Singapore legislation
Regulation 37
of Singapore Armed Forces (Military Domain Experts Service) Regulations 2010
Regulation 37
Preserved benefits for servicemen on Premium Plan
Subregulation 1
This regulation applies to a serviceman who is a member of the Premium Plan and who exercises an option to be transferred to the military domain experts service, and who is not subsequently transferred to another uniformed service.
Subregulation 2
Subject to paragraph (3), all contributions to —
the serviceman’s CPF Top-Up Account and CARE Account under regulation 12(1)(a), (b), (ba), (c) or (ca) of the Singapore Armed Forces (Premium Plan) Regulations; or
the serviceman’s CARE Account under regulation 18A(1)(a) or (b) of those Regulations,as the case may be, must cease with effect from the date of his transfer to the military domain experts service.
Subregulation 3
Where the serviceman is transferred to the military domain experts service on or after 1 April 2010, the Board must cause to be credited to his CARE Account —
any CARE Initial Quantum which he would have been granted on or after 1 April 2010 but for the transfer; and
a sum equivalent to 2 months of his gross salary as at the date of his transfer, when all of the following conditions are satisfied:
the serviceman was a soldier in a combat vocation immediately before that date;
the serviceman had attained the rank of Warrant Officer immediately before that date, or would have attained such rank on that date but for the transfer;
the serviceman has completed at least 12 years of reckonable service (whether as a soldier or in the military domain experts service).
Subregulation 4
The Board may, during any financial year, cause to be credited, to the serviceman’s accounts in the SAVER-Premium Fund, a dividend out of the net income (as defined in regulation 2 of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAVER-Premium Fund) Regulations) and net unrealised profits of the SAVER-Premium Fund for that financial year.
Subregulation 5
Where the serviceman retires or is required to retire from the Singapore Armed Forces on any ground specified in regulation 11(1), resigns from the Singapore Armed Forces or dies in regular service, the portion of moneys standing to the serviceman’s credit in his CARE Account in relation to his age at the date of his retirement, resignation or death (as the case may be) prescribed in the applicable provision as specified in paragraph (5A) vests in, and may be awarded in respect of, the serviceman.
Subregulation 5A
The applicable provision is —
where the serviceman was a Category B member immediately before his transfer to the military domain experts service and has completed at least 12 complete years of reckonable service — paragraph 1A of the Fifth Schedule;
where the serviceman (other than a naval diver) enlisted in the regular service of the Singapore Armed Forces before 1 April 2010 and has completed at least 15 complete years of reckonable service, and was (immediately before his transfer to the military domain experts service) of the rank of Warrant Officer and not a Category B member — the first and second columns of paragraph 1 of the Fifth Schedule;
where the serviceman (other than a naval diver) enlisted in the regular service of the Singapore Armed Forces before 1 April 2010 and has completed at least 15 complete years of reckonable service, and was (immediately before his transfer to the military domain experts service) below the rank of Warrant Officer and not a Category B member — the first and third columns of paragraph 1 of the Fifth Schedule;
where the serviceman (other than a naval diver) enlisted in the regular service of the Singapore Armed Forces on or after 1 April 2010 and has completed at least 12 complete years of reckonable service, and was (immediately before his transfer to the military domain experts service) of the rank of Warrant Officer and not a Category B member — the first and second columns of paragraph 2 of the Fifth Schedule;
where the serviceman (other than a naval diver) enlisted in the regular service of the Singapore Armed Forces on or after 1 April 2010 and has completed at least 12 complete years of reckonable service, and was (immediately before his transfer to the military domain experts service) below the rank of Warrant Officer and not a Category B member — the first and third columns of paragraph 2 of the Fifth Schedule; or
where the serviceman is a naval diver who —
enlisted in the regular service of the Singapore Armed Forces before 1 April 2010 and has completed at least 15 complete years of reckonable service; or
enlisted in the regular service of the Singapore Armed Forces on or after 1 April 2010 and has completed at least 12 complete years of reckonable service,and was (immediately before his transfer to the military domain service) not a Category B member — paragraph 3 of the Fifth Schedule.
Subregulation 6
Notwithstanding paragraph (5) —
where the serviceman retires from the Singapore Armed Forces on the ground specified in regulation 11(1)(b) or (d), the sum vested in the serviceman under paragraph (5) may be reduced to the extent determined by the Armed Forces Council; and
where the serviceman retires from the Singapore Armed Forces on the ground specified in regulation 11(1)(c), (e), (g) or (h), the sum vested in the serviceman under paragraph (5) may be increased to the extent and paid in such manner as determined by the Armed Forces Council.
Subregulation 7
Despite paragraph (5), where the serviceman retires from the Singapore Armed Forces on any ground specified in regulation 11(1)(a), (b), (d), (e), (f) or (g), no sum in the serviceman’s CARE Account vests in him unless —
in the case where the serviceman —
became a member of the Premium Plan before 1 April 2010 and is an opted Category B member; or
became a member of the Premium Plan on or after 1 April 2010,he has completed at least 12 complete years of reckonable service; or
in any other case — he has completed at least 15 complete years of reckonable service.
Subregulation 8
The Board may authorise the payment to the serviceman, or any other person eligible under regulation 38, of the sum vested in the serviceman in accordance with paragraphs (5), (6) and (7).
Subregulation 9
The sums vested in the serviceman shall not be withdrawn unless he —
retires or is required to retire from the Singapore Armed Forces on any of the grounds specified in regulation 11(1);
resigns from the Singapore Armed Forces; or
dies in regular service.
Subregulation 10
Notwithstanding paragraph (4), where the serviceman —
is discharged on any ground specified in regulation 17 or 18 of the Enlistment Regulations 1970;
is discharged with ignominy;
is dismissed as a result of the sentence of a subordinate military court or the Military Court of Appeal or a sentence substituted by the Armed Forces Council; or
is on probation, and has his service with the Singapore Armed Forces terminated at or before the end of the period of probation,the Armed Forces Council may forfeit all or any of the sums vested in the serviceman under that paragraph if the serviceman had, on the date of his discharge or dismissal, or of the termination of his service, retired from the Singapore Armed Forces on any ground specified in regulation 11(1).
Subregulation 11
Where the serviceman —
retires or is required to retire from the Singapore Armed Forces on any ground specified in regulation 11(1);
resigns from the Singapore Armed Forces;
dies in regular service; or
is discharged or dismissed, or has his service with the Singapore Armed Forces terminated, in any circumstances specified in paragraph (10),his CARE Account shall be closed with effect from the date of his retirement, resignation, death, discharge or dismissal or of the termination of his service, as the case may be.
Subregulation 12
The Board shall credit to the Forfeiture Account of the SAVER-Premium Fund any balance of the moneys in the serviceman’s closed CARE Account after the sum allowed to be withdrawn under this regulation has been paid.
Subregulation 13
The Board shall transfer the money standing to the credit of the serviceman in his CPF Top-Up Account (if any) to the Central Provident Fund Board, to the credit of his account in the Central Provident Fund, and his CPF Top-Up Account (if any) shall be closed, when any of the following occurs:
he retires or is required to retire from the Singapore Armed Forces on any ground specified in regulation 11(1);
he resigns from the Singapore Armed Forces;
he dies in regular service;
he is discharged or dismissed, or has his service with the Singapore Armed Forces terminated, in any circumstances specified in paragraph (10); or
if there is no money standing to his credit in his CARE Account, when he is transferred to the military domain experts service.
Subregulation 14
Where the total amount standing to the credit of the serviceman in his account in the Central Provident Fund after the transfer of the money under paragraph (13) is less than the retirement sum referred to in section 15(6)(a) of the Central Provident Fund Act 1953, the deficiency in his account in the Central Provident Fund shall be met out of the sum vested in his CARE Account in the SAVER-Premium Fund.
Subregulation 15
[Deleted by S 450/2021 wef 01/07/2021]
Subregulation 16
Where the serviceman is enlisted for regular service before 1st April 2010 and is transferred to the military domain experts service without having completed 10 years of reckonable service, he may, after completing 10 years of reckonable service, be granted such part of the START benefit referred to in regulation 13(1) of the Singapore Armed Forces (Premium Plan) Regulations (Rg 22) under such conditions as the Armed Forces Council may, by General Order, impose.
Subregulation 17
Where the serviceman was in the pensionable service in the Government immediately applicable to him at the time of his conversion to the Premium Plan on 31st March 2000, and the serviceman has completed such period of reckonable service with the Singapore Armed Forces as the Armed Forces Council may determine, the serviceman may be granted post-retirement benefits based on the medical schemes prior to his retirement on such terms and conditions as the Armed Forces Council may, by General Order, decide —
where the serviceman is transferred to the military domain experts service on 1st April 2010, if he —
is a soldier of or below the rank of Master Sergeant immediately before the transfer, and retires on or after attaining 35 years of age; or
is a Warrant Officer immediately before the transfer, and retires on or after attaining 40 years of age; or
where the serviceman is transferred to the military domain experts service after 1st April 2010, if, immediately before the transfer, he —
has attained the age of 35 years and is a soldier of or below the rank of Master Sergeant; or
has attained the age of 40 years and is a Warrant Officer.
Subregulation 18
For the purposes of this regulation and the Fifth Schedule, a serviceman attains the age mentioned in this regulation or that Schedule (as the case may be) on the relevant anniversary of his birthday.
Subregulation 19
For the purposes of paragraph (18) —
a reference to the anniversary of a serviceman’s birthday is a reference to the day on which the anniversary occurs; and
a serviceman who is born on 29 February is deemed to attain the age mentioned in this regulation or the Fifth Schedule (as the case may be) in any year that is not a leap year on 28 February of the year in which the serviceman attains that age.
Subregulation 20
In this regulation, “Category B member” and “opted Category B member” have the meanings given by regulation 2(1) of the Singapore Armed Forces (Premium Plan) Regulations.