NS40 EXHIBITION 'TRAVELS' TO JURONG AND TAMPINES

When a group of Singaporean males gather together, the most popular topics for conversation are probably women, soccer and National Service (NS).

But for Mr Lim Hung Lim, the topic of NS is also a good way for him to bond with his teenage son, Terence. The Lims were at the two-day NS40 Jurong East Roadshow on 21 Apr.

"See, that's a jerry can," said Mr Lim as he pointed out to the 16-year-old the water receptacle widely used in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). "We used it to store water for us to use or drink during training."

Mr Lim, who was enlisted in 1975, remembered the days when he had to wear Temasek green uniforms that "had to be starched" and the thin foam mattresses he slept on.

"Compared to those days, there are so many improvements now," said the 50-year-old. "But the exhibition really brought back many good memories and it's very informative."

Terence, who will be enlisting after his studies in a few years' time, said: "After visiting this exhibition, I'm not too worried about NS, though the training seems tough."

As part of a series of events to commemorate 40 Years of NS, the exhibition was brought to Jurong, after it opened at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza last weekend.

Through the exhibits and equipment on display, the public had a chance to better understand the various facets of NS, and also to have the opportunity to see the latest technology used by the SAF, Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

As the crowd at the NS40 roadshow suggested, it was very well received as the members of the public were eager to try out the equipment on display and take photos with the many vehicles on display.

Mr Tse Kwan Choi, who is from the Hong Kong Fire Service Department and is on an attachment programme with SCDF, was one of the many who enjoyed themselves at the exhibition.

Speaking to cyberpioneer after completing 13 chin-ups at the Electronic IPPT Scoring System (ELISS) station, the 44-year-old said: "This is a very good promotion of NS.

"The exhibition also provides good knowledge about how Singapore defends itself."

For those who missed the NS40 exhibition at Ngee Ann City and Jurong East, do not worry because it will come to Tampines Central (outside the MRT station) on 28 and 29 Apr. For more information, please go to the NS40 website.