Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) for each year from 2018 to 2022, how many full-time National Servicemen disrupted their National Service (NS) for overseas studies; (b) of these, how many were Government scholarship holders; and (c) what are the reasons for the allowing the disruption.

Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen:

1. Annually, from 2018 to 2022, about 580 full-time national servicemen (NSFs) were disrupted for university studies. 520 pursued university locally, while 60 pursued their studies overseas.

     (i) The bulk of disruptions, about 70%, were NSFs who had enlisted later than their  classmates. The standing policy is to allow each cohort to start their university studies in the same year, and thus these later enlistees were disrupted to achieve this outcome.

    (ii) 27% are NSFs who were disrupted to study medicine, so that they can serve their National Service (NS) as SAF Medical Officers.

    (iii) Public Service Commission (PSC) scholars make up the remaining 3% or an average of 19 NSFs. This follows a long-standing practice since 1967 to attract top talent into the public sector.

2. All NSFs are required to complete the remainder of their full-time NS after the disruption period.