Ah yes, National Service (NS), one of the worst fears for many Singaporean men.
Every year, all 18-year-old male Singaporeans or Permanent Residents are made to enlist into NS, a two-year long service after which they will be classified as operationally ready to keep the country safe and secure.
Now, two years can seem quite short but imagine being separated from your family, not being able to use your handphones much, and getting very little pay—or as they call it allowance—for a full-time service.
Those two years can feel like forever.
Unfortunately, NS is a compulsory service in Singapore and those who default it will be liable to jail. Yes. Jail.
And 25-year-old Tsai Yi-Hsuan got exactly that.
NS Defaulter Who is Born in Taiwan Sentenced to 9 Weeks’ Jail
For more than four years, Tsai avoided NS. He did so by travelling back and forth from Taiwan to Singapore without an exit permit.
Tsai was born in Taiwan but was registered as a Singaporean a year after he was born by his Singaporean mother in 1998.
Apparently, Tsai was also liable for service in the Taiwan military but was able to avoid it on medical grounds.
When he was younger, he knew that he had to return to Singapore to fulfil his NS.
Tsai arrived in Singapore on 30 May 2014 to register for NS and received his Singapore identity card after getting a registration notice.
However, Tsai left Singapore a few days later without an exit permit despite being reminded by Central Manpower Base (CMPB) to apply for one.
His mother then wrote an email to CMPB to defer Tsai from his NS due to his studies. CMPB sent a response to request for further documents but Tsai’s mother never replied.
He returned to Singapore again on 19 September 2014 to attend his grandfather’s funeral and left soon after, still not applying for an exit permit. He even forgot to attend his medical screening in November.
Tsai came back to Singapore on 2 April 2018 to perform rites at his grandmother’s tomb and once again, left Singapore after a few days without an exit permit.
I’m beginning to see a trend here…
But Tsai did end up fulfilling his NS though.
He returned to Singapore on 7 February 2019 and reported to CMPB the next day.
He finally enlisted on 3 April 2020.
Tsai is now operationally ready since 2 April 2022, but has been sentenced to nine weeks’ jail for defaulting his NS for four years. He pleaded guilty to three charges under the enlistment act.
Those who default NS are liable to a fine up to $10,000 or up to three years jail, or both.
National Service in Singapore
NS is a mandatory conscription and duty that every male citizen and PR must undertake upon attaining the age of 18 for two years.
NS can be served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) or Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Some are able to reduce their two-year time by a few months though. But this can only happen if they pass for their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) before enlistment.
Now since this is basically a full-time job, you might be wondering about the remuneration as well.
Well, don’t expect much. The allowance given to NSF ranges around $580-$1,680, depending on your vocation and rank.
According to Tsai’s lawyers, he has been living all by himself for the past two years in a rented room with no support from his family.
This means that most of his allowance goes into paying rent and daily necessities.
If you’re a guy and are wondering when you’re enlisting, the government will send an enlistment notice with your enlistment date and time, two months in advance so you can prepare yourself for what’s to come.
And for those that are about to enlist, good luck.
If you want to know more about NS in the army, watch this to the end:
Featured Image: Central Manpower Base