Quora Answer: Why Does Singapore Not Abolish Conscription Since It Would Lose at War Due to Its Size?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Why does Singapore not abolish conscription since it would surely lose an all-out war due to its small size, and its heavy reliance on its allies?  Why does it want to waste lives through fighting, and facilities through bombing?” 

The question makes several assumptions that are wrong. 

Firstly, warfare is merely an enactment of economic policy.  Countries seek to conquer territory for some sort of gain.  There is a cost benefit analysis on that.  Merely winning a war is not enough.  The United States could roll over Canada if it wanted to.  There is no country in the world than can help it against the sole military superpower of the world.  The cost of that war, and occupation of hostile territory, the loss of allies across the world and economic isolation make it a proposition so expensive, that it is cheaper to have Canada as a trusted ally. 

Singapore has the most advanced military in Southeast Asia.  If we wanted to, we could take over all of Peninsula Malaysia.  Malaysia does not have the military to stop us.  Thailand is not going to come to their aid.  Indonesia does not have the lift capability to move significant bodies of troops across.  That would still be a stupid thing for Singapore to do.  We would win every battle, but lose the war.  The Malaysians are not going to just lay down and surrender.  We would lose our status as a neutral business hub; the Straits of Malacca, our lifeline, would be shut to us by sanctions; and we would lose more troops to asymmetrical jungle warfare than in the actual invasion itself. 

In summary, if it is too expensive to conquer Singapore, we are unlikely to face a belligerent.  As a strategic port at the nexus of the Malacca and Sunda Straits, it is in everybody’s interest to keep Singapore independent.  Also, as an international finance centre, a lot of powerful people, from all sides, keep their money here.  No one is going to bomb their money. 

The notion that Singapore is somehow helpless is nonsensical.  Per capita, Singapore is one of the most militarised states in the world.  Singapore’s defence budget dwarfs the rest of ASEAN, and is a fifth of Japan’s, a country with a population that is almost 20 times ours.  Singapore has a qualitative edge that no country in the region can hope to match, because money talks.  That is why we have stopped referring to ourselves as the poison shrimp – it stopped being believable when we can bomb every country in the region with impunity.  Moreover, Singapore’s military has combat experience, from the Konfrontasi, to deployments all over the world as “observers”. 

We do have National Service solely to build up a reserve manpower of trained personnel.  National Service is also a means to integrate a multicultural, multi-ethnic population thorough a shared experience.  It is part of our nation building effort.  Were it not for National Service, large parts of the Chinese majority do not have a reason to mix with some of the minority groups.  This is not healthy for the nation.  National Service is not a waste of time.  It is part of our national development.