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SINGAPORE : Permanent residents (PRs) will make up 12 per cent of the total number of people enlisting for national service (NS) in 2020, said Second Minister of Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for 30 officers of the 9th National Service Command and Staff Course, Dr Ng said an upcoming challenge facing the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be the changing demography of full-time servicemen as numbers of new citizens and permanent residents rise.
Dr Ng said the proportion of permanent residents among enlistees is projected to grow from six per cent in 2006 to eight per cent in 2015 and 12 per cent in 2020.
He added that it will be critical for the graduating officers to communicate to them the importance of National Service, and also to ensure that new citizens and PRs have generally positive NS experiences.
The officers, who have just completed the demanding eight-month course, will become battalion commanders and brigade principal staff officers in SAF units.
Another challenge facing the SAF is the current economic gloom.
Dr Ng said as economic conditions take centrestage, the SAF has to continue to focus on the increasingly complex and dynamic security environment.
He warned that the current financial crisis may cause social and political stresses, leading to uncertainty. - CNA /ls
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