Header: Judge says 47-year-old’s conduct placed him among the “worst category” of NS defaulters in Singapore.
A 47-year-old Singaporean man who also held Indonesian citizenship has been sentenced to a record three years in jail after evading National Service (NS) obligations for almost 22 years.
The court described Edmond Yao Zhi Hai’s actions as among the most serious NS default cases seen in Singapore due to the exceptionally long duration of his avoidance, CNA reported.
Apart from the jail sentence, Yao was also fined S$3,000 for immigration-related offences after failing to produce his Singapore passport when entering the country.
According to court proceedings, Yao failed to fulfil both his full-time NS duties and reservist obligations after leaving Singapore and remaining overseas for decades.
The prosecution sought the maximum penalty available under the Enlistment Act, arguing that Yao had deliberately avoided his obligations despite repeated reminders from authorities.
The judge agreed, stating that Yao’s conduct placed him in the “worst category” of NS defaulters.
Yao reportedly plans to appeal against both his conviction and sentence and is currently out on bail.
Claimed Indonesian Law Prevented Him From Serving
During the trial, Yao argued that he believed he was not required to serve NS because Indonesian law prohibited its citizens from serving in foreign militaries.
However, the court rejected this defence.
The judge noted that the Central Manpower Base had informed Yao of his NS liabilities from the very beginning and that he could not claim he acted in good faith.
The court also highlighted that Yao had entered and left Singapore for years using an Indonesian passport, which contributed to authorities not apprehending him earlier.
The judge added there was no unreasonable delay in prosecuting the case, saying much of the delay was caused by Yao’s own actions.
Studied In Elite Singapore Schools Before Defaulting
Court documents showed that Yao was born in Singapore in 1978 to a Singaporean mother and Indonesian father.
Although his father registered him as an Indonesian citizen and obtained an Indonesian passport for him, Yao also enjoyed the rights of Singapore citizenship throughout his childhood.
He studied in local schools including Catholic High School, Raffles Institution, and Raffles Junior College.
Yao also received his Singapore NRIC in 1990.
In January 1996, the Central Manpower Base sent him a notice to register for NS.
A year later, his father requested a deferment until Yao turned 21, citing uncertainty over his citizenship status and Indonesian restrictions on military service.
However, CMPB rejected the request and informed the family that Yao was required to serve NS as he had exercised the benefits of Singapore citizenship, including receiving an education in Singapore.
Despite this, Yao failed to report for enlistment in January 1997.
Arrested In Singapore After More Than Two Decades
After leaving Singapore, Yao pursued further studies overseas between 1997 and 2001.
In 2003, he contacted the Singapore Embassy in Indonesia to renounce his Singapore citizenship, but the request was not supported due to his unresolved NS liabilities.
He later married a Singaporean woman in 2005 and even applied for Singapore permanent residency, though the application was rejected because he was already considered a Singapore citizen.
For years, Yao continued travelling in and out of Singapore without being arrested.
His run finally ended in September 2021 when he attempted to extend his short-term visit pass in Singapore and was detained for failing to fulfil his NS obligations.
Under Singapore law, failing to report for NS can carry a maximum penalty of three years’ jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.