The survey also showed that NS is still seen as “very important” to other areas such as national defence, building commitment to Singapore and promoting understanding between people of different backgrounds.
It is also seen as important for the development of personal character, including instilling discipline and values.
NECESSARY FOR DEFENSE
Almost all respondents (98 per cent) agree that NS is necessary for Singapore’s defence, with the proportion of those strongly agreeing rising to 57 per cent last year from 42 per cent in 2013.
“An agreement of 98 percent … is very rare and speaks to the faith and support for the institution of NS,” Dr Chu said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
Almost all respondents (97 percent) agreed that NS will continue to be important to Singapore in the future. The share of those who strongly agree with the importance of NS to Singapore has increased to 57 percent from 33 percent a decade ago.
Recent heightened geopolitical tensions, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, may have led to perceptions that NS will continue to be important to Singapore, the survey found.
“Several focus group participants also shared that these tensions and security serve as a reminder that the ability to defend ourselves is very important and we need NS as a deterrent against external threats,” added Dr Chu.
There is also strong support from family and employers for the commitments of national servicemen in the National Assembly.
More than nine in 10 (96 percent) national service members feel that their families support them, while 95 percent of enlisted national service members also feel the same about their employers.
But during the focus groups, national servicemen also reasoned that employers would need to provide support due to the mandatory nature of their reserve commitments.
Nearly nine in 10 (89 percent) respondents said they feel proud that their family members serve or have served in the National Assembly. The survey also found that respondents felt that the SC had helped to increase the maturity and confidence of the national servicemen.
When it comes to training safety, 94 percent of national service members are confident that NS training is conducted safely.
The proportion of respondents who strongly agree that training is conducted safely has risen from 15 percent in the previous survey to 23 percent.
The focus groups also highlighted that the positive NS experience resulted from an increased focus on safety and health.