AsiaOne,
Apr 29, 2016
A cross-dressing Singaporean who "has been living as a woman for
the past 10 years" has been granted sanctuary in Britain to protect
him from having to do reservist training in Singapore.
Britain's The Guardian reported on Wednesday (April 27) that two
judges have ruled that "she" should not be forcibly returned to
Singapore, where he would be required to do two weeks of reservist
training each year "for the next eight years".
The 33-year-old man, who was not named "for legal reasons", went to
Britain in September 2004 as a student.
His previous bids to remain in Britain for the same reason were
unsuccessful, and he was allowed to remain in the country until
October 2012 to complete his studies.
But his case was heard in the first tier of Britain's immigration
tribunal in November, The Guardian reported.
The judge then, referring to the man as a "her", said that
requiring the man to "hide her gender and live as a man, even for
two weeks a year, would be wholly unreasonable".
Britain's Home Office appealed against that judgment, but the
appeal was rejected this week.
According to The Guardian report, Britain's Home Office had
accepted the man as a woman, and the gender on her Home Office ID
card is female.
The man had completed National Service in Singapore between
December 2001 and June 2004, and has said that he "felt
uncomfortable serving with men".
It was reported in The Straits Times in 2014 that the man who
considers himself a "transgender lesbian" cannot change his gender
to female under Singapore law as he had not undergone sex-change
surgery.
He also does not have any intention to undergo surgery.
The Straits Times said in a report today (April 29) that if
repatriated, the man would be required to serve in-camp training of
about two weeks a year until 2023, or face up to three years in
prison and a fine of $10,000.