The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) today announced that they will be able to activate National Servicemen NS men to help with crowd control in train disruptions. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have agreed to this abuse of the use of state resources to help the two private public transport operators, SMRT and SBS, manage the crowd.
In times of train breakdown, crowd control personnel are supposed to be deployed by the two transport operators SMRT and SBS. The LTA claimed that just because state resources like the Police, Civil Defence Force and the Public Transport Security Command (Transcom) are already in use, they have every right to access the Singapore army.
Photo of NSFs from SAF
PAP MP Alex Yam also weighed in and support the use of NS men:
“Deploying SAF personnel at MRT stations is not entirely new as soldiers are already put in key installations like Jurong Island and Changi Airport to conduct patrols. They also have experience in crowd control during mega national events like the National Day Parade.. Transcom already has a sizeable pool of officers, so activating military men will not be the first course of action. It is a last resort.”