SINGAPORE: A Reddit user who’s just about to come to Singapore for work expressed concerns that he may have run afoul of the law, and his family warned him that he may get arrested for evading NS when he arrives even if the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) told him he is not a permanent resident, which implies that he has no national service obligation.
In a post on r/askSingapore earlier this week, u/Life_Eagle_2712 wrote that he is both excited and relieved about his new job opportunity at a good company in Singapore, but that his family has told him that he’s “ruining” his life.
While he wasn’t even worried at first, his family is “very, very concerned and they keep on telling me to renege and not go to Singapore otherwise I’ll be detained.”
The post author is a Canadian in his mid-20s. Neither he nor his parents have ever been notified that he needs to serve NS. He had lived in Singapore for a few years as a child and had gone to school in the city-state. During this time, he was a PR but lost this status after that and has only had Canadian citizenship. His parents, however, are Singaporean citizens and are against his working in Singapore.
When he emailed ICA, he was told that their records show he is not a permanent resident. The post author added that not only has his work pass been approved without issues, but he’s also visited Singapore multiple times since he turned 18.
Nevertheless, his parents did not appear to be reassured and believes he would get arrested in Singapore, even telling him of the experiences of people who’ve gotten into trouble for evading NS.
The situation is weighing heavily on the post author, as he feels that his choices are unemployment or poor family relations if he goes against his parents’ wishes.
“Is my family right in that I should be worried and stay far, far away from Singapore or are they overreacting?” he wrote, asking for guidance.
Commenters were swift to reassure him that the answer from ICA should assure him that things will turn out all right for him. One advised him to print it out, and if he needs further clarity, he can also email the Defence Ministry, specifically the Central Manpower Base (CMPB).
“Parents are not always right,” the commenter added.
As it turns out, the post author already reached out to MINDEF, who also told him that he is no longer liable for national service since he is no longer a PR. /TISG