So the news is out. * gasp *

Baby Lee, Junior was summarily charged and reprimanded for ‘jumping’ the chain of command with his email. I know some may want to see more done to him, but again, he’s Baby Lee, Junior and there’s even a possibility of him being our future PM – whether you like it or not – so dream on!

Note: Mail can be found on Rockson’s blog. (So don’t blame me for the censorship in the mail because I didn’t do it!!)

I wonder, did the SAF act quickly, and even make a public announcement, because of the amount of publicity on Blogosphere? If so, one up for blogs, cyberspace and the Internet!!

Anyway, after all that is being said, and looking through the email, I must only say what Baby Lee, Junior was complaining about is valid, because such double-standard treatment has been perpetrated in the SAF for a long time. Some officers are a law of their own and unless something really serious – e.g. physical abuse resulting in injury or death – occurred, they mostly always get away with it. And not just that, there are certainly cases of abuse of power among some the higher ranks of the SAF’s WOSE – Warrant Offices, Specialist, Enlistee as well. But whether it was as common as the old days when I was an NSF, or it has gotten better these days I do not know. (However, let me just say that the past few years the SAF has become a ‘kinder’ place because when I went back for RT – Remedial Training – the PTI FS aka Fuck Spiders Fitness Specialists, actually address us as ‘sirs’ and say ‘please’ to get us to do work togther with them, and no longer just scream at us with vulgarities and abuses to get us into doing what they want us to do.)

Sadly, that it had to take the son of the big man himself to make a big fuss before such things come to light and something to be done about it – i.e. the guilty to be punished. Would the matter be dealt with as seriously and promptly as this one if the matter was raised by the son of a commoner? What would his punishment be like for ‘jumping’ the chain of command? DB – Detention Barracks? Extra duties? Stripping of rank?

Whatever the case maybe, just how many more cases of such mishandling remain unknown and badly dealt with will never be known. After all, it was only a few days ago over a chat that I heard from someone over a chat on the Internet just how disappointed he was with the treatment he was given and how disillusioned he is with the SAF. I cannot and will not go into the details of that complaint but it is my sincere wish that somehow, some redress will be given to that particular serviceman.

Will Baby Lee, Junior’s email bring an end to the era in which NSFs suffer in silence ? I doubt so. Cases of mishandling will continue to exist in the SAF, unless a rigorous system of checks is in place.