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PRC Chinese language teacher just granted Singapore citizenship asks MINDEF to allow more people to defer NS[/h]Posted by
temasektimes on July 8, 2012
In other First World Asian countries like Japan and South Korea, it would be almost impossible for a Chinese language teacher to obtain their permanent residency let alone citizenship, but not so in Singapore where PRC Chinese language teachers are granted citizenship easily.
36 year old PRC Chinese language teacher Chen Rongli (陈荣利) from the city of Xian in China was one of 200 foreigners given Singapore ‘citizenship’ yesterday by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in person.
In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Chen said she ‘supports’ her two sons serving NS as it will be able to ‘train their bodies’
(来自中国西安的新公民陈荣利(36岁,华文教师),也支持两个孩子服役,她认为男生服役能锻炼体能,磨炼意志,还能培养纪律和集体意识)
However, she hopes the Ministry of Defence can exercise ‘flexibility’ in allowing more people to defer NS.
(但陈荣利希望国防部能更灵活地实施征召法令,允许更多人延迟服役)
The Singapore government has always emphasized that Singapore citizenship is only given to ‘well-deserving’ and ‘qualified’ foreigners whose ‘skills and expertise’ are needed here. It is not known if there is a lack of Chinese language teachers in Singapore.
Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen recently revealed that one third of foreigners renounced their Singapore PR prior to entering NS.