Heng Chee How on Enlistment and Other Matters (Amendment) Bill
Electronic ways of sending orders and notices to National Service (NS) and Singapore Armed Forces personnel have been used for the past two decades and will be formalised under the Enlistment and Other Matters (Amendment) Bill. An Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NSman) is now informed of his NS call-up activity by SMS and in his NS Portal account. He can reply to the SMS directly or log on to the NS Portal. If he fails to acknowledge the SMS, a reminder will be sent. If he fails to acknowledge the second reminder, a hardcopy version will be sent by registered post. Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, who outlined these steps in Parliament on Friday (Feb 16), said 75 per cent of servicemen acknowledge notices and orders electronically by the first or second SMS and do not need to receive hardcopy reminders. As the practice of receiving notices and orders by electronic means is now well-accepted and entrenched, the proposed amendments will formalise this into the amended Enlistment Act, he said. These electronic means come with the same deeming provisions, which presume that Enlistment Act notices and orders are received and read within a fixed timeframe to ensure that a recipient cannot feign ignorance of his NS obligations. He said safeguards will be put in place, such as continuing with the practice of issuing orders and notices to individuals through various channels. If they fail to respond to orders or notices issued by electronic means, the Ministry of Defence will serve orders or notices using existing modes of service, such as telephone calls or registered post. Similar changes will apply to the electronic delivery of orders, notices and requisitions, along with safeguards to ensure that every effort and every attempt will be made to reach civil resource owners. Mr Heng said the Enlistment Act and Requisition of Resources Act have served Singapore well, and the amendments will allow Singapore to “modernise and tidy up” both Acts.
Electronic ways of sending orders and notices to National Service (NS) and Singapore Armed Forces personnel have been used for the past two decades and will be formalised under the Enlistment and Other Matters (Amendment) Bill. An Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NSman) is now informed of his NS call-up activity by SMS and in his NS Portal account. He can reply to the SMS directly or log on to the NS Portal. If he fails to acknowledge the SMS, a reminder will be sent. If he fails to acknowledge the second reminder, a hardcopy version will be sent by registered post. Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, who outlined these steps in Parliament on Friday (Feb 16), said 75 per cent of servicemen acknowledge notices and orders electronically by the first or second SMS and do not need to receive hardcopy reminders. As the practice of receiving notices and orders by electronic means is now well-accepted and entrenched, the proposed amendments will formalise this into the amended Enlistment Act, he said. These electronic means come with the same deeming provisions, which presume that Enlistment Act notices and orders are received and read within a fixed timeframe to ensure that a recipient cannot feign ignorance of his NS obligations. He said safeguards will be put in place, such as continuing with the practice of issuing orders and notices to individuals through various channels. If they fail to respond to orders or notices issued by electronic means, the Ministry of Defence will serve orders or notices using existing modes of service, such as telephone calls or registered post. Similar changes will apply to the electronic delivery of orders, notices and requisitions, along with safeguards to ensure that every effort and every attempt will be made to reach civil resource owners. Mr Heng said the Enlistment Act and Requisition of Resources Act have served Singapore well, and the amendments will allow Singapore to “modernise and tidy up” both Acts.
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