Australian PR chose to take up SAF scholarship
September 2, 2009 by admin
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From our Correspondent
Australian PR Justin Lee had the opportunity to disrupt his National Service to pursue his tertiary studies in Australia, but he chose to return to Singapore to serve NS.
Halfway through NS, he applied for a SAF scholarship and signed on with the army.
Lieutenant Lee, now platoon commander of the 6th Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment (6 SIR), was praised by Singapore’s army chief Major-General Neo Kian Hong for his committment to national defence.
Justin’s parents had wanted him to study at an Australian university after which he can decide not to return to Singapore by working for a number of years there before taking up Australian citizenship. Lee is now applying for the Singapore citizenship. (Justin may be a Malaysian citizen and second-generation Singapore PR)
Maj-Gen Neo also cited the case of Third Sergeant Lee Jianhui, 25, who extended his NS stint by six months to see out his duties as an administrative supervisor in 1 SIR.
Cases like Justin and Jianhui are probably in the minority. Many second-generation PRs who go through the Singapore education system do not return to Singapore after pursuing their tertiary education overseas.
NSFs who extend their NS or reservist stints voluntarily are rare. They usually start clearing their annual leave a few weeks before the ORD date.
Singapore has a longer mandatory conscription period than Taiwan (1 year) which is always in danger of being dragged into an armed conflict with China.
The 13 year reservist liability after NS is also having a detrimental impact on Singapore men’s “market value” in a competitive labor market increasingly dominated by foreigners who do not have to serve reservist.
Some Singaporeans are disgruntled at the fact that new citizens and PRs do not have to serve NS and they are here merely for a “free lunch”. Despite the prevailing sentiments on the ground, the government is adamant that foreigners are “vital” to Singapore’s economy and implore citizens to “embrace” them.
September 2, 2009 by admin
Filed under Top News
Leave a comment
From our Correspondent
Australian PR Justin Lee had the opportunity to disrupt his National Service to pursue his tertiary studies in Australia, but he chose to return to Singapore to serve NS.
Halfway through NS, he applied for a SAF scholarship and signed on with the army.
Lieutenant Lee, now platoon commander of the 6th Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment (6 SIR), was praised by Singapore’s army chief Major-General Neo Kian Hong for his committment to national defence.
Justin’s parents had wanted him to study at an Australian university after which he can decide not to return to Singapore by working for a number of years there before taking up Australian citizenship. Lee is now applying for the Singapore citizenship. (Justin may be a Malaysian citizen and second-generation Singapore PR)
Maj-Gen Neo also cited the case of Third Sergeant Lee Jianhui, 25, who extended his NS stint by six months to see out his duties as an administrative supervisor in 1 SIR.
Cases like Justin and Jianhui are probably in the minority. Many second-generation PRs who go through the Singapore education system do not return to Singapore after pursuing their tertiary education overseas.
NSFs who extend their NS or reservist stints voluntarily are rare. They usually start clearing their annual leave a few weeks before the ORD date.
Singapore has a longer mandatory conscription period than Taiwan (1 year) which is always in danger of being dragged into an armed conflict with China.
The 13 year reservist liability after NS is also having a detrimental impact on Singapore men’s “market value” in a competitive labor market increasingly dominated by foreigners who do not have to serve reservist.
Some Singaporeans are disgruntled at the fact that new citizens and PRs do not have to serve NS and they are here merely for a “free lunch”. Despite the prevailing sentiments on the ground, the government is adamant that foreigners are “vital” to Singapore’s economy and implore citizens to “embrace” them.
