SINGAPORE — Individual physical proficiency tests (IPPT) for operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) will be further suspended until Aug 31, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said on Monday (June 22).

Mindef will grant a one-time waiver to those who had been due to take the fitness test during this period, stated a text message sent to NSmen by Mindef on Monday.

All IPPT preparatory training and remedial training at fitness conditioning centres, Safra gyms and parks will also continue to be put on hold, based on the text message.

The text message sent to NSmen on June 22, 2020.

Last Tuesday, Mindef announced via its Facebook page that these NSmen IPPT activities, as well as in-camp training not deemed vital to operations, would continue to be deferred, but it did not specify how long the suspensions will last. Mindef said it would monitor the situation and review measures to keep servicemen safe.

IPPT activities and some ICTs for NSmen have been put on hold for almost three months since the end of March. Chief of Defence Force Melvyn Ong had said then that the Singapore Armed Forces would monitor the situation on a “month-by-month basis”.

ICTs deemed not vital to operations largely comprise skills training and refresher sessions, which do not have an impact on the overall readiness of NS units when postponed on a relatively short-term basis.

Some NSmen with relevant skill sets, however, have been called up to support the Government’s efforts against Covid-19. For example, some servicemen were deployed at community care facilities at the Singapore Expo to provide medical care for Covid-19 patients.

NSmen who are affected by the suspension will be notified of the changes by letter in the next three weeks, or can check the NS Portal for updates, Mindef said.

Basic military training for recruits resumed progressively from May 26, with extra health and safety measures in place, after a seven-week suspension during the circuit breaker period.

The ministry has also suspended all large-scale overseas military exercises, including Exercise Wallaby in Australia, which was scheduled to take place between September and November.