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Statement by Minister Teo Chee Hean at the Committee of Supply Debate 2005

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Statement by Minister Teo Chee Hean at the Committee of Supply Debate 2005 Statement by Minister Teo Chee Hean at the Committee of Supply Debate 2005 04 Mar 2005 Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to thank Members for their pertinent comments and timely questions on Singapore’s defence and security, and for their endorsements of confidence in the Singapore Armed Forces. In the 40 years since our Independence, Singapore has made steady progress as a nation. We have been able to focus on our socio-economic development. This has brought Singaporeans a comfortable standard of living and given Singapore a certain standing in the world community. Our unity as a society and as a nation has been enhanced. All this has been possible only because we have had peace and security. That is the absolutely essential foundation for our growth and progress as a nation. The peace and security we have enjoyed is not to be taken for granted. It is also not something we can attribute to good fortune alone. Singapore has enjoyed peace and security over these 40 years because we have dedicated, year after year, much effort and resources to building the twin pillars of our defence, namely, deterrence and diplomacy, as Mr Ravindran has noted. Security Environment Sir, as the remarks of some Members suggest, it is clear that our security environment has become much more complex in recent years, and the spectrum of potential threats has expanded. The uncertainties and potential instabilities will continue to be a feature of the regional landscape. We will always need to have a military capability which can defend Singapore’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Our defence capability must also give us the confidence to assert our rights as an independent sovereign nation. With the political space to take decisions which best serve Singapore’s interests, we need not feel intimidated when the regional climate turns sour, as happens from time to time as we all well know. Beyond that, the SAF must also be able to deal with low intensity conflict situations and terrorism. The threat of terrorism continues to be real and immediate. It will not go away any time soon, as terrorist groups are unwavering in their determination to wreak havoc and destruction, and Singapore continues to remain a prime target. Countering this threat requires a multiplicity of effort – by governments acting alone and in cooperation with one another, and as Mr Ravindran and Dr Ong Chit Chung had pointed out, by multiple national agencies bringing together the many capabilities needed to deal with the terrorists and their variety of weapons and in the various domains of land, sea and air. Mr Leong Horn Kee has asked about whether the SAF has coordinated with the other agencies such as MHA. Indeed we have. And this is the reason why the Prime Minister has appointed the Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan as the Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence. His main focus is actually to coordinate the various ministries, not just MINDEF and MHA, but also the economic ministries, MOH and the other ministries in order to make sure that Singapore is well-coordinated to deal with this threat of terrorism. We will continue to have to invest in enhancing our counter-terrorism capabilities and measures. One example include building up a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives, or CBRE defence group to consolidate all relevant operational expertise in explosives, bomb disposal, and dealing with unconventional weapons under one roof. So we go beyond just dealing with things which might have already happened, but with things that might yet happen in the future. Our laboratories in our defence research institutions also have the capability to quickly test for and identify chemical and biological agents, as was demonstrated by the role they played in our fight against SARS just two years ago. Maritime Security Mr Ong Chit Chung asked about maritime security, and so did Mr Sin Boon Ann. The complex nature of the new security environment is really very well reflected in the area of maritime security, particularly, maritime security in the Malacca Straits. This is a matter of great concern for Singapore and the other littoral states – Malaysia and Indonesia – as well as for the user states whose economic interests depend on secure sea lanes in this vital waterway. Other interested parties, such as the International Maritime Organisation and the shipping community, have also begun to focus on how security in the Malacca Straits can be enhanced. There has been significant progress in that there is now clear agreement among regional countries and other stakeholders that maritime threats are very real and that we all need to work together to deal with them. We’ve made considerable progress since the discussion intensified approximately a year ago. The Malacca and Singapore Straits has been one focus area. Initiatives have been undertaken in a number of multilateral arrangements. Singapore has just co-hosted a couple of days ago, together with the US, a Confidence Building Measure (CMB) conference on Regional Cooperation in Maritime Security under the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) - CBM concept. This brought together 170 maritime security experts from military, enforcement, port and shipping, and policy agencies of 22 ARF member countries to discuss ways to enhance maritime security. The Five Power Defence Arrangements (or FPDA) has also recently expanded its focus to deal with non-conventional threats, with particular emphasis on the maritime domain. The first maritime security exercise was conducted last year as part of the annual major maritime exercise. The 22 navies of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium have also initiated substantive professional exchanges on maritime security issues and will conduct a maritime security exercise this May. All these are very positive developments which enhance confidence and build capacities. They also create a framework of inter-operability that can be useful for any future contingencies. At sea, we have the Trilateral Coordinated Patrols conducted by the Indonesian, Malaysian and Singapore navies in our respective territorial waters, as well as the Indonesia-Singapore Coordinated Patrols, also in our respective territorial waters. The Indonesia-Singapore Coordinated Patrols have largely wiped out piracy incidents in the area of operations covered by these co-ordinated patrols since they were launched more than a decade ago. The Trilateral Coordinated Patrols have also shown some early successes. Although they have not been able to completely stop piracy incidents, the number of piracy incidents has fallen. Piracy is a centuries-old enterprise which will not be easily eradicated. Maritime terrorism is a more recent scourge. Making the seas safe from both will require the combined effort of many countries and Singapore is firmly committed to this. We have been playing an active role in multilateral forums to enhance maritime security, and we will continue to do so. At the same time, we will continue to enhance the safety and security of our port and territorial waters from terrorist threats, building on such efforts as the Container Security Initiative and the recently-announced ASSeT ship escort teams. Dealing with maritime security continues to be a work-in-progress and we will continue our efforts. Operational Readiness Sir, I note the many comments and queries on the operational readiness of the SAF. This has been raised by Mr Ravindran, Dr Ong Chit Chung, Dr Warren Lee, Mr Hawazi Daipi and Mr Leong Horn Kee. I would like to assure Members that the operational readiness of the SAF is a key priority. Singapore’s geo-strategic situation makes us more vulnerable than most countries. Our small size means that we have no manoeuvring space and no strategic depth to fall back on. We cannot afford to sit back and absorb an attack. Besides having a good early warning system, it is imperative that our defence force must maintain high operational readiness. The SAF structures its forces in a concept of tiered readiness. There is a high readiness core which is ready to react at very short notice to contingencies such as a terrorist attack and humanitarian assistance. Operation Flying Eagle, our relief mission after the Boxing Day disaster, was part of the high readiness core in action. Beyond this core, the SAF can call up large numbers of NS units and personnel if the situation warrants it. These NS units are well trained and operationally ready. Some components can be mobilised for action in a matter of hours, while others may take a couple of days. The SAF has designed the system to mobilise manpower, weapons, logistics supplies and civil resources at short notice. Singaporeans are by now familiar with our regular mobilisation exercises, which continually test and sharpen the system. It is testimony to the commitment of our National Servicemen that the mobilisation response rate is consistently high – 95% or higher. In all our mobilisation exercises, the called-up units were ready for action and deployment within a few hours of being activated. We know that when the time comes to fight the SAF may not have a second chance of a victory. That drives the rigour and realism of the SAF’s training. It is not unusual for National Servicemen responding to mobilisation calls to find themselves almost immediately thrown into some kind of battle exercise. Our National Servicemen know that they will be in the frontline should the SAF ever have to go to war. We match our National Service units during exercises against active units, and put them through the same strenuous and demanding training. It says a lot for the spirit and commitment of our National Servicemen that they often perform just as well as, and at times even better than, active units in these exercises.
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