Hi Kelvin,
You know the two questions below are rhetorical and you know the answers already!

Or the government merely prefers one of its own to lead? Another pertinent question to ask is - is such a posting scheme a form of reward for the loyalty of these military leaders?

Duh!?

Hi Kelvin,
Thanks for provoking us to think.
Instead of "stick" approach, how about using "carrot":

1.Pay market rate - at least poly grad's pay
2. Make NS ( service and performance) count towards entry to NUS/NTU/SMU

With this carrot approach, there is possibility that NS may not be mandatory ( eg Taiwan is mulling voluntary army) as demand will be so good that no more need for compulsory conscription.
A motivated trim and voluntary SAF is better than conscript poorly-motivated who just think of ORD everyday!

Hi Kelvin,__It Is good of you to challenge conventional wisdom ( or PAP’s sacred cows).__How many Singaporeans ( and many bloggers even here) are just regurgitating what the PAP says that scholars are the “Mandrinate” needed to secure Singapore’s edge and that to do otherwise is to take “risk”.__I know for a fact that some JC’s actually earmark students who they think will be selected for the President Scholarship. In the name of bringing glory to the alma mater, top students may be made leaders of their societies ( or even Head Prefectship) – sometimes on silver platters. So on CV’s they look terribly impressive, but the real person is not remotely like what’s on the CV! __I agree with the part about top level athletes/average academics having better chance of success in life later on. But I think it is too narrow to consider only athletes. My gut feeling is that those who excel in extra-studies activities ( music/ civil society) make better leaders than those “straight A but nothing else” types .__Kelvin, for Singapore to progress, we must continuously challenge and slaughter sacred cows.__If not Singapore becomes irrelevant and fossilizes.__

(part one of comment)
Hi
Until the playing field is evened (if ever), Singaporeans ( myself included) are pragmatic enough to give the opposition a discount ie we will accept a lower standard from them than from the PAP (my honest opinion). I know this is not right but what to do?

Yes Steve may seem not to have suffered from his “episode of stupidity” but do you believe that there is a hardcore opposition block that will vote against the PAP no matter what? That hardcore block + “enlightened and pragmatic voters” = Steve’s vote wayback then.

Yes the PAP’s inability to get “really good” people to join them is indeed due to their being “givtims of their own high standards”. But is that a bad thing? At least we don’t get the obvious corrupt people lining their own pockets with ill-gotten gains ( in the normal sense of “corrupt”). Of course some will argue that since they are paid so high salaries- there is no need to be illegally corrupt! Haha.