Mr Speaker, Sir, nobody likes military training or military service because youths are compelled to interrupt their studies or their careers to spend sonic of the most precious periods of their lives in training how to shoot and kill. What a waste of human resources and national income even if what we are prepared for, will never be carried out! It has always therefore been a dream of philosophers from ancient days to find ways and means to abolish war forever. But the nations of the world have not been so successful in their efforts, and in spite of the existence of the League of Nations, and now the United Nations, there are still wars breaking out now and then in all parts of the world. So as long as the threat of war hangs over us, most countries, including neutral countries, have been forced to introduce compulsory military service. It is also for that reason that we find the Socialist Front and the S.U.P.P. supporting the call-up in the Malaysian Parliament. Mr Speaker, Sir, I therefore cannot agree with the motion of the Barisan Sosialis in advocating a complete boycott of military service altogether. Moreover, the situation in the country has become critical. We are facing the threat of external aggression and internal disturbances. Indonesian troops have landed in Johore and near Malacca. Racial disturbances have exploded on two occasions in Singapore. I do believe that unless peace with Indonesia is restored in time, we cannot discount the possibility of Indonesian planes and guerillas making raids on Singapore Island itself. We cannot advocate, therefore, support of a boycott of military service in these circumstances. Looking backwards to the 5-13 affair - in those days the fight against conscription was a correct move. In those days it was the British who wanted to conscript the youth of Singapore to fight fellow Malayans of a different philosophy in the jungles of Malaya. After ten years the situation has radically changed. South-East Asia will not be as peaceful as it once was. The formation of Malaysia has set in motion a chain of events which even the founders of Malaysia had least expected. I believe some of the staunchest pro-Malaysian leaders are now having second thoughts and praying in their heart of hearts that Malaysia will disintegrate. They now realise their former mistakes. But the unfortunate thing is that history once made cannot be undone. We are now faced with the threat of external aggression. The internal situation also requires our utmost vigilance. The buildup of a local defence force to meet external pressures and maintain internal peace, law and order, is necessary. Many will agree that in the last two civil disturbances the people of Singapore would have been better off seeing local troops being deployed rather than getting troops from other places who are not so familiar with local conditions. Military service is therefore inevitable. But I ask that Singapore youths, after training, should not be sent to other States, particularly to the Borneo territories. The primary role of Singapore youths after military training should be for local defence. After all, Singapore citizens are in an inferior status compared to that of other Malaysian citizens, and it is not fair to ask them to shoulder similar responsibilities as full-fledged first-class citizens when it is a question of citizenship obligations. Although I support national service in principle, I would not wish to support the war-mongering moves of the P.A.P. Government which attempt to persuade the British Government to take the initiative of bombing Indonesia, thereby escalating the present conflict into a full-scale war. We should condemn not only Indonesian acts of aggression but, at the same time, we should expose any move to seek political capital and political salvation from an extension of the present skirmish. What consolation do we get if Singapore, Penang and Kuala Lumpur are reduced to ashes at the same time as all Indonesian cities are blotted out? Mr Speaker, Sir, I see that a solution to the present dispute is not impossible. Let us take a determined stand and tell Indonesia that we will fight and that we cannot be cowed. But at the same time let us not fail to find ways and means of re-establishing peace in the region, on the basis of a fair and honourable settlement. Only then, Sir, can we earn the respect and support of the Afro-Asian nations and the world. But, Mr Speaker, Sir, I cannot support the amendment of the Deputy Prime Minister. The P.A.P. leadership have now understood the real significance that power in most countries of the world, and more so in Asia, rests in the barrel of the gun. From North and South Korea, Communist and Kuomintang China, North and South Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Pakistan and Indonesia - in the countries of Asia stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea, we see in the lost analysis that it is the control of the gun that really decides where power shall lie. Only in a few countries, like Japan, the Philippines, the Federation of Malaya, India and Ceylon, could the democratic vote effect at least in theory a change of government. But how far the governments and ruling groups in these countries would allow the ballot box to effect a genuine change of government is still left to be seen. The P.A.P. leadership knew from its experience in the last Federal elections that it has no hope whatsoever of assuming political power in Malaysia. For the P.A.P. knew that not only must it be given a fair chance to compete in the democratic vote in Malaysia which it has denied to its opponents in Singapore, but that even if it can win in the democratic vote, which is not an easy matter, it is still the control of the gun that shall finally count. And, therefore, we find the P.A.P. complaining that Singapore youths are not given a fair chance to receive proper military training. The Deputy Prime Minister has said just now, with real understanding, and perhaps apprehension, that only one hundred of the 50,000 youths registered for national service have been called up to receive military training. For in the minds of the P.A.P., if the 50,000 youths of Singapore could receive, as the Deputy Prime Minister has described, "proper military training", we might find ourselves in a situation, in the event of the Federal-State relationship further deteriorating, a South Malayan army, predominantly Chinese in content, marching into battle against a North Malayan Army across the causeway, predominantly Malay in composition. Sir, Singapore can only be a turtle in a tub. Singapore can never be a beachhead, a launching-pad to launch an offensive against the Federation. Yamashita has proved it. Singapore cannot be a Cuba, neither can it be a South Korea where the Causeway is our 38th Parallel. We have warned the P.A.P. of the consequences before entering Malaysia. Sir, the die is cast, it is too late to retrieve the position. The present conflict between the Singapore State Government and the Central Government should be resolved by further consultation. If there is ever the idea of a 50,000 secret army to be trained by the Central Government which will one day come to the rescue of the P.A.P. Government, I am afraid the idea will not help. Sir.