PR & military service

[army boy]

I need some advice
I have just had PR approved and was called down for an interview to SIR bld. They told me that I would have to do Military service.
Is this common.?
What is the story?
I am an ANG Moh and would stick out a bit in army but wouldnt mind  2 weeks off work to run around in the bush!

[LuckyB]

Hi!... My husband and I are now PR, and he also got some notice Re: NS.  However, as it was explained to him, he needed to register, but the likelihood of being called upon was negligible.  You should look into it yourself, but I haven't heard of any PR having to go for NS....

[ultimax]

army boy, how old are you?!

if it's full time national service, it's 2-2.5 years, not 2 weeks!

[kilted cumberland]

Based on my experience you may have to do National Service. Spent my adolescence in Singapore(ages 9-17). Father-Scots, Mum Chinese Singaporean, born Surrey, England, British citizen, acquired Singapore PR when I was 10. Anyway, I was called up to the MOD Building in Bukit Gombak 6 months b4 my 'A' Levels to enlist. P**ssed off to Sweden a couple of weeks after my 'A' Levels. I was due to start my National Service 2 weeks later. Couple of months after that the Singapore authorities sent me a letter asking me if I wished to relinquish my blue ID. I might have a soft spot for Singapore, but there's no way I would serve in a foreign army for 2.5 years. Interestingly enough, I became a Swedish PR but did not have to serve my National Service there (usually6 months-1 year).

[Horsesh*t]

In some countries, it is a crime to register for national service with another country. Before you register, it pays to make sure you don't break the laws of the country where you hold citizenship.

[BN2]

I think the ruling is (or at least was) that every PR have to register but that first generation PR's get an automatic extension. Second generation PR's (i.e. your son) however are required to do NS which explains why they wante kilted cumberland.

[Slim Pickins]

First generation PRs who gained PR via the technical/skilled programme are exempt. Still have to register with CMPB I think (Im still waiting to hear about that). Technical/Skilled is basically those who applied for PR on the grounds of having an EP (or landed PR).
If you got PR without an EP - ie: spouse, with no EP etc... you WILL be required to do NS.

2nd gen PRs (ie: your kids) will also have to do NS (which I reckon will probably be good for em!)

Sheilas of course, are exempt (compulsary for blokes only), though I reckon they ought to make it for both. :-)

[Arry]

Yup, you still have to register with the Ministry of Defence even though you are exempted. I got my PR (Skilled) in April and I had a letter a couple of months ago asking me to register online. I did and got my exemption notice not long after.

[army boy]

dear Slim pickens & others
thanks
BUT
pls explain in more detail.

Both my wife and I applied for PR she got hers before me.
They called me down to say that mine had been rejected on my own grounds but that I was being sponsored under my wife (freinds & family or some BullS&*T).

They said that I would have to do NS.

Can I assume that if you get PR via "skills" that you dont have to do NS

The Note on my letter says "pls be informed that you may be liable for full time nat ser when you become a singapore PR"

Surley they cant mean 2 yrs only a nutter would accept that?
and how dumb would it be to get put in army for 2 weeks if you have no idea what you are doing??

[ultimax]

here's how NS works

age 16.5-18, you get called up to do it full-time for 2-2.5 years. After you're trained and do your tour, you go into active reserves for another 13 years or so.

As you're already married, I'm guessing you're in your mid to late twenties at the very least. I'm guessing they'll exempt you like what happened to the other posters. The notice is probably a computer generated letter or something.

The official word is if you're granted PR under the 1st generation Professional, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers scheme or the Economic Benefit's scheme, you'll be exempted from NS.

haven't gone thru this site, but it looks like it'll have the info you need :
http://www.mfa.gov.sg/consular/faqs/faq_naservice.htm

[cs]

Actually there have been some rumours going around that the long standing policy of 1st generation PR's being exempted might be headed for change.

While it is unlikely that you will be asked to join the army, you might be asked to join the Civil Defense.

The reason for this is that in the event of a disaster, the foreign population in Sg is currently completely unprepared.

For all the talk of running away in times of trouble, the hard reality is that which push comes to shove, all the airports and ports out of Sg will be closed. You are therefore going to be stuck here.

For practical reasons, you won''t of course be asked to drop everything and serve 2.5 years. You might however be asked to join in the 1 week in camp training that all Singaporeans currently do.  For non-officers, this will be until 40. for officers, this will be until 50.

[Yeah baby yeah!]

In any case PR is abit like getting engaged - it's partially about commitment and whether you're a stayer or a quitter.

Let's face it, if you're not prepared to do your NS and fight for this nation which has fought hard to reach where it is today, you have to do some serious thinking whether you deserve PR and the benefits thereof!

[cactus]

Yeah Baby Yeah,
I agree with you.
Someone who wants to permanently stay in Singapore should make a commitment through military service, taxes & all that. .
BUT SINGAPORE HAS TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TOO, RIGHT???

Under PR status, one still has to still renew it every two years.

What Kind of Fool fights for a country that reviews your right to stay every two years, and hasn't given you citizenship or allows you to vote??
-- What a joke!

You want somebody to spill their blood? Then you better offer them FULL citizenship.
Otherwise, its just a pretentious little island trying to make itself into something bigger than its tiny b@ll@cks.

There are bigger places with more opportunity that offer FULL citizenship w/o even demanding military service.

What pretentious poppycock.

[This message has been edited by cactus (edited 11-10-2002).]

[stonie]

well, I got my PR a few years back and was never asked to register for NS. Would have thrown them their blue IC back if they would have asked. Did this in my own country and that's enough

[lumpy gravy]

I recall someone had said that males that get their PR through sponsorship of the wife will be liable for NS and not exempt unlike those who qualify on their own.

Not sure how reliable that is, but I'd inquire closer with CMPB to get a better understanding of your liabilites.

I have spoken to a local who claims that their relative escaped NS back in the early days probably because records weren't computerised and the guy just never got called up! He went overseas for further studies and kinda stayed away for some time to be "safe"....