3 out of 4 PES status appeals were for an upgrade

High proportion shows desire for more demanding vocations: Chan Chun Sing

- Samuel Devaraj

Three in four appeals by pre-enlistees to review their assigned Physical Employment Standard (PES) were requests to upgrade their PES status, said the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).

The current medical classification system assigns pre-enlistees different grades based on their medical condition, and determines whether a full-time national serviceman (NSF) is fit or unfit for combat roles. An NSF's PES status is therefore among the key factors that determine his vocation during national service.

On April 13, Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing said fewer than 1 per cent of pre-enlistees seek a PES status review, which showed that the current medical classification system (MCS) has been pretty robust.

An average of 21,300 NSFs enlisted annually across the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Home Team between 2021 and 2025.

That 75 per cent of appeals sought an upgrade to the PES status “speaks well of the fighting spirit of our people” and highlights their desire for a more demanding vocation, he added.

NSFs told The Straits Times how, under the current PES system, they had been classified as medically unfit for combat roles due to past injuries, and had to appeal to be upgraded in order to take on roles they felt capable of performing.