SINGAPORE: A 47-year-old Singaporean man with Indonesian citizenship was sentenced to the maximum of three years’ jail on Tuesday (May 26) for failing to enlist for National Service (NS) in Singapore.
The judge said Edmond Yao Zhi Hai had evaded the whole of his full-time NS obligations and his post-operationally ready date (ORD) reservist obligations by defaulting for 21 years and nine months. He said his conduct falls within the worst category of NS defaulters.
Yao was also fined S$3,000 (US$2,350) for immigration offences for failing to present his Singapore passport to an immigration officer when he arrived in Singapore.
In response to the defence’s arguments that Yao had travelled in and out of Singapore for years without being arrested, District Judge James Elisha Lee noted that Yao had used an Indonesian passport and had “clearly contributed to his non-apprehension”.
Judge Lee found no delay in prosecution, adding that any delay in enforcement action was contributed to materially by Yao’s own actions or inaction.
He intends to appeal against his conviction and sentence.
Yao had contested the enlistment charge, claiming he believed that he was bound by Indonesian law not to enlist, since Indonesian law forbids citizens from entering foreign military service.
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