Defending your country? Then pay for your own insurance
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Defending your country? Then pay for your own insurance
By Khalil Adis
While the premium for Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme is affordable, the government should cover the cost since national servicemen are defending the country
I have been serving my national service faithfully for a full two-and-a-half-years and will soon complete my reservist this year, at the end of my ten-year cycle.
At this time of writing, I have just finished doing my duty for the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held in Singapore.
Throughout my service with the Singapore Police Force, I have kept our streets safe, assisted my commander and senior officers in writing reports, managed the staff suggestion scheme, came up with newsletter for fellow national servicemen and guarded key installations across the island.
I have also endeavoured to pass my physical fitness test (IPPT) with a Silver award almost every year.
However, before I take a final bow from my national service duty, there is one burning question my troop mates and myself have been left wondering – why do we need to pay for our own insurance when we are in fact taking time from our work and family to risk our lives for our country?
Terms of insurance coverageThe Police National Service (PNS) Department last year sent us a letter saying that with effect from 1 April 2008, Home Team NSmen will be automatically covered under the Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme.
This insurance scheme only covers reservist personnel like myself and not full-time national servicemen
So, unless we choose to opt out, the premiums are deducted from our make-up pay or service allowance.
Most of us have left it as it is as we are just too unaware of its implications or too busy with our duties to even question it.
The insurance is underwritten by American Home Assurance Company Singapore (AIG) and managed by Zuellig Insurance Singapore.
Police national servicemen are covered during their In-Camp Training (ICT) and pre-ICT assessment, mobilisation, IPPT and remedial test, course and other NS activities where the Order to Report for Service has been served.
The sum is not a lot, amounting to $4.85 (inclusive of GST).
The insurance provides coverage of up to 30 days of call-up per work year.
It covers each individual a sum assured of $100, 000 in the event of death and a scale of benefits of up to $150, 000 for permanent disablement arising from an accident.
In addition, there are other benefits, such as claims for accidental partial disability and child education lump sum benefit.
Insurance experts agree that the insurance coverage national servicemen are getting is a good deal.
“If you compare this with a normal personal accident plan, for the same risk level, it costs $360 with $50, 000 sum assured in the event of accidental death and total and permanent disablement. As the insurance for national servicemen covers higher risks, it is value-for-money,” says Hakim Halim, a financial advisor with Promiseland Independent Pte Ltd.
Cost is not the issue
However, the cost and coverage of the insurance is not the issue.
The issue is, despite our service to our country where we constantly have to put our life at risk, the government still makes us pay for our own insurance coverage.
Even the companies that we work for do pay for our insurance in the event any accident happens to us during our course of employment.
So, on behalf of my troop mates, I wrote an email to the Police National Service (PNS) Department early this year, asking them to explain why we have to foot the bill.
It is almost the end of the year and the PNS Department has yet to reply to our query.
Our political leaders have always questioned if Singaporeans would defend the country in times of war.
However, the government’s penny-pinching attitude will only sow the seeds of apathy and discord among existing national service men who have continued putting their lives at risk.
Should future generations feel less than patriotic, the government have only themselves to be blamed for their “money-as a-means-to-an-end” approach.
If the government can allocate $10 million of taxpayers’ money to make permanent residents feel more welcomed and foot the bill to host APEC, surely paying the insurance cost for national servicemen is not too much to ask for, right?
After all, we have paid our dues by helping to keep the country safe and secure.
Despite our grievances, we are grateful for the excellent welfare provided for us at APEC and the senior officers who took time to sit down to listen to the sentiments among national servicemen.
In the meantime, we are waiting with bated breath for the PNS Department’s official reply.
About the Author:
Khalil Adis graduated from Monash University with a Bachelors of Arts (Communications) and was a former editor for Property Report magazine covering Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
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got insurance for Army guys right
but heard not that much
medical expense will only be cover
when we injured ourselves during Call up?
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Originally posted by noahnoah:
got insurance for Army guys right
but heard not that much
medical expense will only be cover
when we injured ourselves during Call up?
first time in my life, i heard this - already MR -
Originally posted by whycannot:
first time in my life, i heard this - already MR
I also MR already leLoL
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Originally posted by noahnoah:
I also MR already leLoL
good. no more suffering. -
If you would to compare the value of the amount paid for the personal insurance scheme with the optional term insurance scheme, you are actually paying 148.3 times more to arrive at the same $100,000 death benefit excluding permanent disability.
Further, its an additional scheme (optional) meaning extra compensation for each fellow NSmen in case of any mishap while undergoing training or performing duty with the SAF.
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Simple solution: Vote for the opposition party!
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Actually, won't it be cheaper if the government paid for insurance for all the soldiers / police officers as a whole.
It's similar to a private company who buys insurance for all the staff - there should be more cost savings rather than each person buying his or her own insurance individually.
Any HR personnel who is in charge of insurance matters for her company can comment on this?
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Originally posted by charlize:
Actually, won't it be cheaper if the government paid for insurance for all the soldiers / police officers as a whole.
It's similar to a private company who buys insurance for all the staff - there should be more cost savings rather than each person buying his or her own insurance individually.
Any HR personnel who is in charge of insurance matters for her company can comment on this?
Won't it be even more simple if we just vote for the opposition party? Let the PAP ministers lose their high paying jobs -
Think defence force is one of the profession where the insurance premiums are high.
Don't think the government want to accept such a responsibility for our Singaporean soldiers.
Why pay insurance for your cheap banglah and siam kia?
It's better to accumulate more reserves and buy more Merrill Lynch type investments.
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I'm not sure if the government ought to pay for insurance scheme like these. The insurance companies can tender their offers for selection, and cover in service personnel but for the government to pay out of public coffers for these schemes might be anti-competitive. Hence the payment has to eventually come from "private" pockets and not public coffers. Otherwise, the government might be seen as unfairly promoting one insurance company over the other.
Thats my 2cts.
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Originally posted by deepak.c:
Think defence force is one of the profession where the insurance premiums are high.
Don't think the government want to accept such a responsibility for our Singaporean soldiers.
Why pay insurance for your cheap banglah and siam kia?
It's better to accumulate more reserves and buy more Merrill Lynch type investments.
tats v true
12 years of siam kia
only got 300 bucks
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as a home protector and defender of Singapore, you are suppose in the forefront, to do your utmost in protecting and serving the country and it citizens without fear and glory. And now you are worry for yourself first, shame
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Originally posted by angel7030:
as a home protector and defender of Singapore, you are suppose in the forefront, to do your utmost in protecting and serving the country and it citizens without fear and glory. And now you are worry for yourself first, shame
Talk is cheap.
Please set an example and show us the way first.
O'wise it is just 'empty vessel make the most noise' talk.
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Originally posted by Lionnosy:
Talk is cheap.
Please set an example and show us the way first.
O'wise it is just 'empty vessel make the most noise' talk.
well said -
Originally posted by Lionnosy:
Talk is cheap.
Please set an example and show us the way first.
O'wise it is just 'empty vessel make the most noise' talk.
From noisy pussy to nosy pussy - I prefer the nosy one better. -
Originally posted by angel7030:
as a home protector and defender of Singapore, you are suppose in the forefront, to do your utmost in protecting and serving the country and it citizens without fear and glory. And now you are worry for yourself first, shame
Has the Taiwanese "hum" anything of relevance or substance to contribute to this thread that concerns the life of NSF Singaporeans ?
As usual, the Taiwanese "hum" returns to be a prick - to draw attention to its need for its daily dose of mischief - with the usual method of being controversial with its ignorance.
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Originally posted by Lionnosy:
Talk is cheap.
Please set an example and show us the way first.
O'wise it is just 'empty vessel make the most noise' talk.
For example, if a few uncles wanted to rape me in a dark street, then you, lionnosy, as a police walked by and saw it, do you put yourselve infront to protect me first or think of calling your insurance agents?? -
Originally posted by angel7030:
For example, if a few uncles wanted to rape me in a dark street, then you, lionnosy, as a police walked by and saw it, do you put yourselve infront to protect me first or think of calling your insurance agents??
you win lahcan
happy now
hi ha
debate queen of the century
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Originally posted by whycannot:
you win lahcan
happy now
hi ha
debate queen of the century
It is not a matter of win, ego or pride, there is nothing to win about...not even 10cents on the table, it is matter of logics thinking. Do you mean to say that when a war come and you are suppose to defend singapore on the frontline, and you start to talk about insurance?? I think i kill you first with my chopper. -
Originally posted by angel7030:
It is not a matter of win, ego or pride, there is nothing to win about...not even 10cents on the table, it is matter of logics thinking. Do you mean to say that when a war come and you are suppose to defend singapore on the frontline, and you start to talk about insurance?? I think i kill you first with my chopper.
ha ha hait's our camp/base co that command and deploy us .
ok
i think the police will charge and throw you in dentention for possessing dangerous weapon
pls reply with some sense
hi ha
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Originally posted by angel7030:
For example, if a few uncles wanted to rape me in a dark street, then you, lionnosy, as a police walked by and saw it, do you put yourselve infront to protect me first or think of calling your insurance agents??
Will the whore in the Taiwanese "hum" need any help ?Its lusty ways can only be satisfied with its fantasy of being raped by several men that it desperately need their attention to its "hum".
The insufferable ignorance of the imbecilic whore stretches the tolerance levels of anyone's patience.
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Originally posted by whycannot:
ha ha hait's our camp/base co that command and deploy us .
ok
i think the police will charge and throw you in dentention for possessing dangerous weapon
pls reply with some sense
hi ha
My goodness, just a chicken chopper also consider dangerous meh??? then how to chop my chicken and pork, so that i can cook the "Buddha jump over the wall" -
Originally posted by angel7030:
My goodness, just a chicken chopper also consider dangerous meh??? then how to chop my chicken and pork, so that i can cook the "Buddha jump over the wall"
it's up to you to believe -
The taiwanese whore dare not to even reply Atobe