Ministerial Statement by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen to Clarify Liability and Contributions of New Citizens to National Service for Parliamentary Sitting

During the Parliament Sitting on 5 July this year, Mr Leong Mun Wai asserted that "citizens by registration are (also) not doing National Service (NS)". He said this in his supplementary question after my reply on sporting privileges for national servicemen. Mr Leong's assertion is inaccurate and misleading. Since 2000, on average, 3,400 new citizens are registered each year who have been or will be enlisted like all male Singaporeans to serve their NS duties.

MINDEF had provided all relevant facts of NS liabilities for new citizens in a written answer to his PQ that he had filed for that same sitting in July. I quote in full, MINDEF's reply:

"Under the Enlistment Act, all male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents between the ages of 18 to 40 for non-officers and 50 for officers are liable to serve National Service (NS). However, males who receive citizenship as mature adults, typically in their 30s and 40s, are not enlisted as they are not suitable for full-time NS at that age and did not enjoy any benefits prior to their citizenship.

New male citizens who stayed in Singapore when young and enjoyed economic and social benefits are enlisted when they reach 18 years of age or older. They number on average 3,400 each year, which constitute about half of all new male citizens registered each year."

In fact, we had prepared this same reply in May, because Mr Leong had filed a similar question then, but which he withdrew when there was no sitting that month.

But even before the July sitting, Mr Leong had been repeating these misleading statements in two Facebook posts, one in late May and another on 1 July.

1. For his Facebook post in late May:
   "Is it fair for foreigners to be given citizenship without doing NS while our locally-born Singaporeans have to serve NS despite having valid reasons to defer?"

2. For his Facebook post in July:
   "Is it fair that we forfeit our local talents their chances of developing their talents while many new male citizens do not need to do NS?"

Let there be no doubt that for every young male citizen, whether by birth, registration or descent, the NS liabilities are the same. We do not differentiate. They will be enlisted for NS at 18 years or older to perform full-time NS and thereafter must fulfil their Operationally Ready NS (ORNS) duties. That is universal and equitable.

But if a foreigner comes to Singapore and becomes a citizen as a mature adult, typically in his 30s or 40s, we exempt him from NS because he did not enjoy any socio-economic benefits like young Singaporeans and also because he would be too old to enlist for full time NS.

On a topic as important as NS, Mr Leong should have waited for MINDEF's reply or sought the full facts. This policy is not new; in fact it dates back at least to the early 1980s. We had to go some way back to find out when the policy started. It is at least 40 years. It is in our Parliamentary Records as Ministers and MPs have spoken on this policy previously. For example, back in 2007, then-Minister of State for Defence Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee had already made clear that:

"Each year, we have a number of new citizens in full-time NS. They are born foreign nationals, they took up permanent residency, but have since been naturalised as Singapore Citizens. Like those who are born Singaporeans, they are enlisted for full-time NS upon reaching enlistment age and contribute to Operationally Ready NS thereafter."

It is also easy to get the relevant information on the internet. You can try even now. If you key in your search engine "NS, new citizens, Singapore" it pops up many fora that make it known that new young male citizens must do NS and that those who become citizens as mature adults are exempted. So this policy is well publicised on the internet too.

This long-standing policy has served our defence needs. Over the years, Permanent Residents (PRs) and young male new citizens have formed an increasing proportion of NS enlistees. In the early 2000s, there were about 5% of all full-time national servicemen (NSFs) enlisted each year. In other words, 5% of PRs and young male new citizens form 5% in the early 2000s. Today, they form about 20% of all NSFs enlisted. Of the 20%, slightly more than half are citizens by registration, with the remaining as PRs.

So what Mr Leong asserts is not true. Many new citizens are enlisted for NS every year. New citizens and PRs are contributing to our national defence. Without that extra inject of new citizens and PRs, our smaller birth cohorts would have impacted SAF's manpower needs more acutely.

I have decided that it is important to correct the misleading statements put out by Mr Leong, because they strike at the foundations of equity and universality that underpin NS in Singapore. Just think about it. If pre-enlistees are misled into thinking that new citizens of their age are exempted, where will they have the heart to serve NS? The correct facts must be put out to reassure the national servicemen in the SAF and the Home Team.

NS is the bedrock of the SAF and our national defence. MPs have the duty to ask questions and debate policies, including NS policies, in this House. But they should not make misleading statements that can weaken NS, the SAF and Home Team.