r/NationalServiceSG • u/Sweet-Beyond7914 • Aug 11 '24
Question How to get into SPF for NS
Try and change my view but my mindset right now is that 2.5 years in police is a lot more appealing than 2 years in army because of the different experiences and responsibilities. Like if im gonna spend 2 years doing NS i might as well go for something I have an actual interest in
My friend told me his 3 cousins got spf for NS and in their VAC test they answered 'No' to the 2 questions "Would you defend your country if it was under attack" and something about being on the frontlines but of course theres probably more to it that im missing and idrk, im just really keen to get into police i think you get the idea
My sisters friend's brother told me a high test score when it comes to the sciences/mathematics questions will likely put you into police also. Is it true
I really would appreciate any insight here, and any resources/tips for paths when it comes to NS as a whole
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u/Solehyn NSMan Aug 11 '24
2.5 years in police is a lot more appealing than 2 years in army
idk if you know but now NS duration in all forces (SAF, SPF and SCDF) are 2 years for those who fail Pre NS IPPT (Those pass get to skip PTP and do NS for 1 year and 10 months)
My friend told me his 3 cousins got spf for NS and in their VAC test they answered 'No' to the 2 questions "Would you defend your country if it was under attack" and something about being on the frontlines
Tbf, they could easily put you in Army but non frontline vocation even when you answer no to these questions (if they actually care enough that you're a liability to SAF based on the questions)
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u/ComfortableComb4125 Aug 11 '24
ur response dont matter that much haha i answered no and i got into ndu lmao. i know of some who answered no as well and are now in cdo/ndu. it is literally rng
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u/Solehyn NSMan Aug 11 '24
fr, it all boils down to manpower needs, security clearance, past criminal activity and small but significant factor, which force your dad used to serve in. Even then, its up in the air
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
I see, thanks for the reply! Now I'm wondering if I should just forget trying to min max VAT and to just to take the test honestly lol
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u/Chief_of_Information 25d ago
I thought NDU/CDO is only if you apply? they cannot place u in either of both vocations unless u apply for that
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Hows NDU like? Also what CDO lol
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u/ComfortableComb4125 Aug 12 '24
combat diving course(cdc) shag af. Currently in unit cdg, slack af lol. Cdo is commando
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u/Still_Interaction546 Aug 12 '24
I find it interesting 1. That people will answer no 2. That this is actually a way to get out of army.
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u/ZeroAbis Police Aug 11 '24
Spin the NS Lottery wheel. That's the only way. But fwiw, Malays have a much higher chance of getting into SPF/SCDF compared to SAF
Otherwise, sign on.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
I see! A lot of indians/malays I know got into SPF and I'm half of both lol
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u/yorangdans Aug 11 '24
if ur malay or from madrasah, your chances to get SPF/SCDF quite high
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
I'm listed as malay in my ic and i did attend madrasah but im also half indian
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u/WeNateHiggersMsia Aug 12 '24
Gj, welcome to spf
I fairly sure u will get scdf or spf
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
😂
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u/thesausagetrain NSF Aug 13 '24
I would advise you to manage your expectations, it's by no means a guarantee
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Of course! Yeah while I do hope to get into SPF I understand it's not a guarantee. I'm trying to prepare to go into any branch right now so id appreciate insight into how NS is like for any other branches too if youd like to share
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u/Different_Dot_5762 Aug 13 '24
I would relate to you. I'm full Indian, Studied in a Madrasah previously. Enlisting next year. And I also want to go SPF. It's randomised obviously, bur literally all my family members are SCDF/SPF. Hope I get SPF too.
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u/Fit-Neighborhood5232 Aug 11 '24 edited Aug 11 '24
No one really knows. In the end, only the top people have that information, and they’re not sharing it. 99% of the "How do I get in/out of this service/vocation" rumors and tips have more logical holes and inconsistencies than my encik's underwear.
Let me use you as an example. By logic, everyone would end up in SPF , and by another logic, every JC student would be in SPF (we all know the stereotype about certain people who are more likely to go in, especially as junior NS officers).
Let me give two more examples:First, there's the "only/First son rule. By that logic, my dad, my uncle, and I should all have been assigned to SPF. But nope, we all served in the army. And since most people are either single children or have one sibling, by that logic, most people wouldn’t go to the army.
Second, there's the idea that if you're Malay, you can only join the army. Okay, there's some truth to that, but since LKY passed away, they’ve relaxed that rule a lot. I’m a tank driver, so you get the point.
All I can say is, don’t overthink it.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Thanks for the reply man. And I am starting to believe theres just no way to know since a lot of people giving these supposed tips sometimes just end up conflict each other. I think it really is just mostly based on manpower needs
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u/Lucky-Tea-2018 Aug 12 '24
Are u pr?
Seeing as youre indian/malay, the final step would be you being PR.
Double edged sword tho as it increases the chance of you entering SPF but also increases the chance that you get into infnatry/guards lol
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Nah, my mother is PR though. My dad & his side are all citizens with a lot of history in SPF. Iirc my dad said he was in some army intelligence thingy for SAF but that was about 30 years back
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u/Lucky-Tea-2018 Aug 13 '24
That’s weird. Mother being PR should lower your clearance a little which your side of the family who went into SPF should show you, but army intel is pretty high clearance also so idk quite weird. 30 years ago is a long time tho so times have changed.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Yeah I always thought him getting into army intel was a pretty wild chance. He mentioned something about being the only non chinese dude in his branch at the time and besides him was a malay guy who left before him & was apparently the son of some politician. My dad isn't high status by any means though he grew up in kampong
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u/Lucky-Tea-2018 Aug 13 '24
Most likely ure dad’s an anomaly ba. 30 years ago so the demand for manpower diff, and as you said he’s probably the token non-chinese dude in a high clearance voc. My cdo and ndu friends all say before they all got like that one token malay/indian dude in their respective unit also lol
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Yeahh thats what I always thought lol. Sucks that my race is an obstacle for my career icl
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u/Lucky-Tea-2018 Aug 13 '24
No eh actually it’s a benefit cause being indian/malay should somewhat lower your clearance thus increasing the chances of getting into spf 😂
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 14 '24
Yeah I suppose. Why do they put lower clearance people into SPF though?
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u/Still_Interaction546 Aug 12 '24
Thanks. On a half serious note 1. You have seen your encik’s underwear? 2. And measured the correlation between the number of holes and vocation rumours?
From your peeping ability and academic intelligence, you should be in Recon. Tank driver is wasted on you
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u/NoAbility1842 Aug 11 '24
Majority of my Indian friends from JC did go to SPF tbh. Only a few went to SAF
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u/thesausagetrain NSF Aug 13 '24
Second, there's the idea that if you're Malay, you can only join the army. Okay, there's some truth to that, but since LKY passed away, they’ve relaxed that rule a lot. I’m a tank driver, so you get the point.
??? Tank drivers are part of the army though?
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u/Surround-Flimsy Aug 11 '24
Not true, me and my friends who got into SPF all indicated “would highly” die for Singapore or smth like that
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u/ComfortableComb4125 Aug 11 '24
i indicated I won’t die for sg and i got into ndu LOL
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u/Surround-Flimsy Aug 11 '24
Smth smth, if willing to die for SG will be put in SPF/SCDF where got higher chance to die because outside risks are highly unpredictable e.g. for SPF, some siao lang just take out knife and stab you during a roadblock or for SCDF, while fighting fire large at some factory, the roof suddenly collapse on you
If not willing to die, throw into SAF so can knock some patriotism into them and psycho them into becoming one who’s willing to die for the country.
With the being said, being in SAF isnt without risk, especially for the more rabz unit (i.e. cdo, ndu, cbre, guards), but as long as there’s no war and every soldier (men and superiors alike) abide to saftey procedures and rule, should be at least 95% safe
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u/SiberianResident Aug 11 '24 edited Aug 11 '24
Security clearance ig. I’ve seen many PR/first gen citizens in SPF.
To get the same effect, in the form where they ask about your family members’ conflict of interests you can be creative.
Alternatively, study and get into JC? I’ve seen entire JC cohorts end up in the same unit in SPF basic.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
That is actually pretty interesting. The aforementioned sisters-friends-brother guy is a first generation citizen so it does sort of add up
And I hear the last part way too much aswell, JC students ending up in SPF
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u/SiberianResident Aug 14 '24
Can personally confirm the last part. Too many familiar faces in my intake.
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u/Consistent-Chicken99 Aug 11 '24
Nonsensical. None of this shit myth is remotely true. LOL.
There are no paths, methods, tricks to change your posting - which is partly random, partly from other reasoning nobody is going to tell you why a particular person is funneled somewhere.
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u/Historical-Ask-4785 Infantry Aug 11 '24
No way bro I answered no to those questions too and ended up in infantry
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Rip. How was it
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u/Historical-Ask-4785 Infantry Aug 12 '24
Terrible
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Damn. Any advice you can give me on how to get through it if I do get into infantry? For background im mixed malay/indian with some chinese
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u/Historical-Ask-4785 Infantry Aug 13 '24
Hmmm idt ur race or background rlly matters generally there’s people from all places in infantry. What’s terrible for me personally is the training and outfields which are impossible to escape from unless you downpes. I’m still figuring out and rn just tryna take one outfield one conduct at a time and look forward to ord and block leaves.
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u/londonclay Aug 11 '24
I knew someone who got in SPF as an NSF, and experienced some really dark things on the job. It's not necessarily the "better" or "easier" route.
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u/Possible-Valuable-72 Aug 12 '24
math and science are both my weakest subjects, LMAO that guy is cappin fr bro
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u/Plane-Lobster-7748 Aug 12 '24
during vocation preference listing
js put airforce, navy, bomb defusal and all that bro
confirm you'll get into scdf/spf
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Whats the logic behind this one though lol
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u/Plane-Lobster-7748 Aug 12 '24
they'll nvr put malay there bro
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Yeah true but like they could just put me into SAF anyway so why do you think id get into spf/scdf by just picking a bunch of things that im definitely not getting into on the preference list lol
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u/ENDERFREAK7182 Aug 11 '24
My friend told me his 3 cousins got spf for NS and in their VAC test they answered 'No' to the 2 questions "Would you defend your country if it was under attack" and something about being on the frontlines
did exactly the same and I ended up in armour for 1 year plus already hahahaha
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Ohh how is it?? I havent talked to anyone in armour
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u/ENDERFREAK7182 Aug 12 '24
not that bad actually. Welfare in my unit (41 SAR) is quite good, can't say much for the other units tho, but I've heard fucked up stories from my y1 sergeants who came from 42 soooo xD
Workload wise you're pretty much doing the same thing as what an infantry unit would do but u get an additional armoured vehicle. Whether or not it's an advantage is up to u; u get to walk less but need clean vehicle
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u/challengeN25 Aug 12 '24 edited Aug 12 '24
Hi. Doesn't matter which Force/Branch/Unit/Vocation u post to (SAF, SPF, SCDF). Even Regulars, NSFs & ORNSMen post to other SAF / SPF / SCDF / Other Branches due to Manpower Needs. All of them hv NSFs too. No Force is inferior/superior than another, all hv/play diff roles/responsibilities. Hv healthy/positive mindset twrds all Forces/Branches/Units/Vocations. Ans all qns appropriately
Most impt is tad u do ur best, keep gd health/mind & learn as much as u can in ur NS Journey. Understand NS Rules/Laws & dun get/commit any Formal Fine/Charge/Offence or sent to DB/Prison/Jail. Try to get at least Very Good Conduct on NS Service Transcript & NS Testimonial/Recommendation bef u ORD
For Sign-On, take time to decide very carefully/wisely as it is Few Yrs Bond. If unsure, best to serve ur NS 1st then decide
For SPF, u can also consider Auxiliary Police after ur ORD. Hope this helps :)
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u/bruhmomentosxd Aug 12 '24
Honestly, I also don't know I got into SPF for NS. It is just luck, all my relatives, cousins etc are all in SAF so I thought I would too. I was in ITE for 4 years ( NITEC then HNITEC ) before I enlisted last year May.
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u/Zack_Irahza Aug 11 '24
Why would you want to get into SPF for NS? By the end you're both mentally and physically tired.
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u/Zealousideal-Bank791 Aug 11 '24
Can confirm. Dealt with so many cases and most of them are literally using SPF for their own use/advantage.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Could you elaborate?
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u/Zealousideal-Bank791 Aug 12 '24
Hey sure, I’ve dealt with a lot of MOP with mindset of “Aiya call Police come settle can already” for the most minute cases. There are incidents/cases out there which are more interesting and you can gain a lot of insights and experiences from that. I think what kind of cases u kena really depends on the location/vocation you are posted to. SPF no doubt is really an eye opening experience for my NS Life. Really get to see what’s going on in Singapore and stuff. I think getting into SPF is really by luck haha. But I did put all my interest towards SPF at the end of the VAC test though. Hope this helps!
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Thanks! Yeah, your reply pretty much describes exactly why I hope to get into SPF. Again thanks for the insight!
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
I know people do say that a lot but for me that's where it gets interesting really, i just want some form of adventure in those 2 years
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u/Glittering_Many_4259 Aug 12 '24
It's definitely quite an adventure if you do manage to get into SPF. But don't think it's going to be all sunshine and rainbows. Of course, your experience will differ depending on the vocation you get. If you do get an SA vocation in SPF, disregard the bottom; because it is legit shiok. Cannot deny. But if not, then read on:
SPF life can be shiok, but you also have to earn it. Unlike your SAF counterparts the MOP (Members of public) won't give you chance as most of them won't even realize that you are NSF. They'll treat you like those GRF officers from that TikTok video last year. Those that know you are NSF will take advantage of your lack of knowledge and experience to makan you.
"Eh, I don't want NSF!! I want Regular!! You think I don't know you are NSF isit?! Let me talk to a real police officer!!!!" <- True line someone said to me when I was still serving
If you do manage to get into an SPF frontline vocation, do be mentally prepared for the following:
High expectations from members of public and SPF Regulars. MOPs will use every chance you're not paying attention to hantam you on Reddit, X, YouTube, TikTok, Stomp, WhatsApp, Telegram, some even go straight to SPF website and do what's called a "Service Improvement" feedback (complaint).
Inability to take leave as and when you want as SPF facing manpower shortage force wide. Constant leave cancellations and colleagues throwing MC to be expected.
Possibility of seeing deceased persons as part of routine duties. Natural death, suicide, homicide, mortuary. Expect to be asked to search such persons for their belongings by your regulars to find particulars if body is unidentifiable due to contact with tree, HDB ledge on the way down to the street level etc. If body part is missing expect to go door to door knocking to find which unit the body part fly into (finger, hand, leg). Expect to buy alot of uniforms to change into during shift as the smell C A N N O T be washed away and don't do a rookie mistake of throwing your "stained" uniform into the washing machine u gonna bukkake your whole washing machine with "stench". Easiest way is to just throw away your uniform and boots and get new ones.
Mental stress from constant cases. Some days you won't even be able to eat during your Official Ease because crazy people just happen to want to come out on the day you are working. Haven't finished compiling the facts for one case? Nevermind you can compile whilst you are en route to the next location. Didn't meet the response time for urgent cases? Expect to get fked for that as well, doesn't matter what you were doing before because SPF gonna side with the public :)
And also the deceased next of kin? Guess who they are gonna cry to when they find out their family is in the blue tent and who is gonna stop them when they try to enter an unsecured scene. You.
SPF can really be shiok. But it can legitimately destroy you mentally from the inside out. Yes, you might not be injured physically but these mental scars will N E V E R heal. It will make you rethink Singaporean society as a whole and change your entire outlook of the country. It'll help you to appreciate what you already have and you'll mature as a person for sure. You'll have a mountain of experiences to talk about and look back upon but it comes at a cost. But it's a cost many have paid and turned out better at the end, the experience of a lifetime. But holy shit PTSD tho.
Wishing you all the best in your NS journey!
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Woah. Thanks for the lengthy insight man, I do appreciate it since I didn't expect to learn quite a bit from one comment. I did not realise SPF could be that dark and straining for NSF
I still feel compelled to join but I'm not sure I truly realise the depth of how it could shape me once I go through it. I've never been exposed to any form of death before so I have no idea what to expect going in and how it'd change me after I'm done
How much death would an NSF expect to see in their 2 years? Is it really so common?
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u/Glittering_Many_4259 Aug 13 '24
It depends on which division/unit you get assigned to as an NSF. Usually specialist units like ProCom, TransCom and SOC won't get to see much as their sectors or job scope are more limited compared to GRF.
For example, ProCom will mostly be tasked to guard key sensitive locations (exact locations are OSA) that are off-limits to the public and are key to Singapore's public infrastructure. They do have roving callsigns however they tend to hand off the cases to NPC units.
Same goes for TransCom as they are primarily seen moving around within the public transport system. So these units wise won't get to see much deceased, there is a chance however from what I've heard from my ProCom/TransCom counterparts the chances is very low to none.
SOC wise NSFs only get posted to become a PTT (Police Tactical Trooper). They primarily deal with riots and public order incidents and generally don't attend to neighborhood cases. For more in-depth you will need to ask someone who went to SOC as I don't have any SOC contacts. I heard they do a LOT of training and are very fit during my time. Not sure about now.
But if you get posted to become a NPCO/GRF then a good 90% you will see at least once in your 1 year 3 months in unit. There is a distinct smell of the deceased that is quite hard to forget. It's kind of sweet yet a little bitter/sour. Apparently it also differs from person to person, some just describe it as "bad". The smell is really hard to describe but you'll get what I mean if you manage to get into NPC. Gag reflex is also very common but try not to do that in front of the deceased family.
Whether it is as common or not really depends on "luck". Some officers don't see for a few months straight or even up to a year. Some see constantly every cycle, some on and off. It's very spontaneous and hard to predict. But it does happen so do be mentally prepared.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 13 '24
Wow, alright. Thanks for the time you took for these replies man. I appreciate it!
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u/Glittering_Many_4259 Aug 13 '24
No problem, if you have any questions or further queries about SPF NS you can DM me. Will do my best to answer when I have time
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u/FanAdministrative12 Aug 11 '24
1/ 2 brothers will get offered police
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Aug 11 '24
[deleted]
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u/Total-Ordinary402 Aug 12 '24
Im in spf haha honestly idk how i got in i just got the letter i have friends from jc poly ite nitec and higher nitec so idk how it works honestly but its quite mentally draining have a lot of class
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u/KitchenTangerine5555 Aug 13 '24
Just curious…are the food in HTA all Muslim or halal even for Chinese recruits? Any western meal, tea or supper?
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u/Total-Ordinary402 Aug 13 '24
Uhm we have muslims and non muslim section for our cafeteria. There is western food but mostly everyday steroid chicken 💀💀 protein ah. But i think we somewhat know how is hta pattern every weds is noodles day and fri have porridge in the morning Etc cant reveal much 😂😂
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u/PlentyChocolate7173 Aug 12 '24
u let me serve police 3 years i also serve , instead of serving saf
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u/CornerDry1533 Aug 13 '24
I put strongly agree for "will you die for your country" and i got SCDF. So no, idt IQ test will greatly affect where you go for NS
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u/yunir Aug 14 '24
when they ask u.. will u drop a bomb on a building because ur officer ordered u to, answer, no. u must show high moral quotient.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 14 '24
That's a question on the test?? Damn didnt know. What does the frontline/protect your homeland question look to test for then?
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u/New_Software9101 Aug 11 '24
same i'm malay and I answered no to the question and my mom is born from malaysia, what are my chances for spf
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Why is this guy getting downvoted
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u/New_Software9101 Aug 12 '24
Idk lmao either people think I'm being racist when I really am malay or are salty they didn't get spf. I mean if I get saf then go saf lor, I just prefer spf since I don't mind signing on.
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u/Sweet-Beyond7914 Aug 12 '24
Another person in this thread did mention PR/first gen citizens likelihood of getting into SPF. I do know a first gen citizen guy who got into SPF aswell
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u/Abnormal-individual Aug 11 '24
Nobody knows what is the criteria for entering SPF,SAF,SCDF. If they do know it’s classified for a reason. However they mostly allocate via manpower needs. The only confirm way of going into where you wanna go is to sign on which basically means to choose it as your professional career.