“Whatever you can’t defend, doesn’t belong to you”
Third Sergeant Chong Yu Meng, 30, wrote to The New Paper in February 1999
about his National Service experience. He described his national service as a
rite of passage. “It’s a different world. You are not coddled by family and school,
and you learn about your strengths and limitations. I cannot explain it, you have
to go through it to know what it is like.” Coming from a comfortable family
background, NS was an eye-opener for him, as he met people from all walks of
life. “I met people who came from broken homes and some who were thrown
out by their families.” But he most clearly remembered them as loyal, faithful
and honourable men who could be counted on to fight if the need ever arises. In
stressing the importance of a strong defence, Third Sergeant Chong used a
homespun analogy: “If you have a lot of money but are weak, a robber is not
going to listen to your plea for mercy. You have to be strong to stand up to him .
. . whatever you can’t defend, doesn’t belong to you.”