What happens if I don't serve my NS?

[zzm9980]

We get a lot of posts about what happens if you don't serve NS, desert, don't get your exit permit the proper way, etc etc... Yesterday in the news was an article about a civilian deserter getting caught up and sentenced.

...

V. Mariammal, a 48yr old mother of three, was employed on a six-year contract with SAF. Her contract was to end in 2001, but she left in 1998 and headed to India due to personal hardships.

She became an Indian citizen, obtained an Indian passport, and came back to Singapore three times on the new Indian passport between 2004 and 2007. She tried again in 2011, but was caught by ICA this time, and jailed for eight months for immigration offenses. Then, after the term finished and she was to be released, she was again charged, this time for desertion by SAF. She was sentenced to "only" 33 months after the court acknowledged her mitigating circumstances and that no real loss occurred by her desertion as she did not continue to collect pay.

The court said that given that SAF has an important role in protecting the nation, it is therefore necessary to ensure SAF staff "keep their stations at personal risk, especially in the hour of need. Hence, all staff - uniformed or non-uniformed - are subject to military law." Desertion carries with it a maximum jail term of 10 years and a minimum jail term of 36 months.

...

So her "mitigating" circumstances, being a poor mother of three heading off to India, got her reduced to "only" 33 months. All of the young ones here who are heading off to the US or Australia (or other first world countries) to study in a top university don't have nearly as sympathetic of a case, so consider your actions carefully!

Go ahead and Google her name and/or look at yesterday's daily birdcage liner......

[sundaymorningstaple]

ZZM - see my mail

[zzm9980]

ZZM - see my mail

Fixed

[nutnut]

This just goes to show that deserting the SAF no matter for NS/Civilian work or anything else is considered a serious issue!

Bad luck to her, but, the question begs, why did she return? although, this is 13 years later.

[zzm9980]

Bad luck to her, but, the question begs, why did she return? although, this is 13 years later.

She was a Singaporean, I'd assume she has/had roots here. It just goes to show that unless you're dedicated to never coming back to Singapore at all, you're always at risk. And maybe even then.

[the lynx]

I find the pattern pretty interesting. Here, we have Indian nationals begging to be given Singaporean passport and would do ANYTHING to be here, and we have this lady doing the reverse.

Just saying.

[teletraan1]

What's more interesting to me though is the exact nature of the immigration offences for which she was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. Was it due to her not giving up Singapore citizenship when she became an Indian citizen?

[OkLah]

You can find contrarians in any situation. Closer to home, while many Malaysians of Chinese descent would probably kill to have the opportunity to work in Singapore, my Singaporean Chinese cousin headed north to work in Penang.

I find the pattern pretty interesting. Here, we have Indian nationals begging to be given Singaporean passport and would do ANYTHING to be here, and we have this lady doing the reverse.

Just saying.

[sundaymorningstaple]

It also goes to show what the new integrated government databases are capable of doing once certain parameters are scripted. Picked up a now dual citizen who just happened to have a name, date of birth, place of birth and race that matched what the mindef database showed as a deserter so therefore a red flag was raised and caught. So deserters, return at your own risk, even if you are on a different nationality's passport. She could have also been picked up via facial scanning software as they have been using this quite successfully to pick up deported maids/hookers/etc. returning to Singapore with new/different passports as well.

[the lynx]

You can find contrarians in any situation. Closer to home, while many Malaysians of Chinese descent would probably kill to have the opportunity to work in Singapore, my Singaporean Chinese cousin headed north to work in Penang.

I find the pattern pretty interesting. Here, we have Indian nationals begging to be given Singaporean passport and would do ANYTHING to be here, and we have this lady doing the reverse.

Just saying.

Ah Penang is an exception. Lovely place. To bad my field is not really 'flourishing' there unless I'm doing academia...

[v4jr4]

It also goes to show what the new integrated government databases are capable of doing once certain parameters are scripted. Picked up a now dual citizen who just happened to have a name, date of birth, place of birth and race that matched what the mindef database showed as a deserter so therefore a red flag was raised and caught. So deserters, return at your own risk, even if you are on a different nationality's passport. She could have also been picked up via facial scanning software as they have been using this quite successfully to pick up deported maids/hookers/etc. returning to Singapore with new/different passports as well.

Does gahmen have a power to pick up deserters? Some people said that gahmen doesn't want to, although it's possible.

[sundaymorningstaple]

If they land in Singapore and come through immigration, yeah, they can. They did in this case. I'm not sure who told you they aren't interested in picking up deserters because they like to make examples out of them in order to get the message across. If they could figure out how to extradite them I'll bet they would do that as well, just to prove a point.

[winnoe]

If they land in Singapore and come through immigration, yeah, they can. They did in this case. I'm not sure who told you they aren't interested in picking up deserters because they like to make examples out of them in order to get the message across. If they could figure out how to extradite them I'll bet they would do that as well, just to prove a point.

This is the Singapore Gahmen way, i think. Keep the Peace through intimidation or fear of reprisal

I don't think MINDEF actually goes out of its way to hunt down deserters but when it is a matter of face in front of other G'ment Agencies, they will come down on you like a sack of bricks.

An ex-colleague's cousin managed to get away with it though.
He deserted, and left Singapore to go study Medicine in Aussieland, then lived and worked there. At 33, after a failed marriage, he decided he wanted to come back to Singapore.
He voluntarily informed MINDEF that he wanted to come back and serve his time, and i think due to his age, his medical qualifications and his willingness, he managed to get his case appealed. He was allowed back, though he was put into handcuffs at the airport, did not get a military or civillian record, but had to (and is still) working off his "jail time", which is a bond to MINDEF for 4 years.

I'm sure news like that doesn't get reported though.

[JayCee]

I find the pattern pretty interesting. Here, we have Indian nationals begging to be given Singaporean passport and would do ANYTHING to be here, and we have this lady doing the reverse.

Just saying.

She probably doesn't have a masters

[revhappy]

...Regarding SG passport. No way. This place is not at meant for retiring...