Conscription in Singapore, called National Service (NS), requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military. They serve a 22- or 24-month period as Full Time National Servicemen (NSFs), either in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF), or the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
When a conscript completes his full-time service, he is considered to be "operationally ready", and is thereafter known as an Operationally-Ready National Serviceman (NSman). NSmen are the equivalent of other militaries' reservists.
The overwhelming majority of conscripts serve in the Army, as part of the SAF. The reasons for this include the relative manpower needs of the Army compared with the other armed services, the SPF, and SCDF. In addition, as compared to the Army, the Air Force (RSAF) and Navy (RSN) are smaller services composed primarily of regular servicemen. As the RSAF and RSN's manpower needs tend to be more specialized, a constant turnover of staff is considered by the Singapore government to be very disruptive.
Singapore is currently among a list of countries with the longest military service exceeding 18 months, just behind Israel, with a reservist obligation lasting up to age 40 for enlisted men and 50 for officers.[1] Until 2005 it had one of the longest mandatory military service periods, 30 months.
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The NS (Amendment) act was passed on 14 March 1967, as the Singapore government felt that it was necessary to build a substantial military force. The country had only about 1,000 soldiers at independence. In the late 1960s, the British government had decided to withdraw its troops and bases East of Suez, including troops stationed in Singapore. That prompted the government to implement a conscription program for the country's defence. It adopted a conscription model drawing on elements of the Swiss and Israeli national conscription schemes. This was done with the help of Israeli military advisers, who were closely involved in the establishment of the Singapore armed forces.[2]
The stated rationale behind conscription is twofold. Firstly, because Singapore has a population of about four million (as of 2004), an army solely of regulars would be too small to defend the country. Secondly, national service is supposed to foster racial harmony among the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and other ethnic groups in the country, by requiring all males to go through similar experiences and thereby identify themselves with a common destiny of defending the nation.
Malays were virtually excluded from conscription from the beginning of the draft in 1967 until 1977[3] and, after the policy was eased, were assigned mainly to serve in the police and civil defence (fire brigade), not in active combat roles.[3] In 1987, Lee Hsien Loong (then Second Minister for Defence) stated that "If there is a conflict, if the SAF is called to defend the homeland, we do not want to put any of our soldiers in a difficult position where his emotions for the nation may be in conflict with his religion"[4] and in The Roar of the Lion City (2007), military analyst Sean Walsh claimed that "official discrimination against the Malay population remains an open secret".[5] The Ministry of Defence contests the charge, noting that there are "Malay pilots, commandos and air defence personnel" and stating that "the proportion of eligible Malays selected for specialist and officer training is similar to the proportion for eligible non-Malays."[6]
According to the Enlistment Act, conscription is mandatory for all "persons subject to [the] act", defined as those who are not less than 16 years and 6 months of age and not more than 40 years of age, with some exemptions and with no specific bias to gender (not limited to males).[7]
In practice however, male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who registered NRIC at 15 years old are required to register for National Service upon reaching the age of 16½ years, during which they would also be required to undergo a mandatory medical examination (PULHHEEMS) to determine their medical status, known as Physical Employment Status (PES), which is used as a guideline as to which vocation the person is placed in. Male children who take up permanent residency status through their permanent resident parent's sponsorship will be required to serve National Service like other Singaporean males.[8] However, most male citizens enlist in Basic Military Training (BMT) at the age of 19 for junior college graduates or the age of 20 for polytechnic graduates.
Exemptions are rare and are usually due to disability or serious medical conditions certified by the SAF Medical Board. One instance of rare cases of exemption would be if the enlistment would cause hardship to the enlistee's family, be it financially or otherwise, although this exemption is rarely granted.
They are then called up for enlistment at the age of 18, although most Singaporean males would usually choose to complete their tertiary education in the respective polytechnics, high schools, junior colleges, pre-university courses or other institutions before starting the mandatory duration which they are required to serve. Those who voluntarily opt for early enlistment with the consent of their parents are allowed to begin full-time national service at the age of 16½.
In the past, the duration of the conscription for a typical Singaporean male spanned over a period of either 2 or 2½ years depending on his educational qualifications. In 2004, the duration was reduced to 2 years, driven by the transformation into the 3rd Generation SAF and enabled by the surge in NS intake for the next 10 years.[9] As a further incentive, the NS duration may be cut by a further two months, if potential enlistees are able to obtain a silver or gold for their physical fitness test (NAPFA) prior to enlistment.
| Enlisted Date[10] | Rank | Full-Time NS Duration1 | Qualifications | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 till Nov 2004 | Lance Corporal or lower | 2 years | O Level, N Level and ITC or lower | |
| 1971 till May 2004 | Corporal and higher | 2 years 6 months | A Level and Diploma qualifications or higher | Will be promoted to at least the rank of Corporal |
| Jun 2004 till Nov 2004 | Corporal and higher | 2 years 2 months | A Level and Diploma qualifications or higher | Then current serving NSF wil have 2 months reduction instead |
| From Dec 2004 | All ranks | 2 years | All qualifications | |
| 1. NAPFA Silver or Gold before enlistment get further 2 months reduction | ||||
Those who are liable to serve national service, but refuse, are charged under the Enlistment Act.[11] If convicted, they face three years' imprisonment and a fine of S$10,000. Controversy arose when the penalties were increased in January 2006 after Melvyn Tan, who was born in Singapore, received a fine for defaulting on his National Service obligations. Tan left for London to study music during his enlistment age and later acquired British nationality. In parliament, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean provided some illustration of the punishments defaulters would face:[12]
Each year, a small number of people are convicted for their failure to enlist or refusal to serve in the military.[13] Most of them are Jehovah's Witnesses, who are usually court-martialled and sentenced to three years' imprisonment, although they are usually held in a low-security detention facility and separated from other military offenders. The government does not consider conscientious objection to be a legal reason for refusal to serve NS. Since 1972, the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses have been outlawed in Singapore.[14] This is commonly misinterpreted to mean that Jehovah's Witnesses themselves are outlawed in Singapore.
| Rank[15] | Singapore Armed Forces NSF / NSmen Rank (Basic) allowance in SGD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1980s | 1990s - Jun 02(a) | Jul 02 - Jun 06(b) | Jul 06 - Dec 08 | From Jan 2009 | From Oct 2009 | |
| Recruit (REC) | $40 | $120 | $240 | $350 | $400 | $420 | |
| Private (PTE) | $45 | $125 | |||||
| Lance Corporal (LCP) | $50 | $135 | $250 | $370 | $420 | $440 | |
| Corporal (CPL) | $60 | $150 | $270 | $420 | $470 | $490 | |
| Corporal First Class (CFC) | NA | $510 | $530 | ||||
| Specialist Cadet (SCT) | NA | $490 | $510 | ||||
| Third Sergeant (3SG) | NA | $160 | $280 | $560 | $610 | $630 | $740 |
| Second Sergeant (2SG) | NA | $340 | $700 | $750 | $770 | $840 | |
| Officer Cadet (OCT) | $90 | $300 | $525 | $630 | $680 | $700 ($900) | |
| Second Lieutenant (2LT) | $120 | $400 | $650 | $870 | $920 | $940 ($1140) | |
| Lieutenant (LTA) | NA | $450 | $780 | $1,050 | $1,100 | $1,120 ($1320) | |
| Captain (CPT) | $600 | $1,240 | $1,750 | $1,800 | ($2,020) | ||
| a. Additional vocationalist or combat allowances ranging from $40–$140 b. Additional vocationalist or combat allowances ranging from $100–$300 from July 2002 onwards c. Additional allowance for key appointment holder are reduced by approx 50% due to basic service pay increased from July 2002 onwards d. Additional allowance for Specialist and NS Men from Oct 2009 onwards Source Figures in () applies to NSF Medical Officer/Dental Officer |
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There are several types of Basic Military Training (BMT) conducted by the SAF at its BMT Centre on Pulau Tekong, an island off the north-east coast of Singapore, or at the various military units which directly accept mono-intake recruits. Medically fit NSFs undergo a 9-week Enhanced BMT program. Those from lower educational backgrounds and mono-intake recruits undergo a similar program (standard BMT program), but without a Situational Test (Sit Test), used to assess trainees for posting to command schools like the Specialist Cadet School (SCS) and Officer Cadet School (OCS), occasionally a select few will later be posted to the police service for training as an Inspector. Only a few from lower education backgrounds are selected to undergo the Sit Test model.
NSFs who are less medically fit, depending on their medical condition, either have to go a 9-week Modified BMT or just 4-week induction program for recruits with certain medical conditions.[16] NSFs who are medically fit, but have failed the pre-enlistment National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA), will have to undergo an additional 1-month Physical Training Phase (PTP),[17] making it a 13-week BMT program for them. Conscripts who are considered medically obese go through a special BMT program, lasting 19 weeks. The obesity of a conscript is determined by his body mass index (BMI) during the pre-enlistment medical checkup. A BMI of above 27 is considered indicative of obesity, as opposed to the World Health Organization's guideline of 30 and above.
Medically fit NSmen also have to take the IPPT every year as part of their training program.
Refers to conscripts who are directly enlisted into units and undergo their basic military training there, bypassing the Pulau Tekong BMT. This usually applies to non-obese, low-education level conscripts. The Pulau Tekong BMT is mostly meant for those who have the potential to become commanders, ie. have an education level of polytechnic or A-level or equivalent. Lowly educated obese recruits also go to Pulau Tekong for BMT for are not allowed to participate in the selection for commanders.
Though a majority will serve in the army for their National Service, a number of enlistees will serve their NS years in the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Those who have been chosen to serve in the SPF undergo training at the Home Team Academy where they study the Penal Code and standard police protocol. After training at the Academy, they will be posted to various departments of the SPF, such as Special Operations Command (SOC), Logistics, Land divisions, Airport Police. Those posted to the Police Coast Guard (PCG) or Police KINS will undergo further training. Selection of Officer Cadets (OCTs) to undergo the NS Police Inspector Course (NSPI) is a stringent process for Police National Servicemen (Full-time). Usually, a very small number, about three, from each cohort will be selected, with the majority of the OCTs being the Singapore Armed Forces' National Servicemen (Full-time) who have completed their Basic Military Training (BMT).
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is the emergency rescue force of Singapore and they provide firefighting, rescue and ambulance services, and has been one of the three National Service postings since 1972. Those enlisted into the SCDF typically undergo seven weeks of training at the Basic Rescue Training Centre (BRTC), where they are given basic rescue training (BRT), exposed to regimental discipline, and trained to maintain a level of fitness required of all NSFs in Singapore.
Much like the SAF's SISPEC course, selected NSFs are also posted to the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) to undergo the Firefighter Course (FFC) or the Emergency Response Specialist Course (ERSC) within the first two weeks of their BRT stage, passing out as Firefighters for FFC trainees, and as Fire & Rescue Specialists for ERS trainees who would also simultaneously be conferred with the Sergeant rank (Firefighters mostly pass out as Privates prior to station posting). Firefighters would typically be posted out to the various fire stations island-wide after passing out, while Fire & Rescue Specialists would be posted as Section Commanders at territorial division, fire stations or at the Special Rescue Battalion; based largely on rankings at the time of course completion, a small number may also be posted as Instructors back in the CDA to staff the Command and Staff Training Center (CSTC), Specialist Training Center (STC), or Firefighting Training Center (FFTC).
While a certain level of health and fitness pre-requisites are expected by both the FFC and ERSC administrators before one can be selected for these courses, admission into the ERS course typically requires a certain set of additional qualifications, namely either a minimum of a GCE Advanced Level certificate, a Diploma or a Higher Nitec Certificate. These added pre-requisites are viewed as necessary in the light of a Section Commander's operational and administrative role when posted out. One marked difference between the FFC and ERSC is the added rescue and emergency training received by ERS Specialist Cadet Trainees (SCTs), as well as the General Command & Control Term, which includes the Basic Home Team Course held at the Home Team Academy and an outward-bound Brunei trip which serves to equip and develop the necessary leadership skills required of a specialist junior officer. In terms of administration and duration, the FFC is under the charge of the FFTC and lasts three months, while the ERSC is under the purview of the CSTC and lasts six months.
In addition, there is also the Basic Officer Course under the charge of the CSTW, designed to train NSFs and regulars as Senior Officers of the SCDF, with NSFs graduating as Lieutenants (LTA). While the BOC is traditionally largely made up of NSFs from the SAF who had just completed their Basic Military Training (BMT) at Pulau Tekong, the top 5-10% of the ERSC will also be offered to cross over to the Basic Officer Course (BOC) to be trained and commissioned as Senior Officers after passing out, spending the last three months of the BOC together with Officer Cadet Trainees (OCTs).
NSFs who undergo the full 7-week basic rescue training at the BRTC are subsequently posted and trained to become medical orderlies (medics), dog handlers, provosts, information and communications and logistics specialists or instructors (such as Physical Training Instructors) among many other vocations upon passing out from the BRTC.[18]
Second Generation Permanent Residents are required to go through compulsory full-time military service as well as reservist duties after they have completed their full-time military service and turns operationally-ready.
They will also be granted Singaporean citizenship during their full-time national service. If the person decides not to take up citizenship after his full-time national service, he is still required to serve the service requirement, i.e. reservist duties after he turns operationally-ready.[19]
Singapore Permanent Residents who served national service but did not acquire Singapore citizenship will be treated equally to those permanent residents without service obligation; they would not have access to the privileges granted to Singapore citizens.
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