Reply by Minister for Defence to Parliamentary Question on Dr Patrick Tan's Disruption from Full-time National Service and Deployment to the Defence Medical Research Institute

Mr Speaker Sir, MINDEF had issued two public replies in July and August this year relating to Dr. Patrick Tan's disruption and deployment during his National Service (NS). In those replies, we stated that he was treated according to prevailing policies. He was not given any preferential treatment. Let me provide further details on how these policies were applied to all full-time national servicemen (NSFs).

Since 1973, MINDEF has allowed NSFs to disrupt for medical studies in Singapore as we need military doctors to serve in the SAF. This policy continues today so I think it is quite well known that NUS medical graduates are disrupted while they are NSFs to finish their medical degree.. From 1981, the disruption policy for medical studies was extended to allow NSFs to study medicine overseas because the number of local medical graduates was insufficient. From 1981 to 1986, 38 NSFs were disrupted for overseas medical studies. From 1986, criteria were tightened to take into account their performance during BMT (Basic Military Training) and PES (Physical Employment Standards) status. 86 applicants were disrupted under this latter scheme, including Dr Patrick Tan in 1988, who had completed his BMT and was part-way through Officer Cadet School. From 1992, disruption for overseas medical studies was no longer allowed as the number of local medical graduates met SAF's needs. All in all, in the 12-year period, namely 1981 to 1992, when disruption for both local and overseas medical studies was the prevailing policy, 902 NSFs were disrupted to study medicine in Singapore, and 124 for overseas medical studies, a total of 1026 NSFs.

MINDEF granted disruption so long as the medical degree was recognised by the Singapore Medical Council. The length of disruption varied according to the time required to obtain the medical degree. For those who studied medicine locally, the period of disruption taken was typically 7 years - 5 years for the medical degree with an additional year each for housemanship and hospital postings. For those who studied overseas, almost all of the 124 medical students chose to study in the United Kingdom, Ireland or Australia, and these were disrupted for 7 to 8 years. Only three NSFs applied and were approved for disruption to study medicine in the United States of America (US).

By way of explanation, in the US system, the medical course is a graduate program. In other words, to enter into a medical school you require a pre-medical degree. So the disruption period is therefore longer - 4 years to obtain the pre-medical degree and 5 more years for the medical degree proper. I mentioned that only three applied for and were approved for medical studies in the US. One of them was deferred and disrupted for 9 years and he obtained his US pre-medical and medical degree. The second case was deferred for 4 years to obtain his pre-medical degree and then decided that he did not want to do his medical degree in the US but wanted to do so in Ireland instead. MINDEF granted it to him so he was deferred and disrupted for a total of 12 years.

The third case, Dr. Patrick Tan was also disrupted for 12 years: for his pre-medical course in Harvard University from 1988 to 1992 and thereafter for his combined Medical Degree (MD)/PhD program in Stanford University's Medical Scientist Training Program.

MINDEF had written to Stanford University to inquire if Dr. Patrick Tan could shorten his course for just an MD. Stanford University replied that this was not possible - "[t]he Medical Scientist Training Program is an integrated MD/PhD program in which both the MD and PhD degrees will be simultaneously conferred".

Several other NSFs have been deferred or disrupted from NS to obtain their basic degree followed by a PhD. These are few and each case was assessed and approved based on individual merits. Let me cite some examples. In 1983, a serviceman was disrupted to pursue medicine locally. After he obtained his medical degree, he was disrupted again for his PhD studies in Oxford. He did onco-pathology under the Rhodes Scholarship. In total, he was granted disruption for 10½ years. In 1990, an exceptionally bright pre-enlistee entered University at age 14 and was accepted into a PhD course in Cambridge before he was due for enlistment. MINDEF allowed him to defer his NS until he completed his PhD at the age of 21. There were two other servicemen enlisted in 1988 and 1993 respectively, who were disrupted twice, first to obtain an undergraduate degree under the Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarship, followed by a second disruption to obtain their PhD under the Rhodes Scholarship. Both disrupted for a total of 8 years.

In summary for disruption, Dr. Patrick Tan was disrupted in accordance with prevailing policy to obtain his medical degree. A longer period was granted to those who were admitted to US medical schools. Disruption for overseas medical studies has been discontinued since 1992. We also have not granted disruption or deferment for PhD studies since 1999.

Now, let me speak about Dr. Patrick Tan's deployment. Dr. Patrick Tan was re-enlisted in 2000, having obtained both his MD and PhD degrees. He was deployed to the Defence Medical Research Institute or DMRI, in view of his training and qualifications.

DMRI was a new institution then, established in 1995 to coordinate and conduct human science and biomedical research aimed at enhancing the safety, survivability and performance of SAF personnel.

Other NSFs had been posted to DMRI in the 5 years preceding Patrick Tan's posting, from 1995 to 1999. 32 NSFs were posted to DMRI, including another MD/PhD holder, some medical officers and the rest with A-levels, basic and Masters degrees. 15 of these 32 I have just mentioned were combat-fit. Each case was again approved on its own merit as having the qualifications that met the needs of DMRI. Some served in DMRI for the bulk of their full-time NS, while others were medical officers posted there on shorter stints of about 6 months.

After serving his full-time NS, Dr. Patrick Tan was deployed to 3rd Combat Support Hospital and served his remaining NS liability till 2009.

MINDEF is acutely aware that all NS men must be treated equitably, regardless of background. I want to assure all Singaporeans that equity of treatment for NS has been and must remain a cardinal principle. Without strict adherence to this fundamental tenet of fair and transparent treatment, commitment to NS will be severely eroded and the institution of NS weakened.

We had or have explicit schemes open to all applicants which allow NSFs to disrupt for medical studies here or overseas as I outlined in detail. There was no preferential treatment given to Dr Patrick Tan, or any other individual who was disrupted, because of their connections. All NSFs were disrupted to obtain their medical degrees based on stated criteria applicable to all who qualified.

Dr Patrick Tan was deployed to DMRI, like the 32 NSFs before him, based on his qualifications, to build up the organisation and conduct medical research relevant to the SAF's operational needs.

Over time, prevailing policies do evolve, to meet the changing requirements of the SAF and operational needs. For example, as I said earlier, we no longer allow or grant deferments and disruptions for overseas medical studies since 1992 or for PhDs since 1999. In 2009, MINDEF also decided for operational reasons that NSFs should be part of a military unit during their entire NS. Since then, we have stopped deploying national servicemen to DMRI or other research agencies.

Let me emphasise to all, including commanders on the ground, that no NS men should be accorded preferential treatment. I would like to further assure Singaporeans that MINDEF implements the policy of selective disruption for University studies fairly and openly in accordance with existing criteria. MINDEF shall henceforth publish the list of those disrupted for University annually, on a routine basis for public scrutiny.