[Help - Outside opinion required] My country's government controls the length of men's hair.

[Mikeferdy]

I live in Singapore as a Singaporean citizen. Singapore is well known around the world as a 1st world country with restriction and laws on almost everything from chewing gum to flushing toilets. Hence we got the title Singapore a "Fine" city.

There is a lot of crud to talk about but I want to talk mainly about hair right now coz it is a very big deal for me.

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2009/03/blog-post_24.html

Back in the early 70's our government actually discourages men to have long hair. Though it is not "legally" enforced, there were many rumors that back then police will actually detain people with long hair, bring them back to the police station and shave them bald. There are no records to prove this and could just be a over blown scare story but the fact of them matter is back then, the government tried to put restrictions on men's hair.

Moving on 42 years later and most of the people already forgot about this hair fiasco, but it still lives on in the form of National Service reservist.


According to our country's enlistment act, every Singaporean male upon the age of 16 is to be enlisted in the country's National Service where you are drafted either in the Army (governed by Ministry of Defence MINDEF), the Police or the Civil Defence (both governed by Ministry of Home affairs MHA) for a full time period of 2 years.

This was all fine and dandy coz, "to serve and protect our country", and all that jazz. But there are many issues with the National Service from opportunity cost to the "NS for Singaporeans, jobs for foreigners" saga, but it will be hard for me to fit it all in one post. So I'm going to focus on one thing right now, Hair.

Ok, the National Service for 2 years is actually an illusion. After 2 years of service, we don't actually complete our liabilities. We are actually considered Operationally Ready Date ORD which where lies most of the problem.

Upon ORD, we are actually allowed to return to civilian life but every year for the next 10 years, MINDEF or MHA will randomly call us down for service for 2 weeks annually. This of course brings many problems to our civilian life from disruption of our Tertary education or civilian career and many others. This is the point where many Singaporeans stopped calling NS as National Service and start calling it National Slavery.

Ok, about the hair thing. There have been 2 tabloid-ish story about this on our "citizen journalism" site STOMP.

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/204928/...

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/1167732...

The gist of the story is these two grown men above 21 years old have completed their 2 years full time NS and is considered ORD. They have returned to civilian life and continue doing civilian stuff, one of which is growing one's hair long according to each individual's personal preference.

But every year, we are called back by MINDEF and MHA to our respective camps, we are forced by the government agency to cut our hair short for the next 2 weeks. And anyone who don't comply with the hair rule will be charged with insubordination and could be prosecuted with a monetary fine and/or imprisonment in a Detention Barrack. I've recently been called for back for a 9hr reservist and are forced to cut our hair under the above same threat.

There are exception to these rules. One of which is artists and entertainers by career can have a written document by their employers to be submitted to the enlistment department and have it looked over for approval by the commanding officer to have permission to keep their long hair. In other words we need special permission approved by the government to have long hairs.


There are so many things messed up with this "hair rule".

1) I believe that every individual have the right to the freedom of self expression on their body. Be it long or short hair. For a government agency to not respect a person's individual preference under threat of fine and imprisonment is just messed up.

2) Some argue that "hair will grow back, deal with it". Hair does indeed grow back, but at an average speed of 1.25cm per month according to Wikipedia. So if someone where to like to have hair longer than 15cm, they are out of luck.

3) I find it extremely disturbing that a government agency have control over my body. Among all the things that these NS are disrupting, our career, our education, our civilian life, I drew the line when they are allowed to disrupt our own bodies.

4) Though many don't find hair as a big issue, I find that if the government cannot respect an individual's bodily preference, what hope do we have when addressing other issues like our career, education, civilian life.


Another thing that is disturbing to think about is the comments given on the above two links. Apparently, my fellow Singaporeans do not have respect on other people's preference, calling any men who wish to have long hair as sissy or (another word for cat). Some actually believe that any men who wishes to have long hair are homosexual.


So, I want to get an outside opinion on the matter and try to brain storm some solutions.

1) I want to try an send an email to MINDEF and MHA and I believe it's most likely gonna get ignored. I mean, who is gonna listen to recruit no. xyz.

2) I want to try and bring the issue up to our MP (congressmen) but they most likely won't take the issue seriously when it is just coming from one guy.

3) I want to get some support on the matter but I'm not really sure how to do it.

4) I'm working on a rant video which I will post on YouTube and hope it goes viral.


What do you guys think?

[Hutch Hogan]

As a citizen you should be allowed to have long hair, etc.  It doesn't impinge on anyone except the OCD nannies of the world. 

The military is different, In Canada, you're volunteering yourself into an organization and there are requirements for it, short hair and no beard.  This is mostly for protective reasons, primarily the standard issue gas mask which doesn't make as good of a seal if there is hair in the way.  

I would argue that mandatory military service is gravely immoral on behalf of a nation.  I think you'll see why in this clip of the Ides of March:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnOCW8NwFfg

I don't really know what you can do for reform, ultimately make sure that you're not going to get yourself injured. 

[Latch33570]

Why? This clip didn't explain why it's immoral. Why not?

[Hutch Hogan]

Because there isn't consent.  The people who are grandfathered through the system get to vote, while the ones that actually have to serve don't get to vote. 

[Latch33570]

If it was used just for national defense I  would be ok with it. I think everyone should serve a little time serving some part of the govt for a little while at least.

[Abreo]

That ten years thing sounds like the bigger problem, it also seems defeatist since it impacts productivity everywhere. The whole country is negatively affected by this.

But yeah, only a police state cares about your hair. Sorry man.

[Latch33570]

I would suggest writing to your congressman about the long service 10 years. Point out all the money it must be costing the govt. Ask to change it to inactive reserve as we call it in the US. That way you are obligated to serve if needed but you are not called every year. Good luck. 

[Mikeferdy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yY5cHDVR2I

Man, I though this hair thing was just a small issue.... It goes way back to a dark time in Singapore...

The government did try to control people's hair 9:45

[Eystein,]

I would argue that mandatory military service is gravely immoral on behalf of a nation.  I think you'll see why in this clip of the Ides of March:

It's one of the negative perks of being citizen of a puny country. It's futile though because if Indonesia wants to invade Singapore or Russia invade Norway, then they will do it. It's just national pride dictates that they ought to bleed as much as possible for it...

 

An annual reservist duty for up to 10 years is not unreasonable for a small city state to ask, but it shouldn't disrupt civilean life more than necessary. To deny a civilean the right to choose and maintain a particular hairstyle just for the sake of a limited time service of two weeks is both silly and unnecessarily oppressive.

 

I think you should continue to rant about it and/or cause awareness around this in your country. Maybe band together men who are as equally fed up with this as yourself and ask them to simple refuse to shave for while in order to cause publicity. When annoyed people ask you why, you have a golden opportunity to tell them exactly why indeed :)

[Hutch Hogan]

An annual reservist duty for up to 10 years is not unreasonable for a small city state to ask

10 years is pretty unreasonable.  But such is the way with politicians who think their citizens owe them their lives. 

[Mikeferdy]

Many local online forums actually have disgruntled National Service men complaining that they hate being forced to do so, having the freedoms taken away and having career opportunities being taken by foreigners while they are stuck in military camp.

Quite a few actually openly declared that they will be the first to run if the country ever gets attacked. Has there ever been a time in history where a country is destabilized due to an army of unwilling soldiers?

[Eystein,]

I think it is perfectly reasonable given that it is only for two weeks and also very unlikely that the Singapori government is ever going to declare war on anybody. It is only to repeat essential skills that are needed should the worst case scenarios come to pass. It is unlikely that Singapore will face war any time soon, but we never know what China will be up to by the end of this century. After all they've already declared the whole of the South China sea their own, even though that is completely unreasonable.

So I think it isn't wrong of Singapore to have forced enlistment, but I do think it's wrong of them to fuzz so much about its people's appearance... people who are first and foremost are civilians.

[Mikeferdy]

Oh my god... I can't believe some people in this day and age associate the desire for long hair with homosexuality...

http://goo.gl/Kx8rn

What is wrong with this people?