Under current military service laws, all male teenagers are required to register with the army and can be fined up to S$5000 (US$3,071; €2,530) and jailed up to three years if they fail to do so.

A proposed amendment to the Singapore Armed Forces Act, which has yet to be approved by lawmakers, would increase the maximum fine to S$10,000 (US$6134; €5052).

Singapore introduced conscription in 1967 and it forms the backbone of the army.

"The need for National Service continues to be as critical as ever," Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said. "The SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) now also has to deal with a wider spectrum of threats which can derail our peace and prosperity, threats such as transnational terrorism and maritime security."

He added, however, it wasn't necessary to increase the maximum jail sentence.

Teo said over the past two decades, 185 people have been convicted of evading conscription. Forty-five were jailed while 140 were fined.

The proposal follows recent debate among Singaporeans over penalties for draft evasion and whether authorities were too lenient toward an acclaimed Singapore-born British pianist, Melvyn Tan, who was fined S$3000 (US$1775; €1520) in April for avoiding military service in the 1970s.

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