An Autopsy on the SAF Email Saga

My encounter about the SAF email saga started from reading a post in Hardwarezone and two bloggers two days ago. Of course, at that point of time, I did not see the original email, but people are already offering their opinions on the issue whether they have read the original email. The moment when the news hit Tomorrow and Sammyboy forum, my feeling is that something will inevitably force the mainstream media to do something about it. Today, coincidentally Friday 13th, the mainstream media has finally broken the news to the public: The Defence Ministry has formally charged and reprimanded 2nd Lieutenant Li Hong Yi (Picture from ChannelnewsAsia) after he contravened orders by broadcasting a letter of complaint against another serviceman (which is actually an email by an anonymous person who happened to have access to the email and has taken some pain to mask off the names of the individuals involved)  to other servicemen. Many notable bloggers (Aaron, Elia, Ned Stark, Gerald, Legal Janitor and many others) have thrown in their five cents worth to the issue. In reading some many thoughts about the issue, I thought it might be appropriate to provide an autopsy on the whole event, and offer some thoughts about the issue.

Before the actual email was out in the open, there were tonnes of speculation and biased commentaries made on the individual. Of course, the first thing that springs out is not about what the individual has actually said in his email, but who he is. He is the son of Lee Hsien Loong, the current Prime Minister of Singapore. With that backdrop in mind, he makes an newsworthy story for both the new and mainstream media. After reading over his long email a couple of times, I formed my understanding about the issue.

Three things come to my mind upon reading the email. First, the intentions of his email was to right an injustice in his camp, with a comparison on why an officer (a regular) should be let off lightly where a corporal was punished severely (even though the corporal's offense is not as severe as the regular). The truth of that matter is that he is a whistleblower. In the email, he reported the facts of the situation and offered his thoughts on the current status of the Singapore Armed Forces. I see his actions as courageous and bold, with tinges of recklessness. If you work out the scenarios, there is no incentive for him to go in that direction. He could have done what all the other people do, just keep quiet, live and let live and moved on with his studies in MIT as a PSC scholar. Of course, we cannot stop people from debating the following question: what if someone else has done exactly the same thing, will they be given a heavier punishment?

That comes to be my next point. That being said about his intentions, he has definitely broken the chain of command in a military organization. Yes, he could have gone to the Commanding Officer (CO) after he was disappointed by his immediate officer.  Instead, he sent it to everyone including the Chief of Army, Chief of Defence Force and Defence Minister. The rule of law dictates that he has to be punished for violating the chain of command. He was given a reprimand and also other punishments (maybe) in the process. Hence I think that it is a fair and optimal outcome of the whole issue.

Lastly, his email gave me the impression that this is something that an idealistic, brash and young man would do. It turns that he has a high and idealistic standard on what credible leadership means for our society.

So, how did this event pen out for the country as a whole? In fact, I agree with Gerald that it is a positive development for all parties. The Reuters (a foreign media) attributes the credit to the netizens for bringing the incident to the open public. For those who heard about this earlier, we all knew that after the email first appeared in the hardwarezone, according to some netizens there, their posts and the original emails have mysteriously disappeared. As usual, there are people who are indulged in the climate of fear and practised self-censorship in the process. In fact, before the story breaks the dam in Tomorrow and Sammyboy forum, everyone is asking for the original email.

Here is something to think about if the original email is not leaked out. There will always be constant speculation and conspiracy theories about what Li Hong Yi did and might lead to unfair commentaries on him. Hopefully, the establishment has realized that the way to engage new media is not to fight it but to engage it in such a way that the public can make their judgment on the issue. So, it is better to provide the information out there than to conceal it, given that new media is a double-edged sword which can go both ways. As the chinese saying "paper can never cover fire" goes, our mainstream media has no choice but to publish the whole incident in the open.

As I was scanning through the comments and opinions of the other bloggers, it turns out that most of them agreed that Li Hong Yi has done the right thing on this account even though he was punished in the process for speaking out. At least, our Prime Minister can take heart that his son has a better standing with public opinion in terms of his upbringing as contrast to a spoilt brat, Wee Shu Min who got her father and herself into a public backlash with her infamous comments.

Comments

[Ryan]

I think perhaps, i have another view, the people already know what happens in the SAF, comon, we all have to serve, however, perhaps this could be part of a long term agenda, for instance, didnt his father, the current PM, serve as a 'brigadier general' i use that term in inverted commas, since he's currently the world record holder for a general without combat experience.
now would people look back when his son is up for elections and thing 'hey isnt that the guy who blew the whiste, etc etc?

long term propaganda is what i think it is, if anyone else did that, it would be instantly covered up and made to disappear....

now i wonder who is going to be the PAP front man in a couple of years?

think about that. you may support him now for his 'valiant actions' but for all you know, it may be a ruse, the news media in singapore is known to be an agent of the government, giving props to the current ruling party for years, and showing the opposition in a poor light.
in this country of not so free press and lack of civil liberties, perhaps we are just all part of a long term plan to keep the lee family in power for years to come.

[Zhongkai]

Well, i am surprise that I am saying this, but he could have complained to daddy during dinner and daddy would take care of it. Instead, he choose to address the issue himself. Well done boy!! Although the method could be a little more discrete.

[sophie]

good post. borrowed ur pix too.

my view --

http://sophiesworld-sophiesworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/maverick-sons.html

cheers

[gook]

Hello did anyone spare a thought for the other guy? Or maybe he is not important bc his daddy not some elite.

[DK]

I think the punishment is too light. You break the chain of command all the way up to minister, and all you get is warning?

And seriously, I'm beginning to feel that the email also bleach the official secret act.

[overtime_e]

you call this an autosy?

nice work, for saying all the politically correct stuff.. the media can actually cut n paste your article..

why not explore his status as a white horse? would he have the balls to send the email if he were not the son?

[The Void Deck]

Cool post BL! We totally dig 2 of the points you brandished.

One - that people were frothing at the mouth and going wild-eyed feral once LEE is mentoned, although they might not have read the damn email at all. Woah.

Two - the question is whether he went overboard in emailing everyone he could think of then. Yup, he did. It is all a matter of how to screw the chain of command. He headbutted the system whambam. He should have spammed the CO first and then whacked off to Teo when he did not get a satisfactory reply. And if that didn't work, he should have blogged it LOL. OK maybe the last tactic is way off.

What is truly exciting is how Teo is gonna get spammed by NSFs and reservists from now on. The precedent is set! Dari depan cepat lari!

[a piglet]

To add some more info.
In the army enlisted men (cpl/sgt) are often disciplined impartially with punishments severely as a sign of discipline.However this line is blurred when this involves regular (professional?) soldiers , they are given a slap on the wrist (informal punishment extra duties/confinement).Why? because this will affect their career while NSF will do their two years and f@@@ off.These punishments may not be served by offenders as regulars help regular code of ethics are in place. U help me i help u network.
Those NSF servicemen officers are often ranked below regulars (same for enlisted men), thus they will often feel disgruntled as different standards applies.
I felt that Li Hongyi opened a can of worms when he crossed path with LTA X ( Mr Tua Si lang),swapping his duties with somebody.
LTA X should sell his duties to others, which is prevalent in SAF (under table swap for favours/money) to NSF servicemen but not to white horses like Li HongYi.
The supervising OC(Bo tao nao) covered for LTA X should be impartial and get him to do extra duty immediately for 3-5 days so to show others what u will get for running off from duty.But he did not.
I approve and Mr Li Hongyi for opening this can of worms for us to see that SAF has not changed at all so much for increased pay,benefits for Mindef personnel or civil servants, still has double standards for regulars and nsf servicemen , do the same job get different pay, different punishment(informal for regulars,formal for nsf servicemen),different offdays (no off for nsf even u are going to ORD,planned offdays for regular,unofficial MC,see mother to hospital,etc etc).
Why is this so? because nobody blows the whistle on them (the regular i help u u help me network.

[yee hung]

Nice post!

Playing devil's advocate here: Was he really right to do it? The gist of the e-mail, without flowery language:

To: Minister and CDF and big shots

X did this. He did not go punished. But Y did this and got punished severely. Your law states that X should be punished. But he was not. My boss Z also didn't punish him. This shows lack of QC in SAF officers. I'm disappointed. I demand something be done.

If he had written about several examples of failure which he had observed in the SAF, fine, it would make a good, idealistic email. But by just singling out one or two people and blasting the SAF is plain wrong - especially when you are telling that to the MoD and the CDF.

But I do agree that his intentions were good. But this is a very bad way to blow the whistle, especially since it is an isolated incident.

[squawks]

i agree that pm lee should be proud of his son.

its sad that we have to bear the shame of some other "elites" like wee shu min.