SINGAPORE: A man who left Singapore and defaulted on national service was fined S$9,000 on Thursday (June 25).
You Jiahao, 23, pleaded guilty to two charges of remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit.
Another two charges of failing to register for national service were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The court heard that the Chinese national became a permanent resident (PR) in January 2014 when he was 11 years old. He studied at a local secondary school.
In March 2016, an exit permit information letter was sent to his home, stating that he would be subject to exit permit regulations from his 13th birthday in May 2016.
In August 2020, You left Singapore. A registration notice was sent to his address on April 8, 2021, asking him to log into the national service portal to complete his NS registration by May 31, 2021.
However, You did not register. When the authorities discovered he had left Singapore, a police gazette was raised against him in August 2021.
On July 13, 2022, You e-mailed the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) asking for help to renew his re-entry permit. He acknowledged his duty to serve NS, but asked if it could be postponed until after he completed his studies in China.
CMPB responded to his e-mail on July 26, 2022, informing him that he had committed an offence under the Enlistment Act by failing to register for NS and remaining outside Singapore without an exit permit.
You was told to return to Singapore and report to CMPB.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority revoked his PR status on Aug 1, 2022.
This meant that he was no longer bound to serve NS.
You returned to Singapore only in March 2025, when he was arrested at Changi Airport.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Vishnu Menon sought a fine of at least $9,000 for You.
He said: “The culpability of NS defaulters lies in the unfair advantage that they gain over their law-abiding peers by being able to pursue their personal goals (such as education or career advancements) while their peers were serving their NS obligations.”
For remaining outside Singapore without an exit permit, an offender can be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to three years, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
