NS Deserter/ Default/ AWOL: Can't Return to SG Forever! Hi5!

• Animelover6644

  5 May 14, 16:54

  National Service (NS) Registration for male Singapore citizens and permanent residents born between March 1 and May 31, 1997, will be conducted between May 12 and June 3 this year, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement today.

  
  

  These youths can register online at http://www.ns.sg or personally at the Central Manpower Base at Depot Road. They can also apply for postponement of their enlistment in order to complete their studies, the ministry said.

  Those not postponing enlistment, or unsuccessful in their applications for postponement, are to go for medical screenings between June 25 and July 31.

  Registrants in doubt can call the NS eServices at toll-free number 1800-367-6767.

   

  The press release:

  1. National Service Registration for male Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents born between 1st March 1997 and 31st May 1997 (both dates inclusive) will be conducted between 12th May 2014 and 3rd June 2014 (both dates inclusive).

  2. Registrants may register:

       a)  online at http://www.ns.sg or

       b)  personally at the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) Podium at 3 Depot Road, Singapore 109680.

  3. If the registration is done at CMPB, the following documents must be produced:

       a)  National Registration Identity Card or Birth Certificate

       b)  Education Certificates

       c)  Citizenship Certificates (if any) and

       d)  Other documents as specified in the Registration Notice

  4. Any registrant may apply, whether online or personally, for the postponement of his liability to report for enlistment in order to complete his studies in Singapore. If the application for postponement is successful, the registrant will receive a further notice from the proper authority as to when he is to report for enlistment.

  5. Any registrant who does not meet the postponement criteria, or is not successful in his application for postponement, must:

       a)  during registration, appoint a date between 25th June 2014 and 31st July 2014 (both dates inclusive) for his medical screening; and

       b)  go for his medical screening at CMPB on the appointed date between 8.00 am and 1.30 pm.

  6. If in doubt, registrants should call the NS eServices at the toll-free telephone number 1800-3676767 or e-mail them at [email protected].

   

   

   

   

   

   

• eac

  5 May 14, 17:24

  Refer:

  1. http://sgforums.com/forums/8/topics/481709

  2. http://sgforums.com/forums/8/topics/481707

  3. http://sgforums.com/topics/search?q=NS+Default&commit=Go&type=topics

• eac

  5 May 14, 17:35

  Those who are liable to serve national service but refuse are charged under the Enlistment Act. If convicted, they face three years' imprisonment and a fine of S$10,000.

  In parliament, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean provided some illustration of the punishments defaulters would face:

   

  • Where the default period exceeds two years but the defaulter is young enough to serve his full-time and operationally ready NS duties in full, MINDEF will press for a short jail sentence.

   

  • Where the defaulter has reached an age when he cannot serve his full-time NS in a combat vocation or fulfil his operationally ready NS obligations in full, a longer jail sentence to reflect the period of NS he has evaded may be appropriate.

   

  • Where the defaulter has reached an age when he cannot be called up for NS at all, a jail sentence up to the maximum of three years may be appropriate.

   

  Each year, a small number of people are convicted for their failure to enlist or refusal to be conscripted. Most of them were Jehovah's Witnesses, who are usually court-martialled and sentenced to three years' imprisonment, but they are usually held in a low-security detention facility and separated from other conscription 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. This is commonly misinterpreted to mean that Jehovah's Witnesses themselves are outlawed in Singapore.

• eac

  5 May 14, 17:52

  FAQs on Revisions of Exit Control Measures for Pre-Enlistees

  Q1. Why must MINDEF impose exit controls on NS-liable males?
  
  Exit controls are necessary to ensure that NS-liable males who have gone overseas to study or reside at a young age return to fulfil their NS responsibilities.

  Q2. Why can't MINDEF exempt young males aged 13 to 16½ from exit controls?
  
  Exit control measures have to be applied at a reasonably younger age so that they could be effective to prevent those who leave at a younger age defaulting on their NS responsibilities

  Q3. Why has MINDEF decided to shift the starting age for exit controls from age 11 to 13?
  
  Currently, the starting age of exit controls is pegged at age 11, the age where Singaporeans used to be issued with NRICs. With Singaporeans now being issued NRICs at age 15, there is no longer a special reason to retain age 11 as the starting age for exit controls. MINDEF has therefore decided to set it at age 13, which is when students would have just started their secondary school education.

  Q4. Why is MINDEF removing passport controls?
  
  With the introduction of the non-extendable Singapore Biometric passport, a continuation of passport controls for young males would mean that they will have to pay for a new biometric passport upon expiry each time. This will result in greater inconvenience and higher cost for young males and their families. MINDEF has therefore decided to remove passport controls.

  Q5. Will young males holding non-biometric Singapore passport be given full validity?
  
  Those holding non-biometric Singapore Passports will also have their passports extended for the full duration of 5 or 10 years. This is however subject to the remaining lifespan of the passport.

  Q6. Why does MINDEF require young males to apply for an exit permit?
  
  With the removal of passport controls, it is necessary for MINDEF to extend exit permit requirements (which currently affect only NS-liable males aged 16½ and above) to males aged 13 and above in order to ensure that young males who go overseas return to serve NS. However, to avoid inconveniencing those who make short overseas trips during vacations, exit permits will only be required for overseas trips of 3 months or more.

  Q7. Will young males who require exit permits be required to furnish a bond?
  
  Young males aged 13 to 16½ will only be required to furnish a bond if they require an exit permit of 2 years or more. This arrangement is similar to the current practice where only young males who require a passport validity of more than 2 years are required to furnish a bond.
  
  Males aged 16½ to enlistment are approaching the age of enlistment. They are therefore subject to more stringent exit controls to deter potential NS defaulters. The current practice of requiring such males to furnish a bond if they require an exit permit of 3 months or more will continue.

  Q8. Will young males aged 13 to 16½ who fail to apply for an exit permit be sentenced to imprisonment?
  
  The penalty regime for exit permit offences of young males aged 13 to 16½ will be a fine of up to $2,000, with no custodial sentences. They will however be subject to harsher penalties should they continue to be in breach of the Enlistment Act after that age 16½.
  
  Males above 16½ years who travel and remain overseas without applying for an exit permit will be prosecuted under the Enlistment Act. They will be liable upon conviction to a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both.

  Q9. How will MINDEF deal with young males who do not understand their obligations under the Enlistment Act or those who have parents/guardians who deliberately encourage them to be in breach of the Enlistment Act?
  
  MINDEF recognises that some young males may not be sufficiently mature to understand their obligations under the Enlistment Act. Their parents or guardians may also have been instrumental in decisions, which are in contravention of the Enlistment Act. Parents and guardians would therefore also be liable for the exit permit offences of their children or wards of ages 13 to 16½, so that the penalty can be imposed on their parents or guardians when the circumstances warrant it. The penalty regime for the offence will also be a fine of up to $2,000. MINDEF will consider the circumstances of the case carefully before deciding whether to issue warnings, composition fines or to charge the parent or guardian in court.

  Q10. When will the revised exit controls take effect?
  
  The revised exit control measures will be introduced together with the launch of the Singapore Biometric Passport in the later half of the year.

  Q11. With the removal of passport controls, what would be the arrangement for young males who have furnished bonds for extended passport validity under the Immigration Bonding Scheme?
  
  As males below the age of 13 will no longer come under the ambit of passport or exit control, those who had furnished a bond to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority under the Immigration Bonding Scheme will have their bonds released.
  
  Males aged 13 to 16½ currently bonded in order to be issued with passports of extended validity will be required to apply for an exit permit for overseas trips of 3 months or more. Those who require an exit permit of 2 years or more will continue to be bonded. Those who require an exit permit of less than 2 years or who do not require an exit permit will have their bonds released.

  Q12. If MINDEF continues with passport controls, how many pre-enlistees would be inconvenienced by having to apply for a new biometric passport every year?
  
  According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, there are approximately 120,000 pre-registrants (males aged 11 to 16½) and 100,000 registrants (males aged 16½ to enlistment) passport holders. With the passport validity of pre-registrants and registrants capped at 2 years and 1 year respectively, we would expect a pre-registrant to have to apply for a new passport once in 2 years and a registrant once a year. On average, 100,000 have their passports extended annually.

• eac

  5 May 14, 19:08

  Under the Enlistment Act, NS-liable persons are enlisted at the earliest opportunity upon turning 18 years old. For those who are studying, MINDEF does allow some flexibility for them to complete their full-time studies up to the GCE 'A' Levels or Polytechnic Diploma (or their equivalent), both locally and overseas, before enlisting for NS. Those who have already embarked on their full-time studies but who do not meet the deferment conditions, will have to disrupt their studies and be enlisted for NS at the earliest opportunity scheduled by the Central Manpower Base (CMPB), including those who take up Singapore Permanent Residency in the midst of their studies.
  
  
  Local Studies in Government Schools
     
  GCE 'A' Level Studies and International Baccalaureate (IB) Studies
  
  NS-liable persons will be granted deferment for GCE 'A' Level and IB studies (and their equivalent) at Junior Colleges/ Millennia Institute/ Integrated Programme (IP) schools if they are able to commence the course* before 19 years old (for Secondary 4 students) or 20 years old (for Secondary 5 students), as at 1st January of the course commencement year.
  
  * For NS-liable persons who are pursuing their GCE 'A' Levels or IB in the IP schools, the deferment cut-off age will apply to the 5th year of study.
  
  Exceptions may be considered for students who do not meet these deferment cut-off ages, but are able to gain admission into Junior Colleges/ Millennia Institute/ IP schools.
  
  NS-liable persons who are returning from overseas and who wish to pursue studies in Junior Colleges/ Millennia Institute/ IP schools must seek prior approval from CMPB. They must do so before applying through the Ministry of Education (MOE)'s School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans - Junior Colleges and Millennia Institute (SPERS-JC/MI), or before applying directly to the Junior Colleges/ Millennia Institute/ IP Schools. Persons who are deemed to have already attained a first education bar qualification (defined as GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent qualifications), be it locally or overseas, will not be granted deferment to pursue another first education bar qualification or another qualification below first education bar.
  
  Persons who have failed their General Paper (GP)/ Knowledge & Inquiry (KI) or obtained less than 3 H2 passes (excluding KI) in one sitting of the GCE 'A' Level examination will be considered for further deferment to repeat their GCE 'A' Level studies on a full-time basis, subject to one repeat only. Persons who have failed to attain the IB qualification will also be considered for further deferment to repeat their IB studies on a full-time basis, subject to one repeat only.
  
  Polytechnic Diploma Studies
  
  NS-liable persons will be granted deferment for Polytechnic Diploma studies (including Polytechnic Diploma through the Polytechnic Foundation Programme) and its equivalent qualifications (e.g. courses at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) or the LaSalle College of the Arts) if they are able to commence the course before 19 years old (for Secondary 4 students) or 20 years old (for Secondary 5 students), as at 1st January of the course commencement year.
  
  NS-liable persons who graduated with NITEC/Higher NITEC qualification from ITE Colleges will be granted deferment for Polytechnic Diploma studies and its equivalent qualifications if they are able to commence the course before 21 years old as at 1st January of the course commencement year. Applications for deferment from ITE graduates who are above 21 years old as at 1st January of their course commencement year will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  
  NS-liable persons who are returning from overseas and who wish to pursue Polytechnic Diploma studies and its equivalent qualifications must seek prior approval from CMPB before applying for their intended course of study. Persons who are deemed to have already attained a first education bar qualification (defined as GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent qualifications), be it locally or overseas, will not be granted deferment to pursue another first education bar qualification or another qualification below first education bar.
  
  Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Diploma Studies
  
  NS-liable persons who completed NITEC or Higher NITEC studies at ITE Colleges, will be granted deferment to pursue the Technical Engineer Diploma (TED) or Technical Diploma (TD) programmes at ITE Colleges if they are able to commence the course before 21 years old, as at 1st January of the course commencement year. They will be granted deferment to complete the academic phase only, and will be enlisted for full-time NS at the earliest opportunity upon completion of the academic phase. Deferment will not be granted for work attachments and internships. Applications for deferment from ITE graduates who are above 21 years old as at 1st January of their course commencement year will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  
  NS-liable persons who are returning from overseas and who wish to pursue ITE Diploma studies must seek prior approval from CMPB before applying for their intended course of study. Persons who are deemed to have already attained a first education bar qualification (defined as GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent qualifications), be it locally or overseas, will not be granted deferment to pursue another first education bar qualification or another qualification below first education bar.
  
  NITEC and Higher NITEC Studies
  
  NS-liable persons will be granted deferment for NITEC or Higher NITEC courses at ITE Colleges if they are able to commence the course before 19 years old (for Secondary 4 students) or 20 years old (for Secondary 5 students), as at 1st January of the course commencement year.
  
  NS-liable persons who graduated with NITEC qualification from ITE Colleges will also be granted deferment for Higher NITEC courses if they are able to commence the course at ITE Colleges before 20 years old, as at 1st January of the course commencement year.
  
  NS-liable persons who are returning from overseas and who wish to pursue NITEC or Higher NITEC studies at ITE Colleges must seek prior approval from CMPB before applying for their intended course of study. Persons who are deemed to have already attained a first education bar qualification (defined as GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent qualifications), be it locally or overseas, will not be granted deferment to pursue another first education bar qualification or another qualification below first education bar.
  
  GCE 'O' and 'N' Level Courses
  
  NS-liable persons will generally be granted deferment to pursue GCE 'O' and 'N' Level studies at government, government-aided or independent secondary schools.
  
  An extension of deferment may be granted for those who wish to repeat their GCE 'N' or 'O' Level studies on a full-time basis, subject to one repeat only.
  
  Local Private Courses
  
  NS-liable persons who graduated before September 2011 may be granted deferment to pursue full-time studies (up to the GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent qualifications) at private institutions registered with the Council for Private Education (CPE), if they are able to commence the course before 18 years old, as at 1st January of the course commencement year. NS-liable persons graduating from September 2011 onwards may be granted deferment to pursue full-time studies (up to the GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent qualifications) at private institutions registered with the CPE, if they are able to commence their courses before 19 years old (for Secondary 4 students) or 20 years old (for Secondary 5 & ITE students), as at 1st January of the course commencement year. The higher cut-off age will apply to courses commencing from 1st January 2012 onwards.
  
  Deferment for private courses will be considered on a stage-by-stage basis (i.e. a Certificate course and a Diploma course, if packaged together, will be treated as separate courses for the purpose of granting deferment). A new application for deferment must be made before the commencement of a new stage of studies. Deferment for the new stage of studies will be subject to the same cut-off age stated in the preceding paragraph.
  
  Overseas Studies
     
  NS-liable persons who graduated before September 2011 may be granted deferment to pursue full-time overseas studies (up to the GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or their equivalent qualifications) if they are able to commence the course before 18 years old, as at 1st January of the course commencement year. NS-liable persons graduating from September 2011 onwards may be granted deferment to pursue full-time overseas studies (up to the GCE 'A' Levels, Polytechnic Diploma or their equivalent qualifications) if they are able to commence their courses before 19 years old (for Secondary 4 students) or 20 years old (for Secondary 5 & ITE students), as at 1st January of the course commencement year. The higher cut-off age will apply to courses commencing from 1st January 2012 onwards.
  
  NS-liable persons will be required to apply for an exit permit for overseas trips of 3 months and longer and will be required to furnish a bond of $75,000 or an amount equivalent to 50% of the combined annual gross income of both parents for the preceding year, whichever is higher.
  
  Application for Deferment
     
  NS-liable persons may apply for deferment online at the NS portal (http://www.ns.sg) during NS registration and pre-enlistment documentation.
  
  Those applying for deferment to pursue local studies may be required to furnish documentary proof for verification upon CMPB's request. Upon CMPB's request, they will be required to submit to CMPB a letter from their school certifying their enrolment, their course of study, as well as their course commencement and completion dates.
  
  Those applying for deferment to pursue overseas studies must submit to CMPB a letter from their school certifying their enrolment, their course of study as well as their course commencement and completion dates. In addition, they must submit their parents' Income Tax Notices of Assessment (both local and overseas) for the preceding year.
  
  Those who subsequently wish to pursue or switch to a new course or institution must seek prior approval from CMPB.
  
  Notes: The information provided in this website are general guidelines. For further details, you may wish to contact the NS Call Centre at [email protected] or Tel:1800-3676767 (eNSNSNS).