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Amid the furore over footballer Ben Davis and his quest to defer his National Service (NS), the irony of it all is this: if the 17-year-old had excelled in his studies rather than in sports, it would not even be an issue.
Current and former Public Service Commission (PSC) scholars told Yahoo News Singapore that they are typically granted an automatic disruption from NS after they have completed a three-month Basic Military Training stint. This applies for both overseas and local scholars. The remainder of their NS obligations can also count towards fulfilling their bond.
Students who have obtained places in certain local universities and served at least a year of NS and medical students pursuing their courses in Singapore are also eligible for disruption.
By comparison, only three Singapore athletes have met the Ministry of Defence’s (Mindef) criteria for deferment – which is not the same as disruption – in the last 15 years. “In sports, deferments are granted only to those who represent Singapore in international competitions like the Olympic Games and are potential medal winners for Singapore,” said Mindef in a recent statement. By this standard, Fulham signee Davis does not “meet the criteria for long-term deferment”, it added.
A former scholar who served out the full length of his bond said, “This double standard imparts the value judgment that civil servants are a class above sportsmen.”
More at
Why does Mindef value scholars over sportsmen?
Current and former Public Service Commission (PSC) scholars told Yahoo News Singapore that they are typically granted an automatic disruption from NS after they have completed a three-month Basic Military Training stint. This applies for both overseas and local scholars. The remainder of their NS obligations can also count towards fulfilling their bond.
Students who have obtained places in certain local universities and served at least a year of NS and medical students pursuing their courses in Singapore are also eligible for disruption.
By comparison, only three Singapore athletes have met the Ministry of Defence’s (Mindef) criteria for deferment – which is not the same as disruption – in the last 15 years. “In sports, deferments are granted only to those who represent Singapore in international competitions like the Olympic Games and are potential medal winners for Singapore,” said Mindef in a recent statement. By this standard, Fulham signee Davis does not “meet the criteria for long-term deferment”, it added.
A former scholar who served out the full length of his bond said, “This double standard imparts the value judgment that civil servants are a class above sportsmen.”
More at
Why does Mindef value scholars over sportsmen?
