Last July, Marcus Ng Yi Loong, 21, was found guilty of insubordination by a court martial and sentenced to a stint at the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Detention Barracks. Unhappy with the sentence, Ng lodged an appeal. His mother, Madam Florence Tan, said she spent $80,000 on legal fees to appeal against the ruling.

This is not the first time Ng has been hauled up. In October 2006, he was convicted and fined $1,000 for two other offences of disobedience and non-compliance. Lawyers were also hired for him at the time.

It appears this young man has a history of recalcitrance. His second slip-up occurred in February last year while under investigation by the SAF legal process.

I wonder if parents these days are over-indulgent by not 'allowing' their children to be punished. There is a difference between protecting children from harm and teaching them to be responsible for their mistakes. If adults overprotect and rush to the rescue each time to try and 'fix' the problem, how does the child realise the error of his ways or feel remorse for them?

In everything we do in life, there are consequences. Parents should not let children grow up thinking there aren't any. Let them experience the consequences of their actions in order to learn responsibility and live better in the future.

Faye Chiam Pui Hoon (Ms)