A sad farewell

Hey guys, got a letter from the ministry of defence singapore...i have to do national service for 2 years. The reason i am surprised is because i became a british citizen when i was child and was told ive lost my singaporian citizenship...but apparantly because i was born in singapore i still have to join the army...

I start on the 19th of July. I just fixed my tannoy aswell....gona have all this nice hifi collecting dust for 2 years, should i sell it or have it stored away? Am so gutted and shocked...

good bye to all u cool peeps on this forum, was nice discussing with u all

Ultra :SLEEP:

 

that is shocking...!! blimey, what a shock to the system it must be for you!

that must be so hard to comprehend...

can you not talk to your mp, the embassy etc..? surely someone must be able to stop this nonsense...

 

A friend of mine at university said that the key to getting through national service in singapore easily is to smoke. That way when you go out for a cigarette you'll be mixing with the officers who also smoke and you'll mix as equals...

He also told me some gruesome stories of accidents in training, so be careful!

Good luck!

 

Surely it only applies if you return? I know an Israeli who just stayed abroad until he was too old for their NS. Isn't it the same? Take legal advice..

 

Thats evil... if you are in England can't you just stay here? What will they do come and fetch you?

 

If you're a UK citizen you must have rights in the UK. Just don't turn up, I can't see the UK gov't extraditing you for refusing call up to the Singaporean army.

-- Ian

 

To make it even more frustrating, ive only just graduated from uni...and had a job lined up

fitness wise i would be fine as i am at peak physical condition at the moment. Ive lived in england all my life practically, i came over coz my mum n dad divorced and i chose to stay with my mum. I rang the Singapore embassy up and apparantly, i didnt renounce my singaporian citizenship when i was a kid and even if i do it now i'll still have to serve, or else i can never go back without getting arrested and fined. Do you think the British embassy could do anything about it? I cant believe i only have two weeks to say farewell to my friends and sort out all my bills, subscriptions, student loan repayment, girlfriend this is outragious!

 

Unfortunately, thats my general experience of the UK as well, being a non-smoker.

 

Do you plan to ever return to Singapore? If not, ignore the call up. They can't do anything to force you to leave the country you're a citizen of.

-- Ian

 

Personally if it was me I would never go back there, but I understand you have familly there. Still I would ask them to see me, no way is anyone going to force me into the army when I have spent my life in another country!

 

2 years is a long time...your friends and family will be devasted, especially your girlfriend!

 

Its a strange feeling i have right now, if i dont go back i feel like im betraying my family, especially my dad and 5 uncles plus cousins who have all done national service, they see it as a step to becoming a true man so going back i can show them what i can do. My cousin is a year younger and he has become an officer and 2nd leiutenant. I have a degree and it is suppose to help but the only problem is i cant speak madarin as well as the locals plus my accent might make me an outsider. I dont think i could face not being able to go back to my own country ever again and be seen as a a criminal.

 

I'd tell them to stick it. You have a life to lead here. Forget about it.

 

Is girlfriend nice? pics?

Only kiddin. Take advice, you cant do that, joining an army and you cant even speak the lingo. Anyhow, do you not have dual citizenship?

Im pretty sure there have been quite a few celebs who have had a similar thing and they got out of it. On the other hand, after being a good-for-nothing student a stint of NS will do you good, make you man. This any help?

Seriously, I try eveything to get out of it. Failing that how much would you want for the sub? only joking.

 

I can see how it's tough for you - with family loyalties and all that...something us brits don't have to think about, well, not like that anyway...well, you can only do what you feel is right...

its not a decision I'd like to make, but I'm afraid me - like most other brits would do whats best for themselves...therefore tell em' where to stick it...

 

Thats a difficult situation to be in. I would have thought that they would simply say that in order to keep your citizenship you would have to do the 2 years service and that if you dont do it you simply cant keep your citizenship, but to say you'd be arrested etc if you went back seems daft. Personally Id tell em to stick it, but then im not in your position. Following on from what others have said, I would get some legal advice on this if i were you, so you know definitively what your position is. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

Take legal advice, and talk to the uk embassy. You won't be letting your parents down you'll be letting yourself down if you waste that degree by not going streight into a career. It wouldn't be nice to be a criminal in your own country though, my best wishes for you.

 

Thanks all for the advice and kind messages, if i had a choice i wouldnt go back, ive just been offered a nice starting job as a junior designer which is what i want to do and eventually become freelance etc, my gf has just got a lump sum too put down as a deposit for a house and things are going so well with her, she actually calls me her little hifi geek and is buying me a "surprise" bday present (Rotel RA1062 anyone?her sister told me!) Has anyone got the number for the UK embassy and who would i need to speak to? Its a hard decision, i may well just give up my Singaporian citizenship, do well for myself back here in england and pay for my family to come over here to visit me, ive lived there for 5years before and practially been everywhere there is to go as its such a small island. I only just got to relax after stressing about my final major project and exhibition and now i have this to worry about, dear lord!

 

http://www.fco.gov.uk/

 

I dunno they take your citizenship and then 20 yrs later say they want you to do your army service.
If you ain;t a citizen, they can't make you do anything, as well as being a citizen here, too.
Tell em to come here and arrest you.