This is a somewhat unique situation that I have not been able to find an answer to on the CMP website. I emigrated from Singapore to the US with my family at the age of 8 yrs 10 months in 1989. I returned briefly in 1994 at the age of 13 on a short family vacation. While on that short vacation in Singapore, my family obtained an IC for me. After returning from the vacation, I have not returned to Singapore since (though my parents did file for NS deferment when I approached 16 yrs of age). After I finished my high school education in the US, I decided not to return to Singapore for my National Service and instead continued my education by attending an University in the US. At that time, I was also nationalized as a US citizen with US passport and sought to renounce my Singapore citizenship via an email request (so not an actual appeal proceeding), which was subsequently denied. I, thus, became a National Service Defaulter. In any case, I then attended graduate school after my undergraduate training and attained a PhD in Medical Neuropharmacology.
My question is, since I emigrated from Singapore at 8 yrs 10 months and thus did not enjoyed significant socio-economic benefits of citizenship, will i have any success in the actual appeal process to renounce my citizen, escape National Service Default status with no punitive punishments and still be allowed to visit families in Singapore? does returning to singapore on a short family vacation and getting the IC while on that vacation (after 5 yrs of living in the US) then immediately leaving and not returning since 1993 constitute "enjoyed significant socio-economic benefits of citizenship"? What were the socio-economic benefits of citizenship? The IC? It didn't exactly help me in any way at all in the US. Do I have grounds for a successful appeal?
"National service-liable males who migrated from Singapore before age 11 and have not enjoyed significant socio-economic benefits of citizenship (e.g., applied for a Singapore identity card or studied in Singapore beyond the age of 11) are allowed to renounce their Singapore citizenship if they do not wish to fulfill their NS obligations. They will be required to register for national service with Central Manpower Base and apply for deferment from full-time NS until the age of 21, pending the renunciation of their Singapore citizenship. They can continue to make short social visits to Singapore and will not be required to serve NS if they renounced their citizenship at age 21. "