S’porean asks if NSFs still get punished for kissing their girlfriends in public while in uniform

Singaporean man asks full-time NSFs if they still get punished for public displays of affection while in uniform

A Singaporean man has sparked an online conversation about the enforcement of a seemingly outdated rule that punishes full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) for public displays of affection while in uniform.

In a TikTok video shared on 27 Jan, the man wondered whether such behaviour was still frowned upon today or if it was merely a relic of the past.

NSFs allegedly punished for public displays of affection

In the video, the original poster (OP) shared his experience from his Basic Military Training (BMT) days.

He recalled how physical displays of affection while in uniform were frowned upon — and sometimes punished.

He began by asking those currently in BMT if they still faced consequences for kissing their girlfriends in public while wearing their No. 4 uniform.

He went on to describe how, during his BMT days, recruits would fall in at the Pasir Ris bus stop before returning to Pulau Tekong.

Some servicemen would be accompanied by their girlfriends, and a few would hold hands or share a kiss.

Entire company punished for one kiss

According to the OP, servicemen in uniform were told they were technically “not allowed to be intimate or openly show affection”.

He recalled one particular incident where someone from his company kissed his girlfriend goodbye, resulting in the entire company being punished.

“We went back to Tekong to our company line, then the whole company got punished by the CDO (company duty officer),” he said.

The OP shared that they were then made to do push-ups and crunches by the officer.

“All because someone from our company kissed their girlfriend.”

OP wonders if this alleged rule still exists

Describing it as a “weird punishment”, the OP added that it was something NSFs simply had to endure back then.

However, he wondered whether this was an officially enforced rule or something his commanders “just came up with” at the time.

“So for those in BMT, does this rule still exist?” he asked. “Or was this some kind of rule our commanders invented just to punish us?”

The video ended with the OP inviting current NSFs to share their experiences in the comments, saying he was “genuinely curious”.

Netizens give their take on supposed rule

The video quickly sparked a wave of comments from netizens, with many sharing their own experiences.

One netizen recalled that the same rule applied to them back in the 1990s.

Another claimed that, while public affection was technically prohibited, the trick was simply to avoid getting caught.

Some commenters took a lighthearted approach, joking that the only thing they had to kiss goodbye during BMT was their “weekends”.

MS News has reached out to the OP for more information.

Also read: NSFs to get up to S$75 increase in allowance from 1 July, fourth allowance increment in 10 years

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Featured image adapted from @sgproverbs on TikTok & Basic Military Training Centre on Facebook, for illustration purposes only.