Singapore's strict military service system has always attracted the attention of the world. The place is small and the population is small, and boys must be soldiers. After two years as a full-time soldier, there is also a war ready military service that continues until the age of 40...
Equally strict are the penalties for evading military service, which is a very serious criminal offence and is based on the principle of "the longer you abscond, the longer the sentence".
A man in Singapore who returned to the United States 21 years ago without military service and later renounced his Singapore citizenship was arrested and sentenced to nine weeks in prison when he recently entered Singapore to visit his father.
After receiving the enlistment notice, he disappeared from the world
On July 5, 2003, 40-year-old Yan Guoling received a notice of enlistment, requiring him to report for service on October 20 of the same year. However, he "disappeared from the world", and the authorities had to send another letter on October 20, urging him to appear the next day, but there was still no news.
The investigation revealed that he had quietly left Singapore on 31 May 2003 before the first notice, without even obtaining an exit permit.
On 29 September 2006, Gan Kwok Ling renounced his Singapore citizenship. In January this year, he returned to Singapore to visit his father and was arrested while entering Changi Airport. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence him to 9 to 10 weeks in prison, believing that he was aware of the need to perform military service without consulting or taking appropriate action with the Ministry of Defence.
In his plea, the lawyer expressed the hope that the court would take into account the special family background. His father is Singaporean and his mother is United States, and he himself was born in the United States and has United States citizenship. Mistakenly believing that renouncing Singapore citizenship would exempt him from military service, he and his brother both faced prison for evading military service.
Yan Guoling failed to fulfill his obligations when he reached the age of military service, and even stayed overseas for about three years without a valid entry and exit permit (interpretation). Although he later renounced his Singapore citizenship, he still violated the National Service Conscription Act and could not escape legal punishment.
Singapore's "frightening" military service system
Many friends wondered, hasn't the man already renounced his Singapore nationality? Why do you still do military service in Singapore?
In fact, giving up Singapore citizenship before enlistment, and not returning to Singapore is also considered to be military evasion~
Singapore citizens can renounce their nationality after the age of 21, while the age of enlistment is generally 18 years, so it is not possible to renounce citizenship before enlistment.
Even those who stay abroad when they reach the age of enlistment, do not return to Singapore for military service, and then choose to renounce their Singapore citizenship at the age of 21 are still counted as evading military service, and if they return to Singapore, they will not escape punishment.
Moreover, before enlistment, there are restrictions on leaving the country, starting from the age of 13, if you go abroad for more than three months, you must first apply for a travel permit. If you have been abroad for more than two years, in addition to applying for an exit permit, you will also have to pay a deposit of S$75,000 (or half of the parents' total income in the previous year, whichever is higher).
If you want to study abroad, you will be asked to show proof of studying abroad when you apply. If you are unable to return to Singapore before the expiration of your exit permit due to any circumstances, you must apply for an extension, otherwise not only will the security deposit be confiscated, but you will also face jail time when you return to Singapore!
Women in Singapore can volunteer to serve in the country and contribute to the country, and there is no compulsion. Unless there are special circumstances, such as medical problems, further studies, etc., it is possible to apply for exemption or postponement of military service.
As for permanent resident status holders, they can renounce their permanent residency at any time. However, once you give up PR because of military evasion, if you want to apply to come back to Singapore to study or work in the future, it will be quite difficult! If you want to apply for PR again, it's almost certainly Mission Impossible.
Twenty-seven people have been fined for evading military service
Under the NSA, deserters can face up to three years in prison or a fine. In addition, a record of military service evasion can affect an individual's creditworthiness and make it difficult to apply for a job, loan, or visa in the future. The actions of deserters during their service may also result in restrictions on entry and exit, or even the inability to return home.
Image source: cmpb.gov.sg official website
For example, the 50-year-old Singapore man who could not apply for a Singapore passport for military service evasion chose to spend S$3,000 to hide in the back compartment of a female driver in Malaysia, and was sentenced to three months in prison for attempting to smuggle in without legal documents. He has been repatriated to Singapore after his release.
In addition, a Singapore man evaded military service to Canada for eight years and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison. The 26-year-old man moved to Canada at the age of 11 after completing his primary education in Singapore and remained overseas for an extended period of time without obtaining a valid exit permit, failing to fulfill his national service obligations.
In the end, a swimmer from Malaysia who obtained permanent residency in Singapore but evaded military service was sentenced to eight weeks in prison at the age of 24. At the age of 18, he was awarded a scholarship to study in United States, and was supposed to enlist in the army, but he repeatedly applied for an extension until after graduating from university, but was denied. He still chose to study in the United States, and after graduation, he returned to China to face charges of evasion.
It can be seen that Singapore has a strict attitude towards military evasion.
Singapore's Ministry of Defence said 27 evaders, including defendants, had been sentenced since the sentencing framework for military service evasion was instituted in 2017. The authorities stressed that all male citizens and permanent residents of Singapore are obliged to perform their national service and no one is exempt.
KT丨Editor
HQ丨Editor
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