Leong Mun Wai on Enlistment and Other Matters (Amendment) Bill

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) welcomes the move by the Government to update the Enlistment Act, said NCMP Leong Mun Wai. Speaking in Parliament on Friday (Feb 16), he wanted to know why there were no amendments to the statutory length of liability for full-time National Service from two-and-a-half years to two years even though this has been the practice for 20 years. Mr Leong asked if retaining this provision in the Enlistment Act could mean that the Government expects that the duration of full-time National Service may be reverted to two-and-a-half years at some point in the future. He said the PSP calls on the Government to continue reviewing the duration of full-time National Service based on operational needs, demographic changes and technological advancement where possible, without compromising on operational readiness, training standards and the ability of the uniformed services to achieve their mission. “We will support further reductions in our dependence on large numbers of full-time National Servicemen and further reduction in the duration of full-time National Service,” he said.