Theseus, that's good to know.
I will have to sit on the fence on this topic. I know of self-sponsored Singaporeans who have CPLs who did not get into Singapore Airlines. However, I also know of self-sponsored Singaporeans who DID get into Singapore Airlines. The difference? I have no idea.
Also, the system of 26 years and above only for Singaporeans to apply is flawed and in dire need of review. There is a history behind this ruling. Long ago, before this ruling, Singaporeans were allowed to join at the age of 18, after O-Levels (yes, NS did not start until later). And, we are talking about the golden age of aviation. Many 18 year olds chose MSA over the Air Force. Being a young nation then, the air force was not too happy that they were not given first pick of the crop. Naturally, this 26 year old ruling came up to allow the air force to choose first. Of course, this ruling did not apply to non-Singaporeans.
However, to go as far as saying that the Singaporeans are treated poorly compared to non-Singaporeans is a bit too extreme. I will give you a few examples why:
1. Believe it or not, the majority of cadets are Singaporeans. Yes, you may read about the company going to Malaysia, HK and India to recruit cadets. But, in the overall scheme of things, they are the minority.
2. Every cadet has to pay a training bond which offsets their total training cost. The training bond of a non-Singaporean is double that of a Singaporean.
3. Command selection gives priority to Singaporeans. The first criteria is nationality. When selecting between a Singaporean and a non-Singaporean who meet the requirements at the same time, the Singaporean is selected. And the non-Singaporean can be bypassed by the next Singaporean as well. I am afraid I do not know how many times this bypass can be done.
Yes, I know. You will argue "How about Singaporeans who have to go for reservist? They lose out on flying you know." I'm afraid this is a national issue that is way beyond the hands of the company. If the nation calls, the company has to release the guy. Whether or not this counts against a Singaporean's chance of recruitment, I will be surprised if it did. If it can be proven, then the company has to answer some serious questions from MINDEF.
All I can say is that the company will never answer the questions that are posed here. Because they couldn't be bothered. They might amend some things, maybe the 26 year old thing, but I bet it will be because of some heavy maneuvers at the top level. In the meantime, my advice is just to keep working on meeting these requirements, no matter how flawed they may seem to be.
Good luck.