," said David Tan.
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