Response to The Straits Times/TODAY Forum Letters on "Under what provisions are they allowed to retire and not required to resign from public service?"

MINDEF clarifies provisions for SAF officers' retirement

For ST: "I refer to the letter "Under what provisions are they allowed to retire and not required to resign from public service?" by Mr Young Pak Nang.

For TODAY: "I refer to the letter "Retirement or Resignation?" by Mr Young Pak Nang.

Major-General (NS) Chan and Brigadier-General (NS) Tan retired from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) on 1 Apr 2011. Both officers were under the Savings and Employee Retirement (SAVER) scheme, which is a non-pensionable scheme.

Under the SAVER scheme, officers who retire after their full career with the SAF receive a lump sum from their SAVER accounts which has been built up during their service. However, some officers may decide to leave the SAF earlier. Those who leave at age 40 or older and have served at least 10 years of SAVER service, are eligible to retire from the SAF with medical benefits and a portion of the funds accumulated up to that stage in their SAVER accounts.

Major-General (NS) Chan and Brigadier-General (NS) Tan were both eligible to retire from the SAF, and were subject to the same rules that apply to other officers retiring under the SAVER scheme.

Colonel Desmond Tan
Director, Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence

MINDEF's reply was published as "Generals eligible to retire with benefits", The Straits Times, 7 Apr 2011 and as "Provisions for retirement...", TODAY, 7 Apr 2011