NATIONAL SERVICEMEN (Disruption of service for further studies)

Dr Wang Kai Yuen asked the Minister for Defence what is the rationale of requiring national servicemen, whose service was disrupted for further studies, to complete their service in a continuous period lasting no less than six months, where applicable.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) (for the Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, disruption for further studies is granted to national servicemen who have 2 1/2 years of full-time liability. Ideally, such servicemen should remain in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for the whole 2 1/2 years to complete all the required training courses and exercises. However, disruption is allowed to this group after they have served a minimum required period so that they need not start their further studies later than those who have only two years to serve.

Disruption is a postponement of full-time training. It is not the end of full-time national service. The balance period should be effectively used to prepare the servicemen for an operational role. As far as possible, he will be deployed to a unit which is undergoing the type of training he has missed during his disruption. All national servicemen must undergo the key phases of full-time training and be operationally ready by the time they finish national service. To achieve this, the period they spend for training after disruption has to be long enough to enable them to complete the phases they have missed. It would be wasteful and counter-productive for the serviceman if he were to return to the SAF for short spells just so that he can complete his 2 1/2 years service without receiving the appropriate training.

Furthermore, national servicemen who are disrupted for further studies are likely to hold the rank of officer or junior commander. They must be fully trained to take on leadership roles in their reservist units. Those who miss the prescribed higher level courses before they finish national service will have to be sent for such courses during the remaining period. There will be little or no opportunity for them to take such courses when they have become reservists, as the length of most of the courses at this level is greater than the normal reservist call-up period.

To ensure proper deployment and minimum waste of the servicemen's time, the SAF therefore requires that the remaining service be served in one continuous period. Most servicemen have no problems over this requirement. 83% of disrupted servicemen have a balance period of only two months or less, and can complete their service during their first university vacations. The rest, who have longer balance periods, would have missed substantial portions of their training. They should return to follow the full training syllabus appropriate to their ranks and vocation in the same manner as their counterparts who are not disrupted.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen (Bukit Timah): Sir, what are the specific reasons for not allowing overseas medical students to do their national service during their vacations, a practice which was formerly permissible?

Mr Matthias Yao Chih: Sir, students who go for overseas study are disrupted for the full duration of their courses. During their vacations when they come back, which is no more than 2-3 months, they can complete their service during that time. This can be considered. However, their disruption is for the full 3-4 years anyway. It is not the same as the disruption that is applicable to local students.