Prosecution calls for maximum three years’ jail for man who failed to report for Singapore’s NS enlistment in 1997

His parents later obtained an Indonesian birth certificate for him after lodging a declaration at the Indonesian embassy in Singapore.

Yao’s father also obtained Indonesian citizenship for him in March 1979. Yao was also first issued with an Indonesian passport in October 1983.

Between 1984 and 1990, he received his primary school education at Catholic High School in Singapore. After that, he went to Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College (RJC).

On Jan 26, 1996, the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) sent Yao a notice to register for NS by completing an attached form and mailing it back by Feb 9 that year.

CMPB received the completed NS registration form on Feb 7, 1996 which Yao had signed.

There was also a letter from his mother, stating that Yao wished to renounce his Singapore citizenship in favour of his Indonesian one.

The letter also stated that Yao wished to defer NS until he reached 21 years old, upon which he would be able to renounce his Singapore citizenship.

In his judgement, District Judge James Elisha Lee said: “The letter further indicated that the accused was anxious to further his studies at a university in the United States without the disruption caused by NS, which contributed substantially to his decision to renounce his Singapore citizenship.”

On June 28, 1996, CMPB issued Yao a further reporting order, asking him to report a fitness examination the following month.

He did as he was told, and in November 1996, CMPB sent a notice to Yao’s registered address, asking him to report for enlistment for full-time NS on Jan 23, 1997.

But on Jan 10, 1997, his father sent a letter to CMPB, asking his son to be deferred from full-time NS until he turned 21.

The father also stated that as an Indonesian, Yao was not allowed to serve in the armed forces of another country.

CMPB then replied in a letter that as Yao is a Singapore citizen by birth, he had to fulfil his NS liabilities.

The letter also stated that only those who had not exercised the rights and privileges of Singapore citizenship can be deferred from NS until they reach 21 years, pending the renunciation of their Singapore citizenship.

The judge said: “As the accused had exercised his rights and privileges as a Singapore citizen, namely, by being educated here and completed his education at RJC, he is required to fulfil his NS obligations without exception.”

Yao did not report to CMPB for enlistment on Jan 23, 1997. He also did not comply with a second enlistment notice delivered by hand to his address, instructing him to report for enlistment the next day.

A police gazette was then put up for his arrest on Jan 28, 1997.

Court documents stated that he completed his further education abroad between July 1997 and June 2001.

In October 2003, Yao wrote to the Singapore Embassy in Indonesia, stating that he wanted to renounce his Singapore citizenship.

The embassy then told Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) about the matter.

In December that year, he submitted a statement, stating that under Indonesian law, he would lose his citizenship there if he undergoes military service in another country without the Indonesian Government’s prior approval to the Singapore Embassy.

ICA then replied that this renunciation application was “withheld” under the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.

In January 2005, he married a Singaporean woman and used his Indonesian passport to register his marriage.

He also applied to be a permanent resident, but ICA rejected his application as he is still a Singaporean.

Between Dec 31, 2008 and March 16, 2020, Yao used his Indonesian passport to enter Singapore on 13 occasions.

The court heard that ICA approved his application for a short-term visit pass for the period between March 16, 2020 and July 8, 2021.

He was finally arrested at the ICA visitor services centre on Sept 1, 2021. – The Straits Times/ANN