Ian On The Red Dot

Not too long ago, I can’t remember if i was serving in National Service then, or had just ORDed, I heard a story about a case of (?two) officer cadets who were dismissed from OCS just before their commissioning parade.

The reason?

They were caught playing with their ceremonial swords during a break.

So, the official reason they were dismissed was because they had disrespected a symbol.

It didn’t matter they had spent a good number of months going through a tough course to become officers.

Nope. One mistake. Just one mistake and everything they had worked for was gone.

Why?

Maybe because there really isn’t anything to be gained from keeping on that few more officers. After all, what medals will they bring us?

Or maybe it was indeed an unforgivable offense to disrespect a symbol.

Anyway, I can’t really verify the story because I don’t know the people involved. It could just be unsubstantiated gossip. But let’s just use the above story as a convenient marker.

While I find it hard to stomach that a person who is, to me, more foreign talent than Singapore citizen carry the flag, I recognize that I do not know where Li Jiawei’s heart lies and it would be highly presumptuous for me to hold anything against her just because I do not see her as a Singapore citizen. Maybe it is me who must change my lenses.

I saw the video of the flag touching the ground.

She definitely could have taken more care with the carrying of the flag. But she didn’t. And actually, to me that’s forgivable. A bit mah-loo but I think we should go easy on her. There are many reasons this cock-up occurred and the blame really isn’t just her own.

The question that really interests me is do the powers that be actually think she has disrespected the flag, probably the most important symbol of any nation.

If they don’t, then fine. But we should let that standard of what constitutes disrespect for a flag apply to everyone.

If they do think the flag was disrespected but that the offense is mitigated because she is a potential medal winner for us then I think it is sad.

But hey, what’s new.

Everything in Singapore has a price. And in this case, the get-out-of-jail card for arguably disrespecting the flag, albeit accidentally, is a (potential) medal.

At least now we know.