Wah, took SIXTEEN YEARS and 21 CHANCES to catch this chap! And when they caught him IN TRANSIT, they let him continue his journey on verbal promises?! What is going on?! Interestingly, this news seem to be carried by Lianhe Zaobao in Chinese only, and there is also a Reddit post. Shit Times & CNA coverage absent? Cover up?!
Translated via Google:
The defendant, Chow Chun Kit (40 years old, transliteration), faced a total of 28 charges of violating the National Service Conscription Act. He pleaded guilty in the State Courts earlier , and the case was sentenced on Monday (February 23).
According to the case details, the defendant was born in Singapore, attended primary and secondary school there, and immigrated to Australia with his family at the age of 14.
After he turned 16 and a half in 2002, the Central Manpower Bureau sent him letters requesting that he register for national service and report for duty, and also stated that he needed to obtain approval to leave the country, but he did not complete any of the procedures.
Between December 2003 and August 2019, the defendant used his Australian passport to enter Singapore at least 21 times. He was arrested on August 9, 2019, while transiting at Changi Airport. The defendant claimed that he became an Australian citizen in 2001 and believed that he was no longer a Singaporean citizen and therefore not required to serve in the military, and stated that he would apply to renounce his Singaporean citizenship.
The Central Manpower Bureau allowed the defendant to continue his journey on the condition that he would remain in contact with the defendant at all times and return to cooperate with the investigation if necessary.
On January 31, 2020, the authorities sent an email to the defendant, requesting that he/she report to the Central Manpower Department by February 14. The defendant complied and completed a medical examination on February 17. At that time, the defendant's application to renounce citizenship had been rejected, and he/she was required to undergo further medical examinations due to blood pressure and sleep apnea issues.
However, after leaving Singapore on February 20, the defendant ignored four letters from the authorities requesting him to undergo medical examinations. Although he remained in contact with the authorities, he did not return to Singapore as instructed. He did not return until December 14, 2024, just two months before his 40th birthday.
On December 18, when the defendant reported to the Central Manpower Bureau, he stated that he had received a letter from the authorities, but had not returned to his home country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, family, and work commitments. The defendant will no longer be eligible for conscription after turning 40 on February 24, 2025, and he had not yet completed the pre-enlistment procedures by then.
The court revealed that the defendant had stayed abroad for 16 years, 6 months, and 28 days without obtaining an exit permit.
Since the High Court established the sentencing framework for draft evasion in 2017, 31 people, including the defendants, have been imprisoned for draft evasion. The Ministry of Defence previously emphasized that the authorities take violations of the National Service Conscription Act very seriously. All male citizens and permanent residents of Singapore are obligated to perform national service. Allowing citizens or permanent residents residing overseas to evade draft service, or to freely choose when to begin their service, is unfair to others who are fulfilling their national service obligations."
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20260223-8626107
Translated via Google:
"A 40-year-old man who immigrated to Australia as a child and evaded military service for over 16 years was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
A 40-year-old man who immigrated to Australia with his family when he was young was sentenced to 16 months in prison for evading military service for more than 16 years and using his Australian passport to enter Singapore at least 21 times.The defendant, Chow Chun Kit (40 years old, transliteration), faced a total of 28 charges of violating the National Service Conscription Act. He pleaded guilty in the State Courts earlier , and the case was sentenced on Monday (February 23).
According to the case details, the defendant was born in Singapore, attended primary and secondary school there, and immigrated to Australia with his family at the age of 14.
After he turned 16 and a half in 2002, the Central Manpower Bureau sent him letters requesting that he register for national service and report for duty, and also stated that he needed to obtain approval to leave the country, but he did not complete any of the procedures.
Between December 2003 and August 2019, the defendant used his Australian passport to enter Singapore at least 21 times. He was arrested on August 9, 2019, while transiting at Changi Airport. The defendant claimed that he became an Australian citizen in 2001 and believed that he was no longer a Singaporean citizen and therefore not required to serve in the military, and stated that he would apply to renounce his Singaporean citizenship.
The Central Manpower Bureau allowed the defendant to continue his journey on the condition that he would remain in contact with the defendant at all times and return to cooperate with the investigation if necessary.
On January 31, 2020, the authorities sent an email to the defendant, requesting that he/she report to the Central Manpower Department by February 14. The defendant complied and completed a medical examination on February 17. At that time, the defendant's application to renounce citizenship had been rejected, and he/she was required to undergo further medical examinations due to blood pressure and sleep apnea issues.
However, after leaving Singapore on February 20, the defendant ignored four letters from the authorities requesting him to undergo medical examinations. Although he remained in contact with the authorities, he did not return to Singapore as instructed. He did not return until December 14, 2024, just two months before his 40th birthday.
On December 18, when the defendant reported to the Central Manpower Bureau, he stated that he had received a letter from the authorities, but had not returned to his home country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, family, and work commitments. The defendant will no longer be eligible for conscription after turning 40 on February 24, 2025, and he had not yet completed the pre-enlistment procedures by then.
The court revealed that the defendant had stayed abroad for 16 years, 6 months, and 28 days without obtaining an exit permit.
Since the High Court established the sentencing framework for draft evasion in 2017, 31 people, including the defendants, have been imprisoned for draft evasion. The Ministry of Defence previously emphasized that the authorities take violations of the National Service Conscription Act very seriously. All male citizens and permanent residents of Singapore are obligated to perform national service. Allowing citizens or permanent residents residing overseas to evade draft service, or to freely choose when to begin their service, is unfair to others who are fulfilling their national service obligations."
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20260223-8626107
