Man Jailed 4 Months Because He Thought He Didn’t Need to Serve NS

In Singapore, military enlistment is an issue that is taken very seriously, to the point that defaulting on it may just land you a place in the Army’s dreaded detention barracks or even worse…

Behind bars.

And before you question further, just know that there are no second chances;

In compliance with life’s rules and regulations, the Military of Singapore does not grant such luxuries as second chances often.

And you don’t have to look further than the following piece to find out why.

Man Jailed 4 Months Because He Thought He Didn’t Need to Serve NS

Back in 2003, Remington Fhang Lim was taken by his parents to Australia after his Primary School Leaving Exams (PSLE).

Lim had then stayed in Sydney to study all the way until 2014 after he completed his university education.

It was revealed that he had travelled to Singapore and Malaysia to visit his relatives during this period.

In 2008, when Lim turned 16 and a half, Mindef sent notices to his Singapore address, telling him to register for NS online and report to CMPB.

At that time, the home the notices were sent to was being rented out by Lim’s parents.

Lim’s Father Did Not Tell Him About What Happened

Their real estate agent forwarded the notices to Lim’s parents in Australia and Lim’s father confirmed he had received them.

In Dec 2008, Lim’s father told CMPB that his son intended to renounce his Singaporean citizenship.

Then, CMPB told the father to send in supporting documents and told him that NS obligations still apply even if his son holds a foreign citizenship.

Eventually, Lim’s application was rejected and he was classified as an NS defaulter.

Thereafter, Lim’s father did not respond to CMPB.

But that’s not the only thing he did not do.

He also did not inform Lim about the issue.

In 2009, Lim was sitting for the equivalent of A-Levels and his father did not want to stress him out.

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Returned When He Found Out

In May 2016, Lim applied to renounce his Singapore citizenship.

That was when he found out about the NS issue.

His lawyer said:

“While he knew that Singaporean males had to enlist for NS, it was his belief that NS was to train men to defend the country so that all men could take up arms in defence of Singapore if it were ever under attack.

“Having left the country and living away, obtaining citizenship in a different country, he thought that this then would no longer apply to him as he would not be around to defend Singapore anyway.”

Lim returned to Singapore on Mar 2017 to enlist in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) where he served his NS.

Throughout this period, he stayed at a church because he has no friends or relatives here.

“I Don’t Know” Isn’t A Valid Excuse

Now, you’ll be thinking, he didn’t know; the moment he knew, he came back to serve, that’s commendable.

Well, the judge thought so too.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t commendable enough for him to let Lim off with a maximum fine of S$10,000.

The judge said that the higher courts have “explicitly stated that claims of a lack of knowledge are not a lawful excuse”.

While it seems unnecessarily harsh, the judge felt that it’s “best” to emphasise the importance of national security in Singapore.

Lim was sentenced to four months’ jail for remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit for more than eight years.

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