Singapore too, has submarines and plans on buying more.

Subs have gone down for a variety of reasons even new and high tech ones. The first few of our subs are refurbished second-hand subs whose fitness for the rigours of sea is unknown. In the desire to develop an overwhelming offensive capability, as opposed to a strictly defensive one, Singapore has bought all manner of such toys.

But what rescue capability do we have for the submariners if our subs should go down?

The unknown rescue capability of Singapore's navy if our subs should sink raises larger questions over our overall rescue capabilities for airmen and other seamen. How would Singapore's airforce and navy react should an airplane go down or a warship sink in the South China Sea? Will our men suffer the same lack of rescue capability and fate as the Russian submariners? In the course of training and attaining readiness for war, accidents have happened. One widely-publicised case was the explosion of an artillery gun that killed several national service men.

As that happened overseas and foreign instructors were also injured, there was no suppressing that news. But are there other instances of deaths and injuries that we do not know about?

The money spent on buying these toys for the generals to play with could be better spent on education, the poor, the old, cheaper housing, better and cheaper healthcare, better childcare and nurseries and better social infrastructure.

Yet, we are told that we would not have enough money in our CPF when we retire. We are told that there will always be a rich-poor divide. The opposition has been highlighting that for years.

Singapore needs to learn the lesson of Kursk. Not just to spend even more money on advanced submersibles and deep-sea divers, spotter planes and helicopters for rescue missions, but to ask if Singapore really needs subs?

Isn't being nicer to our neighbours better than brandishing weapons at them. Isn't diplomacy better than the threat of war. Someone once said: "War is the failure of diplomacy".

Robert Ho