He's not be charged for desertion or AWOL, but here're some relevant info anyway ....
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SGP101682.E 25 August 2006
Singapore: Types and frequency of sentences imposed on individuals found guilty of desertion from the Singapore Armed Forces; procedures followed by the authorities in cases of desertion (2000 - 2006)
Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa
Penalties for desertion
According to Section 23 of the Singapore Armed Forces Act, passed in 1972 and last revised in 2000,
1) Every person subject to military law who deserts shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction by a subordinate military court to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or any less punishment authorised by this Act.
(2) For the purposes of this section, a person deserts if he -
(a) leaves or fails to attend at his place of duty in the Singapore Armed Forces with the intention of remaining permanently absent from duty without lawful authority, or, having left or failed to attend at his place of duty in the Singapore Armed Forces, thereafter forms the like intention; or
(b) absents himself without leave with intent to avoid service or any particular service before the enemy,
and references in this Act to desertion shall be construed accordingly.
Any person who is absent without official leave (AWOL) from service in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) could face a prison term of up to two years (Singapore 15 June, Sec. 22; The Straits Times 6 Oct. 2003); however, if it is proven that the person did not intend to return to SAF service, he could be imprisoned for up to ten years (ibid.). Under the Singapore Armed Forces Act, persons who fail to report military deserters and "absentees" could be penalized with a prison term of up to two years (15 June 1972, Sec. 24).
In January 2006, The Straits Times, an English-language Singapore daily newspaper, reported that members of the SAF who commit certain offences, such as desertion, may also have to pay a fine (18 Jan. 2006). According to the same article, fines vary depending on the rank of the officer and the seriousness of the offence committed (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006). As of January 2006, fines given to SAF officers range from 300 to 10,000 Singapore dollars [approximately CAN$213 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006a) to CAN$7,115 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006b)] (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006). Prior to this, SAF officers were fined between 100 and 2,000 Singapore dollars [approximately CAN$71 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006c) to CAN$1,423 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006d)] (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006). A new recruit to the SAF reportedly earns SGP$350 per month [approximately CAN$249 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006e)], while a third sergeant earns SGP$560 [approximately CAN$398 (XE.com 21 Aug. 2006f)] (The Straits Times 18 Jan. 2006).
Information on the number of SAF deserters and the frequency of sentences imposed from 2000 to 2006 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate; however, according to Defence Ministry statistics cited in The Straits Times, the most common offence of SAF members is being absent without official leave (6 Oct. 2003).
Regarding the severity of punishments handed down by SAF martial courts, a 7 October 2003 article in The Straits Times indicates that although the court can impose the death penalty for treason,
[t]he heaviest punishment the court has given in more than three decades is three years' imprisonment in a civilian jail for desertion and repeated drug use.
Corroborating information on this topic could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
http://www.cisr-irb.gc.ca/en/research/rir/?action=record.viewrec&gotorec=450455
