Medical Reviews under Refreshed NS Medical Classification That Result in Vocational Reassignments

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence regarding the refreshed National Service medical classification (a) whether the refresh is intended to sustain combat unit staffing amid declining birth rates; and (b) how medical reviews resulting in changes to medical exemptions will affect vocational reassignments.

The refreshed Medical Classification System (MCS) is part of broader efforts over the years to optimise the deployment of our National Servicemen in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Home Team.

As the nature of warfare and our security landscape evolve, traditional notions of “combat fitness” are no longer sufficient. The SAF and Home Team have therefore adopted technology and developed new operational concepts to address the evolving security threats, taking into account the manpower available today and in the future. This has opened up a wider variety of operational roles for our Servicemen.

By providing a more precise understanding of each Serviceman's medical fitness, the refreshed MCS enables our Servicemen to take on roles that better reflect what they can do and thus increasing meaningful opportunities for them to contribute in the SAF and Home Team. Some 1,200 servicemen each year will be eligible for more training activities and roles they would have been previously ineligible for.

SAF pre-enlistees enlisting from October 2027 onwards and Home Team pre-enlistees enlisting from November 2027 onwards will be graded under the refreshed MCS. Similar to today, Full-time National Servicemen who experience a change in their medical conditions during Full-Time National Service may be redeployed as their conditions should commensurate with the requirements of the roles they are in.