The Return Of The Generals

Major-General Chan Chun Sing, 41, followed BG Tan Chuan-Jin in "retiring" from the Singapore Armed Forces to join the ranks of the ruling party. He won't actually say so, but who is he kidding? How can one "retire" as a Chief of Army when one has served only one year of service - the uniform is barely wrinkled. Chan's supporters claim he is able to connect with the ground very well, talking with instead of down to his soldiers, an admirable trait given his White Horse credentials of being a President's and SAF Overseas Scholar.

"One can never have enough time to complete the work of the army," said Chan. So why is he dumping the Temasek Greens prematurely when his professional job is not yet done? Singapore generals are very well paid, and were once driven around in Mercedes cars so that "the men will look up to them." Okay, maybe not enough to move into $20+ million bungalows occupied by the likes of George Yeo, Teo Chee Hean and Lim Hng Kiang, the original Mindef Mafia.

On the plus side, we can sleep soundly knowing there are ex-generals in the cabinet guarding the nation's interest. Especially when fast tracked foreigners are already sneaking past the defences via the Trojan Horse of the GRC. More than the temptations of our Sovereign Wealth Fund is at stake here. Imagine waking up tomorrow to find that the national dish of chicken rice is replaced by Ipoh kway teow! It's bad enough that one FT embraces the ISA instead of his father's torment, we have another who would not publicly knowledge the MP who bestowed her his imprimatur. Is loyalty so out of fashion these days?

In Indonesia, ex-generals are giving their President Yudhoyono restless nights. Men like Tyasno Sudarto, Chief of Army till 2000, who says the government has not helped the poor or done enough for migrant workers. Or Endriartono Sutarto, Armed Forces chief till 2006, who said the number of poor has increased under Yudhoyono's administration. Men of gravitas, whose uniforms are well worn and tattered by the scars of service. But the soldier who will warm your hearts, especially the loyal citizens who sacrificed 2 years for NS, has to be Sergeant Dip Prasad Pun. When he ran out of ammunition and grenades fighting the 30 Talibans, he battered the enemy with the tripod of his machine gun. Sgt Pun carried on the family tradition of being decorated for bravery, after his father, and his grandfather. Now, that's the kind of candidate to welcome for political office .

Guess who's been invited to the tea party?