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comin back to singapore after 18 years n have no one there

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thegame23
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comin back to singapore after 18 years n have no one there

Post by thegame23 » Wed, 08 Apr 2009 2:50 pm

my situation is such where i will be comin to singapore most probably by june end , as i have ns obligations, i have been told to reach singapore and then contact mindef... i paid my fine recently ,, so i will not be arrested... but the biggest problem is i dont know anything...

does ns start immediately as i go there ?
i can afford accommodation upto sgd500
should i rent a room before comin to Singapore or should i first go and stay at some hotel or hostel ..and then search for rooms ??
wats the duration of ns ??
during ns where do we stay ??
are we paid for ns ???

i am in a fix guys..... no one for me in singapore.. and i am a citizen and returning without knowing wat to do !!!!
i do not even have an identity card

please help.. answer as many questions as u know and also if u need to enlighten me wid something

jon0lim
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Post by jon0lim » Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:50 pm

500sgd per month accomodation would most probably only be enough for a room.

NS should be 2 years , 4 months more if you are unfit

You stay in barracks. After BMT you get 1 day a week off. Not sure if you're allowed to remain in the barracks on that day.

You are paid based on your rank. Its about 400-500SGD a month for the lower ranks. Can go up to 1.8k if you get to captain.

On a side note, I'm not too sure about you just getting away with a fine. Singapore has been quite strict about NS and the only person (as far as I recall) who has gotten away with a fine is Melvyn Tan the pianist. Make sure you are definitely not going to be arrested before coming back.

thegame23
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thanks

Post by thegame23 » Thu, 09 Apr 2009 3:15 am

my case is special, as i had left singapore wen i was 12, and i did not know anything about the laws, my mom passed away wen i just turned 15, and since i had travelled on my mothers passport , i did not have a passport of my own...i had benn lving with my father who is not a singapore citizen, now i will be getting my singapore passport pretty soon, and they have confirmed they will not arrest me..
and wat is bmt ???

do they have any start dates for ns ... or is it like u pass the medcal and just jump in for training !!


n hey ... thanks for the help :D

jon0lim
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Post by jon0lim » Thu, 09 Apr 2009 4:20 pm

BMT = Basic Military Training. A grueling 3 month course where you have little to no contact with the outside world.

Start dates if I remember correctly are Nov-Dec for unfit recruits and Feb/March for fit ones.

thegame23
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Post by thegame23 » Fri, 10 Apr 2009 1:53 am

no contact ?????????
?
cannot even call anyone...no sundays off ,..... ??


:cry: :cry: :cry:



thanks anyways bro

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:03 am

Here is all you will need. Do a good read of this site and you should be okay.

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef ... t_BMT.html

SMS
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

jon0lim
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Post by jon0lim » Fri, 10 Apr 2009 9:04 pm

thegame23 wrote:no contact ?????????
?
cannot even call anyone...no sundays off ,..... ??


:cry: :cry: :cry:



thanks anyways bro
Of course you get to call people. Its not a prison!

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ksl
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Post by ksl » Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:11 pm

I suggest you start some fitness training now, so you are prepared, do at least 30 minutes of jogging and increase it, as you become more accustomed to it. 3 months is nothing, 2 years is nothing, and you will only enjoy it, if you learn to except it for what it is! Just do what you are told, and let all the noise come in one ear and out of the other! and say yes sir, no sir and 3 bags full sir! (Not literally)

jdaniel
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Post by jdaniel » Sun, 19 Apr 2009 5:38 pm

I did not do BMT but that is probably due to my bad eyesight
Last edited by jdaniel on Tue, 21 Jan 2014 10:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

nkthen
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Post by nkthen » Tue, 21 Apr 2009 4:43 pm

Singapore is so efficient, once you are back MINDEF will call you so you better check it out.

As far as I know, there's no exception, no escape for Singaporeans so get prepared for NS...

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taxico
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Post by taxico » Fri, 08 May 2009 2:22 pm

i thought you should know, you won't get hauled into BMT immediately. (everything below is based on the assumption that there's nothing physically wrong with you)

you'll be asked to go for a medical checkup and other tests first (again, this takes time to arrange), before they classify and decide where you go and what you'll do for NS. that takes a few weeks (minimum) after your tests.

i'm positive you'll need a mailing address so mindef can send you notifications (and know where to send MPs if you don't show up).

i'm positive you'll NOT be guaranteed accomodation during your entire NS duration as there are military units with NO stay-in facilities.

however, during BMT (and also post-BMT training schools) you CAN appeal to your commanders to recommend you for a stay-in posting.

even if you DO get to a stay-in unit, it does not mean you are allowed to bring in and leave all your possessions within your room because there may not be enough space for that.

sometimes, you may also not be allowed to stay in over the weekend voluntarily (someone else gets to decide that for safety and security reasons, and also because they would have to prepare food to feed you).

again, this can be arranged with your superiors, who more likely than not, will try their best to accommodate you (pun intended).

but it's recommended if you maintained some sort of living arrangements outside of NS. now's the time to figure out who your long lost relatives are... (no offense meant)

you'll need an outside address and phone number for a whole host of reasons during your 2+ years in singapore.

if i'm not wrong, $500 a month can get you a decent furnished room. but you won't be able to get by purely on your NS pay, so you need to bring to singapore a chunk of change.

as for BMT start-dates... it really depends on where you get sent to (there's no guarantee you'll get thrown into Pulau Tekong; there are mono-intake units from all three services that start at various times of the year), so there's no predicting how long you'll have to wait.

you may even get assigned to the police force or fire department! (again, no guarantees, and those two places may not always yield the best NS experience)

but again, during your initial contact with mindef, you should tell them you want to start ASAP (if that's your intention) and it's my understanding they will try their best to accommodate you.

like KSL said, there's no better time than now to prepare yourself physically for NS. mentally; just go in with a positive mind and you can come away with a truly memorable experience.

you get to make lifelong friends in NS if you don't kick a fuss about it. what won't kill you will just make you stronger, ok? it's really not that bad.

if you need help when you return to singapore, throw a line here (or in real singapore life) and i'm sure someone will help you out.

1. people in singapore (foreign or not) aren't a bad lot.
2. as you can see above, the whole NS experience is designed to help you help them.
3. chillax.

playhere
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Re: comin back to singapore after 18 years n have no one the

Post by playhere » Fri, 08 May 2009 5:47 pm

Hey there,

the BMT bit is meant to be a stressful... The first few weeks are lightly to be difficult.. you might not get to call as often but generally, you will get to call home a numbers of times per month.

For queries to minddef.. I will you, I ask for the full name of the person you are talking to before making any enquires.. These operators will take your enquires more seriously.. Or if it is not urgent, email them.

For matters on long-term lodging and local address in singapore.Your case is quite special because almost all NS man lives have a local address... I really don't know if you should pay $500 rent on a room you don't use.... Ask if you can write your overseas address instead.

Ask Minddef to clarify further.. If Minded insist you have a local address when you have no relative of any sort to help you, I think you should write to a government minister for help... I am not sure which minister, but I think you are entitled for such help..

And generally, take one issue at a time. When you are in NS, you will definitely need to exercise patience.. Good news is that many of us survived!.. hope it helps.. bless

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taxico
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Post by taxico » Fri, 08 May 2009 6:30 pm

bmt is stressful only because it's a transition from do-as-you-please civilian life to a new world of regimentation.

this is cushioned by the fact that the transition and expectations are gradual, and time is given for everyone to become accustomed to their new identities and responsibilities.

during regular bmt, a recruit will be able to call home often during the first few weeks, and then it gets less and less frequent over the next few months as training intensifies (less free time).

that results in a recruit becoming less homesick, and now voluntarily spend their free time picking up skills, engaging in group activities and making friends/forming bonds.

calls are not disallowed. the army actually encourages calls be made so the parent(s)/guardian(s) can be kept informed and reassured.

bmt's not as stressful as it sounds - a lot of singapore boys are spoiled rotten crybabies and they survive it; usually for the better.

i can only wonder how the OP's gonna provide details of a local next-of-kin... especially when people who have no ties in singapore usually have no reason to visit singapore again (and as a corollary, don't serve NS).

kudos to him. and stop freaking him out!

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taxico
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Post by taxico » Fri, 08 May 2009 6:36 pm

if he left when he was 12, and have been away for 18 years, that makes him 30 years old - Category Y1.

should he be unfit and well educated, it's unlikely he'll have to do any sort of strenuous BMT.

makes it more likely that he'll have an office-type posting (staying outside, not in barracks).

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