Commentary - Waiving of National Service (NS)

Title of Article: Give up citizenship? Brothers must do NS first
Source: The Straits Times, Section B7
Writer: Amelia Tan
Date: 25 August, 2008

Commentary

In present day Singapore, it is expected of young men to serve the customary two-year long National Service (NS) to acquire basic combat skills, so as to ensure that Singapore has a credible defense force, to deter attacks and to defend our country if necessary. However, in recent days, the issue of whether Singaporeans or Permanent Residents who wish to leave Singapore should be forced to serve NS was raised, and this article presents the Ministry of Defence’s (Mindef) stand on this issue, which is that all persons who have enjoyed the privileges offered here will have to serve NS, even if they plan to renounce their citizenship. The Bugge brothers at the centre of this controversy left Singapore when each turned 18, and have failed to renounce their Singapore citizenships several times due to Mindef’s stand. I am of the belief that this is not the stand we should adopt, and instead, Mindef should exercise some discretion and flexibility when dealing with such cases.

Firstly, these brothers have decided that their political allegiance lies with their motherland, Norway, and hence they will not fight for Singapore even if they were forced to serve NS. In fact, they might gain access to technological know-how unique to Singapore and hence pass such information to the Norwegian Army where they are serving. In contrast, in standing by its position, Mindef would be wasting time, money, and resources to train such cases, for it is obvious that doing so would not bring about any tangible benefit to Singapore. Instead, Mindef should exercise some flexibility, and aim for a win-win resolution, by allowing the brothers to renounce their Singapore citizenship and avoid NS, freeing them to visit their parents who live here, and at the same time save valuable tax-payer’s money which would otherwise be wasted on training, housing, and feeding the brothers, during the course of their NS.

However, it is true that NS is a national policy, and that to send the message to Singaporeans that NS cannot be waived or avoided through any way, no exceptions should be allowed. This is as waiving NS for such people might set a dangerous precedence and trigger a flood of emigrants, who would view emigration as the perfect way to avoid NS once they have completed their education in Singapore, and this would seriously compromise the scale of Singapore’s army and its effectiveness as a deterrent.

Nevertheless, I believe that this problem can be solved with the appropriate National Education, to reinforce the message that “Singapore is our homeland; this is where we belong”. With proper measures, most ordinary Singaporeans would consider this place home, and be willing to go through NS, or at least not be as greatly motivated to avoid NS. Cases such as that of the Bugge brothers are still a small minority, and Singapore can afford or let such people who hail from a foreign country to not serve NS.

Finally, I believe that Mindef should exercise some flexibility and waive NS for the Bugge brothers since they genuinely did not leave Singapore to avoid NS but over a citizenship issue, as seen from how they enlisted in the Norwegian armed forces for a 19-month national service term, and how two of the three brothers are now career soldiers. Humans do have the freedom of choice over political allegiance, and hence the Singapore government not only should allow the brothers and other such people to renounce their Singapore citizenship and skip NS; it also has an obligation to do so.

To conclude, I believe that Mindef should indeed consider waiving the NS for people who plan to renounce their Singapore citizenship, especially those who were already belong to another country, on a case-by-case basis, instead of upholding its rules rigidly. Exercising such flexibility will only benefit both the parties, and Singaporeans certainly would not mind having their taxes channeled to more productive uses.

653 Words

Original Article

THREE brothers, born to a Norwegian father and Singaporean mother, want to give up their Singapore citizenship.

But the Ministry of Defence has said no. Not until they do their national service.

The Bugge brothers – Thorbjoern, 33; Ingvar, 31; and Frode, 30 – left Singapore when each turned 18 and have tried and failed several times for over a decade to renounce their Singapore citizenships.

They want to renounce their citizenship so they will be free to visit their parents – Mr O.M. Bugge, 65, and his wife Margaret, 55 – who still live here.

They cannot return here because they have been classified as NS defaulters and risk arrest on arrival.

They were all born here and are considered Singapore citizens. But they also hold Norwegian citizenships, like their father.

They first left Singapore when they were five, three and two years old respectively, and lived in Norway for 10 years before returning here.

But each left Singapore after their O levels, and just before they could be called up for national service.

Mindef sent them NS enlistment letters, but in turn, each brother ignored the call-up. Instead, they enlisted in the Norwegian armed forces for a 19-month national service term.

All three decided to renounce their Singapore citizenship when they turned 21, but Mindef rejected their initial bids to do so.

They tried several more times over the years, writing to the ministry, then-prime minister Goh Chok Tong and the late former president Ong Teng Cheong to explain their case.

Their parents have also met staff from Mindef.

But all their attempts have failed.

When contacted, Mindef's director of public affairs, Colonel Darius Lim, said: "Only persons who have emigrated at a very young age together with their families, and who have not enjoyed the privileges of Singapore citizenship, will be allowed to renounce their Singapore citizenships without serving national service."

He said the three men are Singapore citizens and are required to fulfil their NS obligations. Their requests to renounce their Singapore citizenships can be considered only upon completion of full-time NS.

The brothers said they were disappointed by Mindef's position.

When asked, they maintained that they did not leave Singapore to avoid NS. They preferred to be in Norway, they said, and their enlistment there showed they were not shirkers of NS, they said.

Mr Frode Bugge is a career soldier with the Norwegian army and has seen action in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Brother Thorbjoern is also a career soldier, while Ingvar is a postman.

For now, they will have to continue meeting their parents in Malaysia. Their mother spends six months in Norway each year.

Their father, a marine consultant, said he cannot afford to spend extended periods in Norway because his business is based in Singapore. He tries to visit his sons once a year.

He said: "My sons' cases are about a choice of citizenship, and not a case of national service...They would like to get this matter cleared up and be able to travel to Singapore for a visit like any other Norwegian."

He is hoping that the law will be changed.

"My sons' situations may seem unique now. But as more foreigners marry Singaporeans, there will be more of these cases," he added.

NS defaulters can be jailed up to three years and/or fined up to $10,000 if convicted.

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