Quora Answer: Why Does Singapore Require Permanent Residents to be Conscripted into the Military?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Why does Singapore require Permanent Residents to be conscripted into the military?  What is the advantage after that?” 

National Service has got two objectives.  The first, and most obvious one, is to maintain a military deterrence against foreign aggression.  Since Singapore’s defence model is based on a citizen military, conscription is a central part of it.  For Permanent Residents, this is a show of commitment to the country they want to be citizens of.  This is a demonstration that they believe in the idea of Singapore, and are willing to fight for it.  We cannot simply have them reap the fruits of our development without paying their due. 

The second objective is as a means of National Education.  National Service inculcates specific values into its citizen soldiers, such as loyalty to the country, building community cohesion, and creating a personal relationship among Singaporeans and soon-to-be Singaporeans of different ethnicities, religions, and socioeconomic status.  This is part of our psychological defence.  We cannot allow expatriate enclaves to develop, since that would lead to the eventual breakdown of social cohesion.  From Basic Military Training onwards, people are forced to mix with, and develop a working relationship with people from all manner of background.