'What's my excuse?' Huang Shinan's dedication to defending Singapore even in his late 50s inspired son Beckham for NS

Like some young men, Beckham Wee — the older son of local actors Pan Lingling and Huang Shinan — was not particularly enthusiastic about having to serve his two years in National Service (NS).

However, overhearing a conversation between his parents gave him a new outlook on NS.

In an interview posted on the Ministry of Defence's YouTube page last month, Beckham, 23, said: "In all honesty, I once thought that those two years could be put to better use, during the start of my junior college days."

He went on to explain that his perspective "changed entirely" when he heard a conversation between Lingling, 52, and Shinan, 61.

He said: "My mum was asking my dad, 'Why are you still keeping your field pack and stuff like that?'

"His reply was that, if Singapore were ever to go to war right then, he would drop everything, put on his uniform and fight."

Beckham was "struck" by this, as his father was already in his late 50s at the time, yet he was so dedicated to defending the country.

"I was still young and able-bodied, what's my excuse?" he wondered.

Since then, his thoughts on NS changed and he wanted to "give his best" instead.

Lingling, who was interviewed alongside her son, praised Beckham for becoming a "gentleman" after his enlistment. She said NS made him tougher and "more disciplined" and that her son became a changed man, making his bed every morning, which touched her.

She added: "I can really see a gentleman in my house, beside my husband. He's another one, the upcoming gentleman."

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Both mother and son also realised how much they missed each other after he had enlisted.

Beckham felt that he had "really neglected" his loved ones before he went for NS and began to miss them.

"During my time in the military, especially as a trainee in basic military training (BMT) or officer cadet school, the one thing I constantly thought about was home — my family, my close friends and my relatives," he said.

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Lingling added: "I remember that, during the BMT tour, they asked us to write a letter (to our son). While writing the letter, I kept crying and crying, saying 'Oh my god, I miss him so much'."

This led to her try and make their home as comfortable as possible for him when he returned home each week after five days of staying in camp.

"I'd ask what he missed and what he wanted to eat, and just cook specially for him," she said.

In January, Lingling and Shinan's younger son Kynaston, 20, enlisted in the military as well.

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drimac@asiaone.com