“New recruits to Singapore’s military, air force and navy are to get a new standard-issue item of equipment besides their rifle — the iPad,” AFP reports.
“The defence ministry said Monday it will be issuing ‘about 8,000’ of the sleek, touch-screen tablet computers — already wildly popular with the city-state’s tech-savvy youth — to recruits from November,” AFP reports. “The ministry said it was also planning to issue the devices to other servicemen next year.”
AFP reports, “Troops can use the iPad’s built-in camera to take photos and video clips in the field which can be uploaded to the SAF’s online platform, LEARNet. Soldiers can use these photos and videos to carry out post-mission assessments… Singapore maintains a conscript-based military and its armed forces are among the best-equipped in Asia. Every able-bodied male citizen and permanent resident aged 18 and above must undergo two years of military training.”
Read more in the full article here.
Note to self: Don’t become a permanent resident of Sangapore. (Already have iPad 2)
Singapore has an army?
singapore is about 5 million most non muslims surrounded by countries with 150 million muslims
built their conscript system in the 1960s when there were huge riots etc in their neighours to safeguard themselves.
every boy at 18 like the article says goes to the army for 2 years. I think after that they have to spend a few weeks a year on refreshers. Only thing I don’t think the girls get the same treatment like the Isrealis do. (years back when I was over there I believe the Isrealis were training the Singapore air force).
army is pretty high tech but bizarre : most of the recruits have lived all their lives in apartments: have practically no outdoor (even mowing the lawn) skills at all before joining up.
some years ago muslim hijackers took a plane at singapore airport, sing special forces killed them all and freed all the passengers.
Will their recruits be forced to read Mao’s little red book on their iPads before turning in every night? Mao says, “If you shoot with rifle and miss in Singapore, you will face the firing squad tomorrow.”
What a numb nut.
Singapore is not China. Comments like this make you come off as a stupid racist.
Just ignore him. Many do. He’s been found working hard at that humour thing for a while now.
+1
Since Singapore army does not actually deal with killings, even Jobs would possibly not mind this development.
Singapore had a race riot not due to external factors.
The only nation that attacked singapore was Japan and Indonesia.
But Indonesia merely bombed a building while Japan decimated the Chinese population.
As such i would say that the ipads are highly doubtful.
The army does not even allow camera phones into the camps.
Anyone caught with one will be detained , fined or jailed.
And Singapore currently is the only south asian country that support US invasion of Iraq, all other countries have removed their support.
the only reason the muslims have not over run singapore is the Singapore army where every boy is trained.
muslim riots in Indonesia over the years have killed 40,000 to 100,000 Chinese indonesians and tens of thojusands of Christian indonesians with thousands more raped and beaten up . Race laws in Malaysia have reduced non muslims to second class citizens.
I have spoken to Chinese Indonesians who have fled to Singapore
Actually a nation is dependant on its population.
Singapore was Muslim dominated but a majority of Malay/Muslim migrated to Malaysia.
Over time the government has decided to practice a control over racial population , maintaining a majority Chinese population mostly thru migration from Malaysia,Philippines and China.
For Indonesian, race riot occurred mainly due economics unbalance, under the Suharto era, there was rampant corruption and laws were negligible and mostly the Chinese were beneficiary in that time.
And during the revolution , Chinese were associated toward the Sukarno and thus were targeted.
At that time the weak police and police corruption whom employed bribery to ensure protection saw the Chinese as cash cows and targeted them to get more money.As a way to alleviate the pressure from the international world for reforms,the Sukarno government employed subterfuge and ordered his own military to cause divisiveness and rupture the reformation by targeting and raping the Chinese.
Race laws in Malaysia are much like the posterity laws of any other nation.
Recognizing Malays as the majority but also as the underdeveloped, the nation decided to enact the Bumiputra policies.
Bumiputra cover Malay and all original people of Malaysia, especially the aborigines.
To that extent Malaysia send doctor and nurses and crate school to where ever the aborigines are .
A point to note is that Sabah and Sarawak with a large minority of non Malays who enjoy bumiputra prvileges.
Medical aid cost for all ailment even surgery cost RM $1 for all Malasyian irregardless of race.
“Race laws in Malaysia are much like the posterity laws of any other nation.”
any other nations practicing it will be called Aparteid.
do you argue that Malaysia does not have discriminatory laws where:
1) non muslims do not get access to higher education like muslims. Entry in university is not based on ethnic percentages OR MERIT but based on whether you born Malay muslim
2) Malaysia law forbids non muslims from becoming Prime Minister
3) that although non muslims make up about 40% of the population but near 100% of the army and police are muslims
4) that muslims have special previleges for business licenses, share purchases (muslims are allowed to buy shares at IPOs for several weeks EARLIER than non muslims)
5) that virtually all government scholarships for students are reserved for non muslims
6) the enactment of Sharia laws have been discussed where for example in court cases the word of a muslim has be taken over that of a non muslim.
etc etc etc.
like I said anybody else would call it discrimination and apartied.
Also you excuses that tens of thousands of Chinese killed in Indonesia and also thousands in 1969 in Malaysia were due to the fact the Chinese had ‘economic advantage’.. I ask you a SIMPLE QUESTION… did those Chinese have GUNS? answer NO. like I said near 100% of armed forces in Malaysia and Indoenesia are muslim controlled. Was it necessary to slaughter defenceless shopkeepers and farmers because of ECONOMIC balance?
Singapore was once part of Malaysia but with the Chinese there the muslims would have not been the majority ethnic group in Malaysia so the Muslims (with the backing of the muslim armed forces) forced Singapore out thinking that isolated on an island it would die. It didn’t and not now has per capita income several times higher than Malaysia.
type:
“5) that virtually all government scholarships for students are reserved for non muslims
should be “5) that virtually all government scholarships for students are reserved for MUSLIMS”
(i wish non muslims could get some of it).
I’m a Canadian but have lived in Asia for years. Speak both basic Malay and Chinese. Have been to Singapore. I think that one of the main reasons the west has ignored issues in South East Asia is that where for example Christian Indoenesians are killed (go Google it if you don’t beleive me that Christians have been slaughtered) is that those areas don’t contain OIL that the west wants like the middle east.
@Zulkifli
“Race laws in Malaysia are much like the posterity laws of any other nation.
Recognizing Malays as the majority but also as the underdeveloped, the nation decided to enact the Bumiputra policies.”
that is B.S
the per capita income of many non muslims (i.e in Malaysia like many East indians are LOWER than muslims. Yet they are denied the SAME economic oppurtunities as muslims. Why ISN’T Malaysia’s economy policies (so called to ‘balance’ the economy) BASED ON INCOME LEVELS irrespective of race and religon INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT DISCRIMATORY POLICIES where Muslims are favored?
malaysia muslim controlled govt does NOT look at social condition or income level but on race on religon to provide aid (scholarships, business licenses, higher education etc)
millionaire muslims can access special bumiputera (muslim) share purchase plans , scholarships and business licenses while poor non muslims, non muslim aboriginals (
christian Kadazans, polytheistic Ibans etc) etc are denied them. I’ve met bumiputera muslims with mercedes cars, million dollar homes and multiple businessness (licenses granted by the govt.) get free scholarships for their children to study in the U.S, UK etc while poor non muslims with way better school results denied them. (Zulkifli do you dare to say that this is NOT TRUE?)
When malaysia enacts a fair policy to help people BASED ON INCOME AND NEED rather than based on whether you are muslim or not, then talk , otherwise STFU.
If Steve Jobs was president of any country in the world, it would resemble Singapore in many ways. They are small, progressive, efficient, strict, and innovative. They also resemble Apple’s walled garden approach.
I’ve only been in Singapore once (last year) and I just LOVED it. I have people at work who’ve been there 4 or 5 times and they all still want to go visit one more time. I don’t know if there is any other place in the world I would rather be. And by the way, I live in Sweden.
How about Monaco?
Most of them will then be busy playing games on their iPads, leaving their rifles somewhere……..
oh yeah, jailbroken apps and games
I’m a Singaporean & mighty proud of it. Proud that I’ve served in our army & done my time. We are one of the top 10 countries that have the highest numbers using Macs. So, Apple, will you please bring the full iTunes Store to Singapore? I wanna buy music, rent TV shows & movies… & please bring the new ATV here as well?!!!
Relaying too much technology have it’s strength and it’s limitations.Apple ipad’s had come under virus attack before,there is no guarantee,it would not.The need for constantly updating the service pack,the possibilty of some intruder,hacking into apple ipad system,by accessing the ipad is high is high.There is strong possibility of indentity theft and compromising “sensitive data”.No wonder,the american marines or navy seals do not used ipads for communication