SINGAPORE: A Singaporean Threads user who tried to call out two national servicemen on the MRT has instead found himself at the centre of online criticism, after his post struck a nerve with many who felt the men were unfairly singled out.

In a post published on Tuesday (March 28), the user, who goes by the handle “chefphotodan,” shared a photo taken inside a crowded train carriage. The image showed commuters packed closely together, some seated and others standing, with many absorbed in their phones during the ride.

Among them were two national servicemen in uniform, standing and holding the handrails while looking at their devices. The user took issue with this, suggesting that they should have been more alert instead of using their phones.

“Everybody is on their phone, but don’t you think our boys in uniform should be on the lookout… especially in current times? Topsis?” he wrote, tagging MINDEF, Home Affairs, and several security-related hashtags.

There was no indication that the servicemen were on duty at the time, and the scene appeared no different from a typical rush-hour commute.

“Cut our boys some slack, please”

The post quickly went viral, amassing more than 142,000 views and over 370 comments. As it spread, many netizens pushed back against the user’s views.

One individual said, “Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world precisely because of the systems these guys uphold during their shift. Expecting NSFs to be on ‘high alert’ during their personal commute or break time is unrealistic. They are human, not robots. After a gruelling week in camp, they deserve to wind down like anyone else. Let’s support our boys instead of nitpicking how they spend their well-earned rest.”

Another quipped, “Ah, yes, because standing in an MRT carriage automatically turns them into 24/7 surveillance drones. Didn’t know scrolling a phone cancels out their entire training. Maybe next time they should stare intensely at every passenger just to meet your expectations.”

A third remarked, “NS men are not slaves; when it’s off duty, they are off-duty.”

A fourth joked, “Especially in current times? Is your home near the Strait of Hormus?”

The post was also shared on the r/SingaporeRaw subreddit, where several users said that national servicemen today seem to be criticised no matter what they do.

One said, “Sit also kena stomp, stand also kena stomp, use phone also kena stomp. Soon the requirement will be for NSF and NS men to march in and out from their camps to their house.”

Another commented, “Aiyoo, our NS boys are not the country’s slaves. They are only getting a small allowance, but yet when they are out, some people take out their magnifying glass to scrutinise them on everything they do. Cut our boys some slack, please. They are off duty!” 

In other news, a commuter in her 20s has vented online after an elderly woman allegedly confronted her for sitting in a reserved seat and repeatedly insisted it was “for seniors only.”

Posting on the r/SMRTRabak forum on Friday (April 24), the commuter said she had just finished a shift that left her “physically and mentally” drained.

Read more: ‘This seat is for seniors only’: Woman says she was confronted over reserved seat in MRT

This article (Man criticised online after calling out NSFs for using phones on MRT: ‘Cut our boys some slack, please’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.