By Samuel Myat San, Yale-NUS
As part of an article exchange Accent and Affairs, a Yale-NUS publication, Samuel Myat San explores the effects and complexities of forced conscription in Singapore.
[ORIGINAL]
“We will always bear true faith and allegiance to … the Republic of Singapore.” Unfortunately, this stirring line in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) pledge may hold no meaning to soldiers who owe fealty to other masters.
Conscription of Permanent Residents (PRs) into the SAF has been a feature of National Service (NS) since Singapore’s early days. It was uncontroversial, since most PRs were mainly from Malaysia and almost all became Singaporeans. However, the growing and changing demographics of PRs pose new security dilemmas for Singapore.
PRs in Singapore now come from a wider range of countries, including those that forbid service in other militaries. This increases conflicts of interest and security risks. In 2014, two SAF NS men had to be removed from their exercises in Java because they were Indonesians forbidden from joining other militaries by Indonesia’s 2006 Citizenship law. Furthermore, with the introduction of Malaysia’s NS in 2003, more PRs have received military training from both Malaysia and Singapore.
Singapore’s potential opponents thus have citizens with information on SAF unit locations, military hardware and training plans. Even with PRs restricted to “low-security risk” roles, an integrated SAF means that a mere foot soldier will still be privy to knowledge on the Navy ships or Air Force helicopters transporting him and the Artillery and Armoured units providing support. The appointment of many PRs as specialists and officers increases these security risks. If Singapore could somehow seed other militaries with Singaporeans, it would be considered an intelligence coup. However, the SAF appears to have accepted that very fate.
This would not be an issue if all PRs became citizens. However, many PRs, even after NS, refuse to take up, or are denied, Singapore citizenship. Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, has noted that out of the 8800 PRs who served NS from 2007–2011, only 6100 became citizens. The remaining 2700 PRs are part of a growing pool of non-citizens who are familiar with SAF operations but owe their allegiance to another country.
In fact, out of the 13000 NS-eligible PRs from 2007–2011, over 4200 renounced their PR status to avoid enlistment. Thus, in total, over 6900 PRs, or the majority of those eligible for NS, did not become the “citizen-soldiers” who were supposed to be the foundation of Singapore’s military defence. PRs are becoming a larger part of Singapore’s society. In 1980, 87800 PRs comprised 3.98% of Singapore’s population. By 2014, 531200 PRs comprised 13.8% of the population. Thus, the SAF may have to increase its reliance on a segment of the population that is least likely to be available for long-term national security needs.
Recruiting PRs also exposes constitutional dilemmas. Many PRs serve in the SAF. In contrast, Malay Singaporeans are far more likely to be deployed to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) instead. While Malays have generally constituted about 14% of Singapore’s population, they often make up the majority of some SCDF units. The message sent to them by the current NS policy is that the SAF would rather depend on non-Singaporeans for the nation’s defence than on Malay Singaporeans. This undercuts social cohesion and racial harmony, even as it violates the ideals of a meritocratic and discrimination-free Singapore.
The effect is even more pronounced for Singaporean women. Conscription has often been justified by Singapore’s small population. However, all the women, or half of Singapore’s population, are not required to serve. The message sent to women is that the SAF would rather depend on foreign men to defend Singapore than count on Singaporean women.
The resolution of these dilemmas would require radical new thinking. First, only citizens should be conscripted. PRs will be conscripted only upon becoming Singaporeans and renouncing former allegiances. Older new citizens will still serve, albeit with roles accounting for their age. Second, Singaporean women should be NS-liable. This is not an unusual step, given that Israel has always conscripted women and Norway amended its laws in 2014 to do the same. Singapore will not even need to amend its laws, since the Enlistment Act already states that all “citizen(s) of Singapore” are NS-liable. It was a policy decision, rather than a legislative restriction, which prevented women from being conscripted.
This article is not an attack on the loyalties of PRs. Many PRs would gladly die for Singapore, even as there remains some citizens who would abandon a Singapore at war. However, the current NS system puts PRs into a situation where they are asked to fight for Singapore before the ties to their home nations are cut. This has to change in the future. Then, and only then, may all soldiers say with conviction that they will “preserve and protect the honour and independence of our country with our lives”.
The writer served NS as a PR and is now an SAF infantry officer (NS) and a Singaporean.
