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SINGAPORE: A 28-year-old man who defaulted on his National Service (NS) obligations for over a decade pleaded guilty on Friday (Jan 13) to two counts under the Enlistment Act.
Jonathan Tan Huai En, 28, pleaded guilty to “remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit” for 10 years, four months and 13 days.
In 2000, Tan, who was then 12, moved to Canada with his mother and two siblings. Court documents say the family moved because Tan and his younger brother “were unable to cope with the Singapore education system’s policy of studying a compulsory (second) language”.
When the family left, they had no intention of returning, and Tan and his mother and siblings became Canadian citizens in 2005.
However, Tan was forced to return to Singapore in 2015, after a total of 15 years away, to fulfil his NS obligations after authorities blocked him from renouncing his citizenship “until and unless” he served NS, Tan’s lawyer Ms Josephine Choo said.
Tan, who is the eldest son of Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng, enlisted in 2016 and is currently serving as a preventive medicine technician.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Houston Johannus called for a five-month jail term, given the length of Tan’s default and his “substantial connection with Singapore”.
Tan “reaped the benefits of Singapore citizenship”, having completed his primary school education here before emigrating, and stood to “reap future benefits as a Singaporean” because he had not renounced his citizenship.
Two registration notices were sent to Tan’s father in 2005 and 2006, but only the third, sent in June 2006, reached him. When Tan failed to register for NS, a police gazette was raised against him in November the same year.
In 2009, Tan’s father contacted the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) to inform it that Tan intended to renounce his Singapore citizenship. As he had not fulfilled his NS obligations, he was not allowed to, and Tan eventually enlisted in early 2016.
Ms Choo argued a fine would suffice. She argued the case was “unusual”, given the entire family’s “clear intention to emigrate permanently”.
Even Tan's father was granted Canadian permanent residency, though he gave it up “due to lack of employment opportunities overseas”, court documents said, and opted to remain in Singapore to practice and support his family.
Ms Choo also urged the court not to penalise Tan for a decision he did not make – it was his parents’ decision to move the family to Canada, she said.
The lawyer said Tan realised he had NS obligations in 2013, when he wanted to travel to Singapore to visit his ill grandfather, only to be told by his mother he would be arrested if he came back.
After he realised this, Tan, who worked at a Canada-based MNC after earning a degree in applied sciences and a masters in engineering, made arrangements to return to Singapore in 2014, Ms Choo said. He arrived in 2015 and enlisted the next year.
Tan will be sentenced on Feb 2.
For remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit, he could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to S$5,000.
Tan’s younger brother Isaac is under investigation and will be dealt with separately, court documents state.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...ing-on-ns-obligations-for-over-a/3436532.html
Jonathan Tan Huai En, 28, pleaded guilty to “remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit” for 10 years, four months and 13 days.
In 2000, Tan, who was then 12, moved to Canada with his mother and two siblings. Court documents say the family moved because Tan and his younger brother “were unable to cope with the Singapore education system’s policy of studying a compulsory (second) language”.
When the family left, they had no intention of returning, and Tan and his mother and siblings became Canadian citizens in 2005.
However, Tan was forced to return to Singapore in 2015, after a total of 15 years away, to fulfil his NS obligations after authorities blocked him from renouncing his citizenship “until and unless” he served NS, Tan’s lawyer Ms Josephine Choo said.
Tan, who is the eldest son of Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng, enlisted in 2016 and is currently serving as a preventive medicine technician.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Houston Johannus called for a five-month jail term, given the length of Tan’s default and his “substantial connection with Singapore”.
Tan “reaped the benefits of Singapore citizenship”, having completed his primary school education here before emigrating, and stood to “reap future benefits as a Singaporean” because he had not renounced his citizenship.
Two registration notices were sent to Tan’s father in 2005 and 2006, but only the third, sent in June 2006, reached him. When Tan failed to register for NS, a police gazette was raised against him in November the same year.
In 2009, Tan’s father contacted the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) to inform it that Tan intended to renounce his Singapore citizenship. As he had not fulfilled his NS obligations, he was not allowed to, and Tan eventually enlisted in early 2016.
Ms Choo argued a fine would suffice. She argued the case was “unusual”, given the entire family’s “clear intention to emigrate permanently”.
Even Tan's father was granted Canadian permanent residency, though he gave it up “due to lack of employment opportunities overseas”, court documents said, and opted to remain in Singapore to practice and support his family.
Ms Choo also urged the court not to penalise Tan for a decision he did not make – it was his parents’ decision to move the family to Canada, she said.
The lawyer said Tan realised he had NS obligations in 2013, when he wanted to travel to Singapore to visit his ill grandfather, only to be told by his mother he would be arrested if he came back.
After he realised this, Tan, who worked at a Canada-based MNC after earning a degree in applied sciences and a masters in engineering, made arrangements to return to Singapore in 2014, Ms Choo said. He arrived in 2015 and enlisted the next year.
Tan will be sentenced on Feb 2.
For remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit, he could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to S$5,000.
Tan’s younger brother Isaac is under investigation and will be dealt with separately, court documents state.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...ing-on-ns-obligations-for-over-a/3436532.html
