Taiwan has moved to tighten conscription rules after a string of high-profile cases involving celebrities and young men who falsified their medical records to evade mandatory military service.
In addition, the proposed changes would also mandate alternative service for transgender and intersex people, a move that has sparked backlash from rights groups and other members of the public.
The island’s defence ministry on Monday unveiled a draft amendment to its physical classification standards, overhauling eligibility for exemption, alternative service and regular service in what officials described as a bid to close long-standing loopholes and restore fairness to the draft system.
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If the revisions pending approval by the legislature are adopted, the exemption criteria would be sharply narrowed.
Only individuals with a body mass index (BMI) above 45 or a height of 144cm (4 feet 7 inches) or below would qualify for exemption. Previously, exemptions were given to men with a BMI above 35 or extreme height measurements.
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For a man standing 170cm tall, the new rules would raise the exemption weight threshold from just over 101kg (222lbs) to 130kg.