NS liabilities for PRs, citizens

Letter from Colonel Desmond Tan

Director, Public Affairs

Ministry of Defence

IN RESPONSE to public queries, MINDEF would like to clarify the National Service (NS) liabilities of Singapore permanent residents (PR) and citizens.

Under the Enlistment Act, all male Singapore citizens and PRs are liable for NS. This has been the case since the Enlistment Act was enacted in 1970. Like all male Singapore citizens, PRs who are liable for NS will be enlisted after age 18.

Failure to serve or complete NS would have an adverse impact on any immediate or future applications to work or study in Singapore, or for Singapore citizenship or PR status.

For male Singapore citizens, the acquisition of foreign citizenship or any claim of dual citizenship does not exempt them from their NS obligations.

Like all other male Singapore citizens, they will be enlisted for NS after age 18.

They would be in breach of the Enlistment Act and liable for prosecution if they fail to register or enlist for NS as required.

Opposition parties respond to MM’s call to ‘look at the fundamentals’

Teo Xuanwei

xuanwei@mediacorp.com.sg

Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam argued that “precisely that it is when voters look at the fundamentals that they know how badly the PAP have performed over the last 10 years”.

According to Mr Jeyaretnam, the “failings” of the PAP included an “obsession with high rates of economic growth achieved by opening the doors to cheap foreign labour” as well as “stagnant real median incomes and falling real incomes for the bottom quartile”.

Said Mr Jeyaretnam: “While there may have been substantial gains in living standards in the first 30 years after Independence this has not been true of the last 15.

Unfortunately the PAP seems always to be dwelling on past glories.”

Mr Lee had reiterated that the PAP “has got Singapore to where we are by careful and painstaking selection of their successors, men and women of integrity and quality, to fill the top positions in Parliament, the administration, the Police and the Armed Forces”. Mr Lee had added: “The secret of our success has been selection by merit.

their capabilities and strength of character.”

National Solidarity Party Goh Meng Seng said he “totally agrees that we should not play around with the roots of the success of Singapore — that’s meritocracy, social justice and equality”. Said Mr Goh:

“What we’re saying is the erosion of these values due to the PAP’s obsession in keeping its hegemony of power.”

He added that “no party or individual can guarantee that the selection of people for candidacy is going to be perfect because human beings are fallible and that’s where opposition politics comes in”.

Said Mr Goh: “You need a balance of both the ruling party as well as the opposition parties to play their roles.”

On the PAP’s track record, Singapore Democratic Alliance secretary-general Desmond Lim noted that the PAP had none to start with in its early days.

Said Mr Lim: “When the PAP was in the Opposition, was there any track record? It’s only when you are given a chance then you can prove and establish a track record.”

Pointing out that the Opposition “can represent more diverse views”, Mr Lim also noted that politics “is not only about academic performance and credentials, it’s still about ... whether you can connect with people”.

Mr Jeyaretnam also argued that Singaporeans “increasingly recognise that there is more talent outside the (PAP) than within it” despite the insistence of its leaders that PAP “has the best possible team”.

Veteran Opposition MP Chiam See Tong said he trusted voters to make the right choice for themselves and the country. Said Mr Chiam: “As far as I know, Singaporeans have always voted responsibly and they shall always do so. I cannot imagine Singaporeans going out of their way to vote irresponsibly.”SINGAPORE — A statement issued on Monday by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew calling on voters to “look at the fundamentals” in the General Election drew a sharp retort from Opposition parties yesterday.