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Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first explain the basis of our deferment policy.
Under the Enlistment Act, NS-liable males can be called up for NS as soon as they turn 18 years of age. There is a reason for this enlistment age. The SAF must be able to maintain a credible defence force for our security and survival. Given our small population, national servicemen form the backbone of the SAF. We train them to become soldiers and leaders in their 2 years of full-time NS and they continue to play these critical roles during their operationally ready service. For many, this means they are required to serve up to at least age 30. By enlisting them at around 18 years of age, we optimise the ability of the SAF to fulfil its missions with an energetic and able-bodied defence force.
Despite the legislated enlistment age, MINDEF exercises flexibility by granting deferment from full-time NS for pre-enlistees pursuing their studies under certain circumstances. In determining our policy, MINDEF applies the key principles of universality and equity to ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to attain an 'A' levels, international baccalaureate, or polytechnic diploma or equivalent qualifications before enlistment.
MINDEF therefore grants deferment for pre-enlistees to gain their basic educational qualifications of up to 'A' levels, polytechnic diploma, international baccalaureate or equivalent qualifications. This is reasonable as most of our NS-liable males would either have completed or are completing their basic educational qualifications when they turn 18 years of age. NS-liable males are therefore enlisted at the earliest opportunity after turning 18 or when they have finished such courses, whichever is later. As university degrees are considered higher educational qualifications, deferments for university studies will not be allowed. This will strike an appropriate balance as our NS liable males will be given the opportunity to complete the basic qualification at 'A' levels, polytechnic diploma or equivalent, and be enlisted for military training while they are young and fit.
Educational opportunities in Singapore have increased over the past years. There has been a proliferation of private institutions and courses offered. Some of these private institutions offer to admit students directly into their undergraduate programmes upon the completion of their 'O' levels without them having to first attain 'A' levels or diploma qualifications. Some NS-liable males have enrolled for such undergraduate programmes upon the completion of their 'O' levels before they turned age 18. They subsequently asked to be deferred to complete their university studies or their semester examinations before enlisting. Mr Yeo has asked whether MINDEF can exercise some flexibility by allowing such students in private institutions to defer till their end-of-semester examinations.
Sir, MINDEF does not allow deferment for university studies, regardless of whether the deferment is for part of or the entire duration of the undergraduate course. Allowing such students deferment would be unfair to the vast majority of their peers studying in Junior Colleges, Polytechnics and other institutions, who do not have the same opportunity to be deferred for their university studies. This would also undermine our key NS principles of universality and equity. The NS system will not work if we allow individuals to choose when they would like to be enlisted. Hence, NS-liable males who commence their university studies before their enlistment would be enlisted at the first opportunity after age 18. They will have to disrupt their university studies as they will not be granted deferment.
In line with the above, MINDEF has stopped granting deferment for university studies since the end of 2005. This change to our deferment policy was announced during the Committee of Supply in 2006. Our deferment policy can be found on the NS Portal on the internet and in the information package that is sent to all NS-liable males when they turn 16 1/2 years of age. MINDEF has also informed major private institutions of our deferment policies and has more recently requested them to remind their potential students at the point of application that deferment will not be granted for university studies. For the minority who complete their basic educational qualifications before age 18, they can apply for early enlistment if they are above age 16 1/2 under the Voluntary Early Enlistment Scheme. This will enable them to enlist slightly earlier and complete their full-time NS before proceeding for university studies.
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