I REFER to Monday's report, 'Give up citizenship? Brothers must do NS first'. Singapore has come of age and can afford to be more gracious in the treatment of its nationals.
"Can it be that Singapore fears that more citizens will choose not to do NS and seek citizenship elsewhere if the laws are more accommodating to allow a child to renounce citizenship?"
Precisely what the govt fears. It's happening already, and likely to get worse.
The fact is Singaporeans who can emigrate are those who are more highly educated or skilled or else they would never satisfy the strict criteria for PR by the adopted countries. Do we want to open the door wide for capable and well educated male Singaporeans to leave the country leaving the average Singaporeans to serve NS and defend the Singapore?
Its not about debt but fairness and consistency. They know the laws years ago and their parents could have made the decision. But being a citizen is not just being club member where you can pay your way around, but membership by blood. Everyone has to fulfill their parts...taxes does not buy our Army or Policy security...but commitment from fellow citizens.
code22xx (#6) hit the nail on its head. The laws are there for many many years. A child enjoyed privilages (his parents') citizenship and thereafter decided to back out of his NS obligations, and then wants to be equally treated as a foreigner.
Tough sell. A foreigner does not benefit from subsidised education, housing, medical care.
'Good luck. And may you come back one day bringing the network and experience from your new host countries.' Of course. But why should we write-off what you rightly owe the country? Discharge your debts, and then go. Default and pay the consequences.
Confucianism places loyalty to country way above fillial piety. So the appeal to confuciansim cuts no ice.
I'll try again to set the record straight.
These three young men were given Norwegian Citizenship at birth. They were born at the peak of the "Stop at Two"-period and had to follow Fathers Citizenship. They have always travelled on their Norwegian Passport, even when they resided in Singapore for a short period as teens.
At 21 they elected to retain their Norwegian Citizenship and consequently renounce their right to Singapore Citizenship, as is their right and obligation. They have therefor served NS in Norway and two of them enjoyed it so much that they are still in the Army, waiting to go back to Afghanistan, this time to train the Afghan Army. If they had chosen to become Singaporean, they may have done the same, but in SAF uniform. This is about their right to chose citizenship and not be forced to have dual citizenship AFTER the age of 21, which is against both Norwegian and Singaporean laws.
Why didn't you give up your boys' Singapore citizenship earlier, before the age of 21? Before that age, you, as their parents, were still authorised to make decisions for them.
If they had decided to take up Singapore citizenship after the age of 21, they could then have applied for it later?
August 30, 2008 Saturday, 01:58 AM
