It's bad news for 19-year-old Brandon Smith — he'll still have to serve national service in Singapore whether he likes it or not.
The Singapore-born New Zealand teen came up in the news last month, citing unfairness over being forced to serve the mandatory conscription even though he moved to Dunedin when he was eight.
Smith finds it illogical for him to head back here, stating that he would be treated as an outsider, and the monthly pay would not be able to cover his food and lodging after the initial three-month training period. Attempts to defer his national service until the age of 21 — the age where Singaporeans can give up their citizenship — have been unsuccessful.