Imagine this: You’re currently two days into your In-Camp Training (ICT), or reservist training, as most of us call it, when your two-year-old son contracted the hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD).

What would you do?

Book out immediately to take care of your kid?

That was what Mr Khairul Ruzaini Jasmani wanted to do but his wife stopped him.

Insists Hubby Stays In Training

Mr Khairul’s wife, Madam Nur Kamilah Abdul Rahman, dissuaded her husband from deferring his training.

Speaking to The New Paper, Mdm Kamilah said that she knew that her husband, who was passionate about his days in the army, valued the two-week ICT.

She decided that she didn’t want to “disturb” him and she had wanted him to “serve with a peace of mind”.

Took Unpaid Leave From Work

So instead of him deferring his training to stay home and take care of their son, Mdm Kamilah took unpaid leave from her job as a senior teacher at SGM Little KiDZ, a childcare centre in Sengkang.

While tough having to look after her sick son and a younger daughter, she managed with the help of her mother.

Madam Kamilah is also expecting a third child.

Mr Khairul also called home to check on the family at night after his training.

For those who are curious about how NS is going to be conducted amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, you can read this article to find out now.

National Service Advocate award

For her support of her husband’s NS activities, Mdm Kamilah was awarded the National Service Advocate Award this year.

She was one of the 148 recipients, which includes 91 SMEs, 34 large companies, 15 organisations and 7 other individuals.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who spoke at this year’s virtual ceremony, said that a small country like Singapore must “prepare for the worst” while “hoping for the best”.

He added that when the Total Defence framework was launched in 1984, it was hoped that it would get Singaporeans to come together to defend each other and our homeland.

Today, it’s ideal that people are giving up their own resources to give to the country, just like what is going on with Covid-19.

Speaking of which, did you know that Singapore has been on heightened security since September 2020?

Apparently, they’re scrambling in response to terrorist attacks which has happened recently in Europe and other parts of the world.

It was added that the Internal Security Department (ISD) is investigating 37 individuals for suspected terrorist activities.

You can find out more here.

Featured Image: Mindef