He's not be charged for desertion or AWOL, but here're some
relevant info anyway ....
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SGP101682.E 25 August 2006
Singapore: Types and frequency of sentences imposed on individuals
found guilty of desertion from the Singapore Armed Forces;
procedures followed by the authorities in cases of desertion (2000
- 2006)
Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada,
Ottawa
Penalties for desertion
According to Section 23 of the Singapore Armed Forces Act, passed
in 1972 and last revised in 2000,
1) Every person subject to military law who deserts shall be guilty
of an offence and shall be liable on conviction by a subordinate
military court to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or
any less punishment authorised by this Act.
(2) For the purposes of this section, a person deserts if he
-
(a) leaves or fails to attend at his place of duty in the Singapore
Armed Forces with the intention of remaining permanently absent
from duty without lawful authority, or, having left or failed to
attend at his place of duty in the Singapore Armed Forces,
thereafter forms the like intention; or
(b) absents himself without leave with intent to avoid service or
any particular service before the enemy,
and references in this Act to desertion shall be construed
accordingly.
Any person who is absent without official leave (AWOL) from service
in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) could face a prison term of up
to two years (Singapore 15 June, Sec. 22; The Straits Times 6 Oct.
2003); however, if it is proven that the person did not intend to
return to SAF service, he could be imprisoned for up to ten years
(ibid.). Under the Singapore Armed Forces Act, persons who fail to
report military deserters and "absentees" could be penalized with a
prison term of up to two years (15 June 1972, Sec. 24).
In January 2006, The Straits Times, an English-language Singapore
daily newspaper, reported that members of the SAF who commit
certain offences, such as desertion, may also have to pay a fine
(18 Jan. 2006). According to the same article, fines vary depending
on the rank of the officer and the seriousness of the offence
committed (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006). As of January 2006,
fines given to SAF officers range from 300 to 10,000 Singapore
dollars [approximately CAN$213 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006a) to CAN$7,115
(XE.com 21 Aug. 2006b)] (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006). Prior to
this, SAF officers were fined between 100 and 2,000 Singapore
dollars [approximately CAN$71 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006c) to CAN$1,423
(XE.com 21 Aug. 2006d)] (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006). A new
recruit to the SAF reportedly earns SGP$350 per month
[approximately CAN$249 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006e)], while a third
sergeant earns SGP$560 [approximately CAN$398 (XE.com 21 Aug.
2006f)] (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006).
Information on the number of SAF deserters and the frequency of
sentences imposed from 2000 to 2006 could not be found among the
sources consulted by the Research Directorate; however, according
to Defence Ministry statistics cited in The Straits Times, the most
common offence of SAF members is being absent without official
leave (6 Oct. 2003).
Regarding the severity of punishments handed down by SAF martial
courts, a 7 October 2003 article in The Straits Times indicates
that although the court can impose the death penalty for
treason,
[t]he heaviest punishment the court has given in more than three
decades is three years' imprisonment in a civilian jail for
desertion and repeated drug use.
Corroborating information on this topic could not be found among
the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
http://www.cisr-irb.gc.ca/en/research/rir/?action=record.viewrec&gotorec=450455
