The Enlistment Act 1970 is a

statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

of the

Parliament of Singapore The Parliament of Singapore is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Singapore, which governs the country alongside the president of Singapore. Largely based upon the Westminster system, the Parliament is made up of Members of Parliam ...

that caters for the enlistment of persons in the

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...

. The law repeals the Singapore Army Act and People's Defence Force Act of 1965 and is designed specifically to subject enlisted personnel under military law during the period of enlistment and service.

Overview

The Enlistment Act is an act that empowers the Singapore Armed Forces in enlisting Singaporeans for military service. The law broadly covers the following aspects of military law that is subjected to a conscript during his term of service: * Persons required to register, failure which a person may be found guilty of consequential offences up to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both. * Fitness examinations as well as medical examinations which will forbid any person who is not medically fit to be found fit for service. * Duties to report for enlistment and to render full-time service, with a liability that may be transferred from one service to another for a period not exceeding 2 years and 6 months (usually only two years in recent years). * Operationally ready national service liability i.e. reservist liability, and the computation of the period of service. * Liability to render mobilization service. * Regular service and its terms and conditions. * Role of employers in reinstatement of servicemen in employment, granting leave of absence while employers are prohibited against dismissal of an employee arising from his liability. * Other miscellaneous provisions, etc. Citizens that miss or slight their conscription liabilities, as well as Permanent Residents of Singapore who renounce their PR status without serving national service will also face adverse consequences.

Uses of the Act

With the establishment of the

Singapore Army The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed i ...

as a full-time army responsible for national defence following the Singapore Army Act of 1965, there was a pressing need of running the military with scarce Singaporean manpower. While the People's Defence Force Act of 1965 allowed volunteers in the military, the order of enlistment was eventually passed in the parliament of Singapore for non-disabled Singaporeans. Each year there is an estimated number of around 52,466 that reach military age and around 20,000 to 45,800 conscripts are absorbed into the

Total Defence (Singapore) Total Defence is Singapore's whole-of-society national defence concept, based on the premise that every aspect of society contributes to the collective defence of the state. The strategy was first introduced in 1984 and adopted from the nationa ...

strategized services.

Case Studies of Negative Demonstrations

More recently in the 21st century, examples of well-known offences include a $3,000 fine handed to celebrity pianist

Melvyn Tan Melvyn Tan Ban Eng (; born 13 October 1956) is a Singapore-born British classical pianist, noted for his study of historical performance practice. From a young age, he went to England to study, first at the Yehudi Menuhin School when he was twelv ...

for defaulting on his NS for more than three decades. Also, Brian Joseph Chow was jailed months after he failed to enlist for more than six years. Brian is a Singaporean born and bred locally who had left the country at 15 to study in Australia before returning to serve his conscription liabilities after surrendering in May 2013. Brian has

attention deficit disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise Development ...

and his sentence was halved by Justice

Chan Seng Onn Chan Seng Onn (; born January 1954) is a Singaporean judge. Formerly a prosecutor, Chan has served as a High Court judge since 2 July 2007. Early life and education Chan Seng Onn was born in Singapore in January 1954 as the youngest of three c ...

due to his outstanding performance during his national service after his surrender. In another 2016 case, a 19-year-old teenager Brandon Smith born in Singapore but brought up in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

faces two years' jail or a $10,000 fine as he seeks exemption from conscription in Singapore on the excuse of him living mostly in New Zealand with his dual citizenship. He is required to report for a pre-service medical. Similar incidents include the three Bugges brothers who were born in Singapore. In September 2013, Sky Vayden Lim was also a target of scorn as a "disgrace to Singapore" who had "no integrity and honesty" for cheating the system after he claimed via

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that he received a medical classification of "PES E9 for army, the lowest possible in army" such that he may run his own business during military service. Deferments are usually unlikely in such cases.

References

External links

Enlistment Act(CHAPTER 93)
{{Asia in topic, Conscription in 1970 in law 1970 in Singapore Conscription in Singapore Law enforcement in Singapore Military of Singapore

Overview

Uses of the Act

Case Studies of Negative Demonstrations

See also

References

External links