Q1. Why must MINDEF impose exit controls on NS-liable males?
Exit
controls are necessary to ensure that NS-liable males who have gone
overseas to study or reside at a young age return to fulfil their NS
responsibilities.
Q2. Why can't MINDEF exempt young males aged 13 to 16½ from exit controls?
Exit
control measures have to be applied at a reasonably younger age so that
they could be effective to prevent those who leave at a younger age
defaulting on their NS responsibilities
Q3. Why has MINDEF decided to shift the starting age for exit controls from age 11 to 13?
Currently,
the starting age of exit controls is pegged at age 11, the age where
Singaporeans used to be issued with NRICs. With Singaporeans now being
issued NRICs at age 15, there is no longer a special reason to retain
age 11 as the starting age for exit controls. MINDEF has therefore
decided to set it at age 13, which is when students would have just
started their secondary school education.
Q4. Why is MINDEF removing passport controls?
With
the introduction of the non-extendable Singapore Biometric passport, a
continuation of passport controls for young males would mean that they
will have to pay for a new biometric passport upon expiry each time.
This will result in greater inconvenience and higher cost for young
males and their families. MINDEF has therefore decided to remove
passport controls.
Q5. Will young males holding non-biometric Singapore passport be given full validity?
Those
holding non-biometric Singapore Passports will also have their
passports extended for the full duration of 5 or 10 years. This is
however subject to the remaining lifespan of the passport.
Q6. Why does MINDEF require young males to apply for an exit permit?
With
the removal of passport controls, it is necessary for MINDEF to extend
exit permit requirements (which currently affect only NS-liable males
aged 16½ and above) to males aged 13 and above in order to ensure that
young males who go overseas return to serve NS. However, to avoid
inconveniencing those who make short overseas trips during vacations,
exit permits will only be required for overseas trips of 3 months or
more.
Q7. Will young males who require exit permits be required to furnish a bond?
Young
males aged 13 to 16½ will only be required to furnish a bond if they
require an exit permit of 2 years or more. This arrangement is similar
to the current practice where only young males who require a passport
validity of more than 2 years are required to furnish a bond.
Males
aged 16½ to enlistment are approaching the age of enlistment. They are
therefore subject to more stringent exit controls to deter potential NS
defaulters. The current practice of requiring such males to furnish a
bond if they require an exit permit of 3 months or more will continue.
Q8. Will young males aged 13 to 16½ who fail to apply for an exit permit be sentenced to imprisonment?
The
penalty regime for exit permit offences of young males aged 13 to 16½
will be a fine of up to $2,000, with no custodial sentences. They will
however be subject to harsher penalties should they continue to be in
breach of the Enlistment Act after that age 16½.
Males above 16½
years who travel and remain overseas without applying for an exit permit
will be prosecuted under the Enlistment Act. They will be liable upon
conviction to a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or both.
Q9. How will MINDEF deal with young males who do not
understand their obligations under the Enlistment Act or those who have
parents/guardians who deliberately encourage them to be in breach of the
Enlistment Act?
MINDEF recognises that some young males may
not be sufficiently mature to understand their obligations under the
Enlistment Act. Their parents or guardians may also have been
instrumental in decisions, which are in contravention of the Enlistment
Act. Parents and guardians would therefore also be liable for the exit
permit offences of their children or wards of ages 13 to 16½, so that
the penalty can be imposed on their parents or guardians when the
circumstances warrant it. The penalty regime for the offence will also
be a fine of up to $2,000. MINDEF will consider the circumstances of the
case carefully before deciding whether to issue warnings, composition
fines or to charge the parent or guardian in court.
Q10. When will the revised exit controls take effect?
The
revised exit control measures will be introduced together with the
launch of the Singapore Biometric Passport in the later half of the
year.
Q11. With the removal of passport controls, what would be
the arrangement for young males who have furnished bonds for extended
passport validity under the Immigration Bonding Scheme?
As
males below the age of 13 will no longer come under the ambit of
passport or exit control, those who had furnished a bond to the
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority under the Immigration Bonding
Scheme will have their bonds released.
Males aged 13 to 16½
currently bonded in order to be issued with passports of extended
validity will be required to apply for an exit permit for overseas trips
of 3 months or more. Those who require an exit permit of 2 years or
more will continue to be bonded. Those who require an exit permit of
less than 2 years or who do not require an exit permit will have their
bonds released.
Q12. If MINDEF continues with passport controls, how many
pre-enlistees would be inconvenienced by having to apply for a new
biometric passport every year?
According to the Immigration
and Checkpoints Authority, there are approximately 120,000
pre-registrants (males aged 11 to 16½) and 100,000 registrants (males
aged 16½ to enlistment) passport holders. With the passport validity of
pre-registrants and registrants capped at 2 years and 1 year
respectively, we would expect a pre-registrant to have to apply for a
new passport once in 2 years and a registrant once a year. On average,
100,000 have their passports extended annually.