Ng Eng Hen
Singapore
“I think we try to keep this virtuous state of affairs as long as we can to make sure that we can invest steadily. Year-to-year fluctuations would occur, whether it is economic, not so much in COVID-19, but remember the Global Financial Crisis? Everybody needs to take a haircut. If you have to take a haircut, you have to take a haircut.”
“Mr Chairman, as the World around us becomes more unpredictable and changes, the more we need to keep the strongest commitment to strengthen our own defences and, if needed, we must be willing to do more. Singapore celebrates 60 years of Independence this year.”
“MINDEF will continue to work with partners to encourage Singaporeans to raise their digital literacy, develop and maintain good cybersecurity habits, protect sensitive data and guard against scams, fake news and disinformation so as to make the digital domain a safer and more secure space.”
“The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) conducts regular mobilisation exercises (MOBEX) of our National Service (NS) forces. In a silent mobilisation, NSmen are notified through their personal contact numbers. Open mobilisations include the broadcast of unit code-words through mass media.”
“In 2020, the Ministry of Defence replied to a Parliamentary Question on this matter that the relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) would likely occur around 2030 or beyond, after Changi Air Base and Tengah Air Base have been expanded to house the existing assets at PLAB.”
“When incidents or near-misses happen, as it did where one Hunter armoured fighting vehicle rear-ended another during Exercise Wallaby in Australia, thorough investigations are conducted and lessons learnt shared across the units.”
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“Mdm Speaker, the Member has pointed out a key challenge for security agencies across the world in dealing with counter-terrorism. Traditionally, I think, neither the home teams of countries nor the SAF, or rather the military in that sense, were geared up to deal with terrorism on this scale. And we have seen it in various scenarios: whether it is a truck that mows down innocent pedestrians; whether it is at the airport; whether it is in crowded places, we are not structured that way. And when you have multiple attacks, as occurred in France, you find security agencies having to mobilise beyond what the first line of defenders have to do, when their needs or demands are overwhelmed. So, that is, indeed, a clear recognition that you have to prepare for these scenarios. It could be very small, it could be much larger. And across that spectrum, how do you scale up, scale down? How do you respond effectively, how do you coordinate effectively? You cannot do it by chance. You cannot wait and say, "Well, let something happen then we learn." The closest we can get is through, exactly as the Member says, different exercise scenarios. But even before that, we need to coordinate planning considerations. How do you plan together? How do you have a common understanding between the Home Team and the SAF, recognising that the Home Team are the first responders because they are in society and that has been their role? But how do you make sure that while they are responding, the SAF also is keenly aware of what happens to them?”
“We are now purchasing more new equipment that will provide SAF forces better mobility, more accurate situational assessments and precise capabilities to neutralise terrorists in urban settings when they strike there. Our soldiers will use more unmanned systems to improve surveillance and responses. SAF will also enhance our air and sea defences. The ADTF stays sharp with regular Exercise Vigilance exercises and drills. The Singapore Navy's MSTF will lead Exercise Highcrest in October this year, with the participation of whole-of-Government agencies. SAF and the Home Team are working well together and closer to deal with the terrorism threat. We have instituted a regular exercise framework to test and validate our joint operations. One example is the joint counter-terrorism exercise which aims to validate joint counter-terrorism plans in October last year. Lastly, the Defence Technology Community has set up a dedicated Counter-Terrorism office in the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) in October last year. That effort is already bearing fruit. Joint operations between the SAF and the Home Team are now enabled by a common Command and Control Information System, which provides situational awareness and interoperability. Engineers from DSTA and DSO National Laboratories are using data analytics technologies to pick up specific threats and provide early warning.”
“MINDEF has been informed that President Duterte has accepted in principle Singapore's offer of assistance. Details of the implementation are now being worked out. Third, we must strengthen our defences at home, not only to respond to terrorist attacks but to prevent radicalisation of our own people and deal with the social consequences in the aftermath of attacks. After 9/11, the SAF reorganised its capabilities. We set up four task forces dedicated to homeland security − the Special Operations Task Force, the Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF), the Air Defence Task Force (ADTF) and the Island Defence Task Force. Our sailors, soldiers and airmen in these task forces conduct 24/7 operations to keep our air, land and seas secure. In recent years, in responding to the evolving threat from ISIS-related terrorists, further changes have been made to equip and train many more SAF personnel to deal with these threats effectively. The Island Defence Training Institute (IDTI) was opened yesterday by Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung. And the IDTI will prepare active and National Service (NS) units to undertake Homeland Defence and Security Operations. It will equip soldiers with the necessary competencies to be deployed alongside their counterparts from MHA. From July this year, the IDTI will train approximately 18,000 soldiers from active and NS units yearly in homeland security operations. Soldiers will go through video simulation training to hone their thinking processes and application of Rules of Engagement, which include scenarios, such as coastal patrols, security checkpoints and the like. Beyond these organisational changes, the SAF has also systematically updated its tactics, techniques and procedures for counter-terrorism operations.”
“The SAF was in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2013 against Al-Qaeda, our longest overseas deployment to date, with close to 500 personnel deployed. Since 2015, the SAF has also deployed units as part of the multinational coalition efforts against ISIS. These deployments included Intelligence Fusion Officers, Imagery Analysts and air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft to various parts of the Middle East. Right now, we have an SAF medical team in Iraq as an ongoing part of this effort. Second, we need to deal with geographically proximate threats in our region. If we wait till the problem comes onto our shores, for terrorists to attack us here before we respond, it will be too little, too late. For this reason, Singapore encouraged strongly the three littoral states − Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines − to initiate the Trilateral Maritime Patrol in the Sulu Seas and offered the help of the Republic of Singapore Navy's Information Fusion Centre to facilitate information-sharing. The SAF stands ready to assist in these patrols when invited. I visited the Philippines two weeks ago, where I thanked Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for their decisive action in Mindanao and Marawi City. We discussed ways in which the SAF could help the AFP concretely and Secretary Lorenzana has accepted in principle our offers of: one, humanitarian supplies for the evacuees from Marawi, this will be flown in via the Republic of Singapore Air Force's C-130 transport aircraft; two, the use of the SAF's urban training villages for AFP troops to be trained in counter-terror; and three, a detachment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to enhance the AFP's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.”
“Mdm Speaker, the terrorism threat to Singapore remains the highest in recent times. While we do not have any specific intelligence on any impending plot targeted at Singapore, the number of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-related attacks in surrounding ASEAN countries and other regions since 2013 has increased three-fold in the last four years. Both Al-Qaeda and ISIS-related terrorists have identified Singapore as a target, along with Malaysia and Indonesia. The ongoing Marawi crisis in southern Philippines indicates that extremist terrorism is now endemic in this region and it may take many years before that security problem is rooted out. Foreign fighters from countries like Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Chechnya were reported to be fighting in Marawi and more are expected to join them, including returning fighters from this region who are now in Iraq and Syria. Their stated goal is to establish a wilayat, or a province of the caliphate, supported by global terrorist financing and networks. Stashes of weapons, ammunition and large amounts of cash amounting to millions of dollars have reportedly been discovered during raids of terrorist camps in Marawi. If these terrorist cells are entrenched deeper in Mindanao or any part of ASEAN, they will launch attacks against our people in Singapore and other cities in the region. We must do all we can to prevent this from happening, to keep Singaporeans safe. MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) take this extremist threat to Singapore and Singaporeans very seriously and we have been making changes to deal with it decisively at various levels. Let me elaborate. First, to counter the terrorism threat at its source. This requires an international effort and the SAF has been part of the coalition against jihadi terrorism.”
“The SAF's electronic medical records system is regularly tested for vulnerabilities to update the system's software. In addition, the system is constantly being monitored for any attempted cyber intrusions.”
“Two main aspects to ensure security of medical records of Servicemen were taken into account in the design and implementation of the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) electronic medical records system. They relate primarily to (a) the confidentiality of records, and (b) measures to guard against unauthorised access and cyber intrusions. Stringent processes for these two aspects have been put in place, which are aligned with international standards. First, to ensure confidentiality of records, access to the SAF's electronic medical records system is limited only to medical personnel and selected human resource (HR) practitioners on a need-to basis and the list of authorised users is regularly reviewed. Even then, the level of access is also tiered-based, that is, medical officers as primary caregivers need to and can access detailed medical information, but medics and HR practitioners can access less information that is relevant to fulfil their functions. Regular audits are conducted to ensure that access and the confidentiality of the medical information have complied with existing policies and regulations and benchmarked to the Ministry of Health's practices and standards. Second, to guard against unauthorised access and cyber intrusions, PACES is only accessible to authorised users from designated terminals at specific Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)/SAF premises. The entire PACES system is also protected by a suite of tools to enhance cybersecurity. When medical information of SAF personnel is required for continuity of care to be shared with other medical institutions using the National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) system, it is first encrypted and transmitted via a dedicated point-to-point connection with system authentication.”
“Madam, I thought the Member's points were particularly relevant. I agree with him. We want some resonance, and it is across the system and across all our agencies. Even as we update ourselves, refresh our systems to meet new needs, we want to retain a sense of history that can carry across generations. So, I will put that to SAF and leave it to them how they will do it. I do not think they will be physically removing some hills or features, but even if they do, they can convert hills to street names, I suppose, but I will leave it to them. The Member's second point is a significant one on safety. Mr Foo is absolutely correct. It is much easier and, just like buildings, to design safety in. I learnt that when I was the Manpower Minister and had to deal with injuries and deaths at the workplace. For example, they said some buildings are designed and are beautiful but very hard to clean. It is much easier to design safety in across not only just the building but the lifetime maintenance of that building. In this case, Mr Foo is saying, during your operations, can you design it, so that, for instance, your video feedback actually gives you an alert to say this is an unsafe zone? That is one example. So, yes, that will be taken into consideration. I thank the Member for the feedback. We will take it in.”
“Madam, it is not quite de novo. You would remember in 2013, we announced the set-up of the Cyber Defence Operations Hub. We have been monitoring this. Obviously, with many of our systems being dependent on computer systems, data linkages and, particularly for all militaries and especially for the Singapore military because we are leveraging technology, we recognise that our strength can be exploited as a weakness. We have been studying other models. I have gone to France to look at them. They have a fairly well-developed system and there are different organisational structures, not only for the military but actually, more importantly, how the military coordinates as part of a national cyber defence. The very nature of the digital domain is its porosity and connectivity and you cannot very well just protect one segment because you will be affected. There are different models that MINDEF, SAF and the Government as a whole have studied, and that was the reason why the Cyber Security Agency was set up in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). If you look at other countries, some of them are with the prime minister's office, some of them with the Ministry of Defence, but we have chosen to have a tiered structure where CSA is a national defence for cybersecurity under PMO and MCI. This cyber command is another layer which protects primarily MINDEF and SAF. But because we recognise that our cyber units, our cyber soldiers can be trained and can be deployed as they do for physical key installations in Singapore; that is the concept we are extending. So, not quite de novo. We are ramping up significantly because the level of the threats has risen and we recognise that the damage can be material.”
“Given the importance of NS and the costs associated with a lack of enforcement, I would like to urge the Ministry to conduct a study of smoking trends among its Servicemen, examine the impediments to achieving a greater reduction in smoking prevalence and introduce active interventions to root out any smoking culture within bases and in training areas. Madam, I am not suggesting smoking cessation as the primary aim, because this would clearly detract from the role of SAF. However, I strongly urge SAF to take active steps to ensure smoking rates are not inadvertently allowed to increase. Even though one would not expect SAF to take it upon itself to eliminate smoking, it should develop strategies to encourage Servicemen who smoke to give up the habit. In doing so, I would caution that it should set realistic targets in consultation with experts in the field of smoking addiction. It should also actively discourage Servicemen from gathering in groups to smoke as, say, a form of social interaction. Finally, it should discourage those who are non-smokers at the point of enlistment from picking up smoking during the course of their service. Safety of Full-time National Servicemen”
“00 pm Although I am not aware of any confirmed evidence, the high proportion of males who smoke happens to coincide with anecdotes suggesting that smoking is still highly prevalent among our Servicemen. If true, this would have severe consequences across a range of domains, including healthcare costs and discipline. The tolerance for smoking as a popular culture within armed services is nothing new and it was even embraced in early popular culture. However, in the context of a modern SAF, it should be viewed as antithetical for many reasons. If the existing bans on smoking in army camps and training areas are not strongly enforced, they could reduce training effectiveness, lead to an erosion of discipline and have potential knock-on effects on performance in the field for combat personnel. There are also the potential difficulties faced by non-smokers if a tolerance of a smoking culture persists in the ranks. For instance, if smoke breaks are permitted, what do non-smokers do? Although military bases and training areas are off-limits, there is an observable practice of service personnel as well as visitors who gather and smoke outside of camps. This suggests that while smoking controls may be in place, a smoking culture persists. Madam, in case it appears that I am against smoking for Servicemen, I must say clearly that that is not the case. What I am pushing for are clear guidelines so that a culture of indiscipline associated with smoking does not arise.”
“Mdm Chair, let me conclude and allow Second Minister Ong Ye Kung and Senior Minister of State Maliki later to address other queries which I have not addressed and which Members have brought up in their speeches. SAF will develop next-generation capabilities to deal with threats in both the real world and cyberspace. I want to end with a quote from Dr Goh Keng Swee in his last major public speech. He said: "The most dependable guarantee of our Independence is a strong SAF. A strong SAF, in turn, depends on the political will to make the effort and pay the price." I think Dr Goh's reminder is timeless. Whether we were a poor country as a new nation having to spend on defence or as an up and rising country with other needs and now having to face an ageing society with an uncertain world, at each step, you need to invest in defence and you need political will. I want to thank the strong commitment of our NSmen, the unwavering support of the Members of this House and the unshakeable resolve of Singaporeans. With these elements, SAF stands ready as guardians of the peace and defenders of our way of life. [Applause.] SAF's Role in Anti-tobacco Efforts Assoc Prof Randolph Tan (Nominated Member): Mdm Chair, SAF has a significant role to play in efforts to improve the health and well-being of all Servicemen, especially the newly-enlisted NSFs within its ranks. Since the enlistment age of 18 also coincides with the age at which smoking is legally permitted, SAF's role in addressing smoking concerns is, therefore, a natural one. Although smoking prevalence has decreased in Singapore, the proportion of our male population who are smokers is higher than that in many developed countries. 1.”
“Even with new demands that I have sketched out for the Next Gen SAF, MINDEF has projected that our defence budget can be maintained on the current trajectory of 3%-4% growth each year, which would allow us to at least keep pace with inflation. Member Low Yen Ling made a very incisive comment that in our region, Asia's military spending has outstripped that of the EU and has an average growth of 5.4%. Our 3%-4% is below that, but because we have had a longer runway of steady spending, we can keep to the 3%-4% projection. But MINDEF will not hesitate to push for higher spending if there are increasing new demands or if the security environment deteriorates. MINDEF and SAF are conscious that the Government, with the strong support of Singaporeans, invests substantially into the defence budget each year. I want to thank Members and Singaporeans for their constant support and I promise you that we will pledge to stretch each defence dollar to the fullest. Where we can, we will cut cost, as some Members have asked. We did it through the Republic of Singapore Navy's new Frigate Ship Management System. This system reduces maintenance time by 93% and saved us $40 million. Another example is the Army's SMART magazine. NSmen here will know that we fire blanks for various reasons. But someone thought, why have blanks, why not have a magazine that can simulate the blank? Indeed, that is what the SMART magazine does. And it will save $1.4 million each year. These measures, big and small, reflect the culture of prudence, using innovation to cut costs without loss of effectiveness for SAF.”
“Different scenarios can be configured for both peace time contingency and conventional military operations. Ms Low Yen Ling asked how SAF is going to meet its needs with prudent defence spending, and she is absolutely right. We are aware of these budgetary pressures from an ageing society, coupled with slower growth rates for the economy. As I have sketched out to Members here, all these new programmes will need significant and sustained resources over the medium term. They cannot be built in five years. It will take us 10, 15 or maybe even 20 years to fully size up the Next Generation SAF. But we will reprioritise programmes to meet these challenges that we must face. Here, I am very thankful for Members who have supported us over the years, steadily, so that we can spend steadily on our defence budgets to renew our Orbat and platforms continually, which today allows us to grow for these new areas, which we did not foresee 10-15 years ago. The Army's refurbished Leopard tanks and Terrexes are young. The Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle was introduced last year. The next-generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle will be rolled out in 2019. The Air Force will upgrade its F-16s with new radars and weapons later this year, and the Aster 30 missile system will be deployed to strengthen our air defences. The Navy has new Littoral Mission Vessels and will need to replace two of its Archer Submarines. We will announce the replacement for these submarines later this year. We have been able to do this because, every year, we commit a sizeable proportion to defence spending, but steadily. No sharp dips, no sharp rises.”
“Thank you, Madam. Many details but let me give Members the broad gist. The idea of what the new SAFTI City wants to accomplish is to allow any battalion to fight across different terrains successively, as they would do in real life missions. It will, therefore, have both urban and conventional terrain. In the urban setting, low houses and high-rise buildings. In the open terrain, jungles, hills and rivers to cross. But the signature change, because we are using technology, will be state-of-the-art training simulation technologies designed into the operating environment. We are building it from scratch, so that we can do it. There will be interactive targets and battlefield effects, such as artillery attacks, so that our soldiers can train more realistically and get ample feedback about how well they perform. When it is completed, SAFTI City will take our NS training to a much higher level of realism and effectiveness. For instance, for our soldiers who are involved in Island Defence operations, this SAFTI City will allow them to train in mock-up petrochemical complexes, warehouses, container parks and industrial buildings. Sector 2 will have high-rise and interconnected buildings, basement car parks, a bus interchange and an underground Mass Rapid Transit station which will be useful for Counter Terrorism and High Intensity Urban Operations, as Members talked about. Sector 2 will also include urban rubble for Disaster Relief Operations. In the areas surrounding SAFTI City, three new Instrumented Battle Circuits (iBACs) will be built. These will help small units train up their fighting skills because there will be video cameras, data analytics to point to what a specific person did or did not do and they will give feedback on each soldier's performance.”
“Recent events have pointed out the dangers. It is not possible for all our NSmen to only train overseas because the bulk of our training is still conducted here, especially for the Army. Many of the Members here who have done NS will be familiar with the SAF Training Institute (SAFTI) Live Firing Area. You and I remember charging up Peng Kang Hill, for whatever reasons we were told to, and being trained at Fighting On Fortified Objective (FOFO), the fortified hill. These are all in our memories. But the SAFTI Live Firing Area was built in the 1960s, or 50 years ago. As Members here pointed out, SAF has changed, cities have changed, terrains have changed, the world has changed. Members here asked: "How is SAF going to respond to this? Is there any new tactic? Is there a new doctrine? Is there new equipment?" We recognise these. The answer to all your questions is yes. Not only these, we will need training grounds that reflect the missions and operations that SAF will be called upon to conduct. For SAF to train realistically and effectively, we will build a new SAFTI City, because even peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions are likely to be conducted in built-up cities and infrastructure. The new SAFTI City will take a decade to complete and cost approximately $900 million. Members have a handout. But, with your permission, Madam, I think it is easier for Members to see what we are going to build. Can I please show the video?”
“So, to achieve that aspiration, DSTA, together with our national universities and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research and Government agencies like GovTech, CSA, the National Research Foundation and the Economic Development Board, will host an inaugural Singapore Defence Technology Summit in 2018. I asked staff whether there were any global technology summits in the world. They said, "It does not exist yet", and I replied, "Oh, that is good. Let us try." This summit will provide a global platform to invite luminaries, leading figures, to come share their views. It will give us a window into the future. Not only that; it will allow us opportunities to network and increase our access to ideas and innovation. Because you and I know that, for defence, for us, it is existential. We need to deploy technology because other factors are working against us. Even as we set up a new cyber command and technology labs, even as we want to host the inaugural Singapore Defence Technology Summit, I agree completely with Member Teo Ho Pin that we must never neglect to train the SAF's conventional force against traditional threats and, as Mr Cedric Foo pointed out, terrorism. Many Members agree with that line. We all know that we have finite land and we are building training facilities overseas, such as in Australia, when we signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. But at the same time, we must have world-class training facilities here. Mr Vikram Nair talked about his childhood memories and how each time certain camps are taken away. There is finite land, we understand the pressures. We do need a minimum baseload of training camps, but we will maximise what we have. And we must guard against over-dependence on overseas training grounds.”
“But we are not taking it lightly and, in fact, this is an issue that was discussed at the Security Policy Review Committee that is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo. And whether you know it or not, in the last National Day Parade that was held at the National Stadium, these systems were already deployed, not only to detect, but countermeasures. Laws, as you will remember, were also recently enacted by this House and legislation gazetted so that we can have powers. The Analytics and AI Lab will exploit the mega volumes of realtime information that can be derived from the Internet of Things and platforms. We have many platforms, and I agree with Members that not only are we vulnerable, but we need to exploit it. Because the realisable potential is enormous. Let me give Members just one example. 12.45 pm Every single day, there are about 1,500 commercial ships that ply our waters. The Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre uses a particular programme with AI embedded to generate unique signatures for each of these vessels in our waters. These individual signatures are collated from multiple sources, which include social media and other specific information. They are collated, scanned, made sense of and fused to give one picture. Then, it detects deviations from this signature. This AI-embedded method detected a possible ISIS supporter on board a tanker that was in our waters in 2015. So, among all the ships, among the tens and hundreds of thousands of occupants, cargo, they detected a possible ISIS supporter. That person was barred from disembarking into Singapore. Finding this needle in a big haystack is only possible through modern means. I also believe that Singapore can take the lead in defence technology even though we are small.”
“Mr Vikram Nair asked about our STEM recruitment efforts. He is quite right. We now have a 5,000-strong and growing community of defence engineers and scientists. We will increase such scholarships and awards by 40% by 2025. So, 170 from 120 today. The pinnacle Public Service Commission Scholarship (Engineering) within MINDEF will be awarded this year. Two new labs will be set up so that we can focus our efforts, just as many Members talked about leveraging technology, which I completely agree with. One lab will be DSO's, which will set up the robotics lab. DSTA's new lab will exploit AI and data analytics. We will give these two new labs a seed grant of $45 million annually as a start, so that they can lead in more experimentation and innovation. We are at the front edge of this, and it is not as if you can buy commercial software easily, so you will have to invest in resources to kickstart the process. The work on robotics has already begun. Six Singapore Infantry Regiment soldiers are currently experimenting with unmanned aerial and ground vehicles to perform their missions. The Navy has gone further. The Navy is putting Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) which can navigate and avoid collisions autonomously into operations. Let me make this clear: it is not a remote control device, it is an autonomous device. SAF, working with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has already deployed and developed countermeasures against potential drone attacks. This is something that Member Joan Pereira asked about. We recognise this threat. This is a real threat. We are monitoring these aspects, such as developments in Iraq and Syria.”
“It will be called the Defence Cyber Organisation (DCO) and placed at the highest level of our organisational hierarchy. This new cyber command will be led by a Deputy Secretary. It will comprise four major formations, each commanded by at least a Colonel or flag officer, a General or an Admiral, within MINDEF and SAF. The cyber command will oversee policies, train cyber units to monitor and defend our networks 24/7 from threats, which will assess vulnerabilities, detect attempted intrusions and breaches in the system. SAF must keep up with the tactics and operations of aggressors in the cyber realm, something which Member Teo Ho Pin spoke about, and because this is a never-ending game, as we do in conventional warfare. In the steady state, DCO will have about 2,600 soldiers, supported by scientists and engineers in DSTA and DSO. This is a significant build-up from the current numbers and it reflects the importance of this new battlefront. In response to Members, this is a clear signal. We agree with you. SAF and MINDEF will step up. NSmen − some Members have asked − yes, NSmen will also be trained in vocations for cyber defence. It will be silly for us not to; they are our main resource. And just as security troopers now physically protect key installations, we will deploy these NS cyber defenders to protect our installations together with CSA. Minister Ong Ye Kung will elaborate on this. Some Members like Ms Jessica Tan have asked about technology and how we will deploy resources. Modern militaries are powered by technology. There is no running away from it, especially so for Singapore. As Members have rightly pointed out, we will see a fall in manpower, and our defence technology organisations will gear up to support these changes.”
“The Financial Times alleged that the Russians have already compromised the servers of political parties in France and Germany which are going to have elections. I do not know how the Financial Times knows this, but they have reported it. Nearer to home, Members mentioned Indonesia, that it did, indeed, inflame ethnic and political tensions. And Indonesia has responded by establishing an agency to counter cybercrime and fake news. Our best defence against this information warfare is Total Defence, which has stood the test of time. I will leave it to Senior Minister of State Maliki to elaborate how we need to update and refresh Total Defence in response to these hybrid threats. But modern militaries can no longer choose to ignore these external threats through the digital front. We will be silly to do so and be derelict in our responsibility. As it happens, we have prepared this speech for some weeks now, but MINDEF recently disclosed a breach in its I-net system. Plans for this speech were prepared before we detected that breach. It is not a surprise. It is no revelation when I tell Members that we can expect more such cyberattacks in the future. Indeed, it was that potential of the cyber threat which was recognised early, which is why, even from inception, for SAF, our classified and operational networks were separated from the Internet since we had those systems. We understood then. But the threat is now material and even greater. I agree completely with Members that SAF will need to step up its cyber defences, even as the level of this threat increases. Mr Cedric Foo asked pointedly about our efforts to combat these new threats. In a clear and unmitigated recognition that the cyber domain is the battlefield today, MINDEF and SAF will stand up a new cyber command.”
“Russia is not alone, as other countries, too, have been reported to have cyber battalions, even cyber divisions in their military and ministries. And I agree completely with Members here that the Next Generation SAF needs to prepare for this environment where state-orchestrated cyber and information campaigns against another state are not only considered legitimate but can be ongoing all the time. The impact of that threat can have real and damaging physical consequences. Let me give Members some examples. Ukraine's power grid has been hit by several cyberattacks, and one such attack in December 2015 cut off power to an area about 20 times the size of Singapore, and this was in the middle of winter. Estonia is a small nation with about 1.3 million people. Their people and government understand this threat particularly well, because they have been a target of well-orchestrated cyberattacks since 2007 for the last decade, so much so that Estonia plans to make a digital copy of the entire nation, everything from birth records, property deeds, bank data, all government records. They want to do this and store it in another location, a secret location, in the United Kingdom or Luxembourg. At least, they have given you the two places they want to store the information. Why do they want to do this? Just imagine. We had 850 personal information stolen. Suppose somebody burrows into our Central Provident Fund records, death and registry records, housing records and demolishes them. There will be utter chaos for any nation. Even elections can be influenced by orchestrated cyberattacks. The Democratic National Committee was hacked in the last US Presidential Elections, with thousands of documents released by unknown sources meant to discredit its candidate.”
“We know that it is fully in our court, that SAF must stand ready. And I agree with Members that this includes the threat of cyberattacks and fake news. Two years ago, I brought up the issue of hybrid warfare in the Committee of Supply (COS) debates. It was not a very much bandied word; in fact, it was a very uncommon word. But today, as I listened to Members' speeches, it has become so common, so well-known only within a short space of two years. The threat has progressively risen. I just came back from the Munich Security Conference and, there, Chancellor Merkel stated openly that some countries considered hybrid warfare to be legitimate. She is not wrong. Last week, the Financial Times had a full write-up on cyber warfare. Let me quote a salient paragraph. "Russia's military does not tend to talk of cyber warfare, as the West does, in tightly proscribed, legally measured actions, but rather discusses the broader concept of an information war, a concept that precedes the Soviet era, in which the toolkit has been brought up to speed for the digital era." The article continued that the Russian Defence Minister confirmed the existence of information troops, rumoured for years but long denied by officials. They quoted the Russian Defence Minister, "Propaganda must be smart, literate and effective," he told the Lower House of Parliament. Russia spends $300 million annually on its "Cyber Army" of about 1,000 people, according to the Kommersant, their local newspaper. This is the head of a government − the German government − saying that there are countries around them which consider this legitimate. Defence ministers coming out openly to say that "This is part of my Orbat and part of my mission." There is doctrine, there is training, there is execution.”
“Some Members, including Mr Pritam Singh, have asked what our relations are with our immediate neighbours, and I will tell you that, generally, they are excellent and, indeed, we cooperate on many fronts. The Malacca Straits Patrol, as was mentioned, marked its 10th anniversary last year. There continues to be solid support for FPDA, now into its 46th year. The 18-nation ADMM-Plus has made good progress, with many working groups dealing with different security challenges. Mr Pritam Singh asked whether we should have more platforms for cooperation. We are open to that. Anything that improves military-to-military cooperation, we will undertake. But we have to understand that, in some aspects, we wait to be invited, for example, the new Sulu Seas Patrols. We have already availed our resources from our Information Fusion Centre in Changi Naval Base to the Sulu Seas Patrols, because that is part of our interest. For other initiatives, we will lean forward if other countries want us to participate further. We signed an enhanced DCA with the US in 2015 and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia last year. Our bilateral relations with China and India have also grown. In 2014, Members will remember that General Chang Wanquan and I agreed on a "Four Point Consensus" in which we affirmed principles and substantive steps to strengthen our bilateral defence cooperation. For India, Minister Manohar Parrikar and I also signed the revised DCA in 2015 and we are now exploring stepping up collaboration in areas, such as maritime security and counterterrorism. These strong partnerships stand us in good stead but, ultimately, it is the Next Generation SAF's primary mission and responsibility to deal with security threats in this 21st century, as Members here have said.”
“And the so-called "ills" of globalisation related to migration and job disruption have eroded popular support in many countries, never mind the benefits of hundreds of millions lifted out of poverty. So, instead of the optimism and hope that greeted the end of the Cold War, uncertainty prevails today. There is uncertainty about what "America First" means for global leadership and trade, especially if the erstwhile or current global leader of global trade is not part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership; uncertainty in Asia about how the US-China strategic rivalry will impact Asia and us, as many Members have said before me, especially the pressure on small states like Singapore to choose sides. 12.30 pm Across Europe, still reeling from the global economic crisis in 2008, there is uncertainty about the security threat against some of its members. Many Members have mentioned Sweden, not just one state but across Europe. There is even concern over the existence of EU itself, especially when far-right parties that push for the equivalent of Brexit are gaining ground. Many Members here have reflected these uncertainties, including Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, who asked whether we were vulnerable. Indeed, we are vulnerable. And we should accept that the geopolitics will be turbulent and that Singapore has to prepare for choppy waters. But at the same time, our national strategy to deal with this uncertainty is still sound. It is a simple strategy, one based, firstly, on a strong SAF supported by Total Defence, which we have, with your support, steadily invested resources into every year. Secondly, as Members here have mentioned, including Mr Pritam Singh, good relations with our neighbours coupled with very strong partnerships with like-minded countries.”
“Even as we laud their individual contributions, I agree with Members here that SAF must now undertake critical steps to better protect Singapore in this new security environment. As we did for the 3G SAF transformation efforts, SAF must once again transform to the Next Generation SAF, to be better positioned for the future. Major parts of my speech will focus on this. I agree with Members here that the world, indeed, is at an inflexion point. Interview any world leader now and he will say so. Even if world leaders do not say so, our citizens can feel that turbulence, that change to come. What is happening? The last 25 years after the Cold War were marked by rapid globalisation and relative peace despite the threat of extremist terrorism, which we do not underplay. This relative peace was so much so that militaries in the European Union (EU) physically downsized. I remember when I visited Germany, when I first went to their Ministry of Defence, the Bundeswehr was talking about a one-third reduction, a significant reduction. There were good reasons. They wanted to reap the peace dividend of a united Europe against what was perceived to be a declining Russia. In Asia, it was a good three decades. China's economy grew for 30 years phenomenally at an average of 10% every year. India's economy also grew, albeit at a slower rate of about 6% per annum over a similar period from 1979 for 30 years. This massive growth lifted all boats in the global economy, particularly for Asia, including ASEAN, which grew an average of 6% per annum, well above the global average of 4%. That era we are witnessing is now changing trajectory, as the benefits of globalisation have not been uniform either within or across countries.”
“Madam, let me first thank the many Members for their speeches. As I was listening to them, I had generally two reactions. One, I am thankful that we have even helped some people improve their marksmanship. We will take credit where credit is due and even when it is not sometimes. I am thankful for the support across the aisles. Whether you are of any political affiliation, Non-Constituency Member, Nominated Member ‒ I am very thankful that the support for defence is across all parties. The second reaction was one of agreement. In fact, I could agree with everything, almost all points brought up by Members of Parliament (MPs). And if you listen to their speeches, it was a tour de force of the changing security environment − how the world is, indeed, unpredictable; how new threats are on the horizon and even upon us. And yet, because we are under pressure with other increased needs, how can SAF and Singapore respond to these threats with the budget allocated? So, there is total agreement with what the Members said. Their speeches capture the essence of the new security environment for which Singapore and Singaporeans must, indeed, prepare for, and which SAF must adapt to, to protect our sovereignty and defend our home. Mr Cedric Foo and Dr Teo Ho Pin spoke about this. We have talked about the 3G transformation for a number of years. But a new environment is upon us. And like Members here, we recognise that this year is a very special year ‒ 75 years since the fall of Singapore, 50 years since NS' inception. Together with all Members here, we want to thank the more than one million committed NSmen who have done their duty faithfully and built a strong SAF to protect Singapore and Singaporeans these past decades.”
“As we commemorate 50 years of National Service (NS) this year, we are giving the NS50 Recognition Package to the more than one million NSmen who have served two or more years of NS duties, as a token of appreciation for their primary role in ensuring Singapore's defence and security. NSmen can enjoy the vouchers and free Singapore Armed Forces Reservist Association (SAFRA) and Home Team NS membership in the package with their families. The wider community – families, employers, volunteers, religious groups, businesses and other community organisations – also plays an important role. Their support enables our NSmen to serve with pride and dedication. We recognise these contributions through ongoing initiatives, such as the Total Defence Awards and annual tax reliefs for spouses and parents of NSmen. This year, we will continue to do so through the various NS50 events and activities, such as the NS50 Week and NS50 Dinner Reception.”
“Those diagnosed with mental health conditions are closely monitored while in service and, where necessary, are provided with regular medical treatment and counselling by psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors and para-counsellors. We deploy dedicated psychologists at the formation level to assist commanders in the management of such Servicemen. At the unit level, our commanders interview all Servicemen at regular intervals to find out if they are facing any stresses, including emotional or psychological problems. Commanders also undergo basic training to help them better understand mental health conditions, so that they can try to identify and manage Servicemen with such conditions, including referring them to trained professionals for more assistance, or restricting their access to weapons and ammunition. MINDEF and SAF will continue to periodically review and strengthen the mental health system, in consultation with the SAF Psychiatry Specialist Advisory Board, which comprises senior psychiatrists drawn from public healthcare institutions, to ensure that all our Servicemen are able to discharge their duties and at the same time, to receive good emotional and mental health care.”
“The Ministry of Defence/Singapore Armed Forces (MINDEF/SAF) recognises the importance of ensuring that all Servicemen and women who handle live arms are of sound mind and physical capabilities. SAF has in place various levels of checks to determine the psychological well-being of service personnel. Before enlistment, all pre-enlistees undergo a comprehensive medical screening at the Central Manpower Base for both physical and mental health conditions. Pre-enlistees are asked explicitly if they have a previous record of mental health conditions during the screening. In addition, we require the parent or guardian to endorse this declaration. There is a balance between privacy for the enlistee and potential safety concerns of those with previous mental health conditions. But since 2016, MINDEF/SAF has also been working with the Ministry of Health to identify pre-enlistees with records of mental health history at public hospitals. If a possible mental health condition is surfaced, the pre-enlistee will be referred to appropriate specialists to certify that that enlistee is mentally capable of performing their National Service duties and to handle firearms. A Serviceman who is deemed unsuitable to handle firearms because of his emotional or psychological state is excused from such duties and re-deployed to vocations which do not require him to have access to weapons and live ammunition. SAF Servicemen have avenues to obtain counselling or medical assistance, should they face any emotional or psychological distress, including a 24-hour SAF Counselling Hotline.”
“I will give a simple example: training for the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT). The TSR says you do it; you keep within the TSR. But if you push someone to run faster than he can and he collapses, and it is found that he had an undetected condition after the fact, and if the person, the commander or even the fellow Servicemen feel that he can be sued, not protected, how many commanders do you think will encourage their unit to train harder? This is a reality we face; there are inherent risks. I think we have struck a good balance between maintaining very high safety standards, and section 14 provides us that confidence for our commanders to train realistically. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 8.34 pm.”
“But in a 2013 report published by the UK House of Commons' Defence Committee, it was found that repealing that protection had resulted in reputational risk to armed forces personnel and the fear that they and their legitimate actions may be exposed to extensive and retrospective legal scrutiny. This had led many to question their position serving in the UK armed forces. Retired senior British commanders also reported that it had undermined armed forces personnel's willingness to accept responsibility and take necessary risks, with the consequent impact on operational effectiveness.”
“JC Kannan also explained that while section 14 removed the Plaintiff's right of action in tort, the Plaintiff is nevertheless entitled to compensation under the SAF Pensions regulations and our compensation, as I have previously said in this House, is about two to four times of the Workmen's Compensation. Each country will have to decide how it provides its public security agencies as a whole and their personnel − in our case, the SAF, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force − the confidence to train and perform their duties diligently without this fear of litigation against them. Note that section 14 does not accord any of our Servicemen any protection against criminal proceedings or civil litigations brought by civilians for compensation or damages, which I have already stated earlier. It only precludes legal suits brought against the Government − the SAF in this case − or its individual Servicemen by Servicemen and their next of kin themselves. Note, as JC Kannan highlighted, that the immunity conferred by section 14 does not extend to acts that amount to an intentional act committed by an SAF member, which is separate and independent of the member's duties, for instance, punching his superior. For Singapore, section 14 continues to serve a vital purpose as intended. SAF soldiers train realistically, conduct many operations overseas. Because they train realistically, without the commanders or the individual soldiers themselves in each instance wondering if their organisation or they themselves could be sued by other Servicemen, when injuries and fatalities occur. Removing section 14 is not likely to improve outcomes, as the Member says and, indeed, may do us harm. The UK removed this protection for their military in 1987.”
“Apart from criminal proceedings, SAF and its members can be litigated against for compensation in the civil Courts for damage done to civil property or injury suffered by civilians. The Member is quite right in raising section 14, that section 14 exempts the Government and servicemen from being sued. I thought it would be useful, in response to the Member's various points, to quote the Grounds of Decision (GDs) by Judicial Commissioner (JC) Kannan Ramesh in this specific case which he cited, the Estate of Lee Rui Feng Dominique Sarron, deceased v Najib Hanuk bin Muhammad Jalal. And in the GD, the judge provided a comprehensive examination of the history and the reasons for section 14 and I will share some passages. The judge recognised that section 14 of the GPA was enacted to place SAF in a special position in recognition of its heavy responsibility of safeguarding the defence of our country and the high degree of risk intrinsic to military training. "Intrinsic to military training". He recognised that. JC Kannan added that the consistent legislative intention underpinning section 14 is to ensure that the Government and the members of the Armed Forces are shielded from liability in tort in order to ensure the efficiency, discipline, effectiveness and decisiveness of the Armed Forces in both training and operations, without being burdened by the prospect of legal action when training, to the point of having to second guess the consequences of every action. The Member paints it as if this Act protects the Government and Servicemen who are not part of our Singapore community. But he is absolutely correct that we are a conscript army and this very Act protects commanders and Servicemen who are also partly drawn from our Singaporean community.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, safety is one of the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) core values, and we strive to continue to tighten our safety system to even achieve zero fatalities, even zero incidents, and we continually do this to make sure that our current safety outcomes are among the highest for militaries globally. But as we all know, unfortunately, despite our best efforts, mishaps do occur from time to time. When these safety breaches do occur, we want to make sure that those responsible are punished. And we certainly do not condone these acts. It is not fair to paint even those who have not followed TSRs, as some do it out of mischief or negligence, and they are taken to task if they are reckless. Some do it for a variety of reasons, so there is a spectrum. But if they have been reckless or negligent, they are not protected from criminal prosecution, even when they are conducted by Servicemen in the course of duty. The Member talks about judicial process. The Coroner's Inquiry for fatalities is an open process. The facts are established and the Member failed to mention that, in this particular case that he referred to, the coroner made a finding on the cause of death, and while the infractions in the TSRs were associated, they were not the direct cause of death. He did mention that we changed the smoke grenade, but he did not say the reason why. Because it was an acute hypersensitive reaction, which is very uncommon. So, I think the facts are established by an independent body. If there is criminal negligence and rash acts, they are charged in criminal Courts and punished accordingly. SAF Servicemen have, indeed, been jailed and fined as a consequence. Members can refer to our records, which I will not repeat here.”
“The Hong Kong government has responded on the various occasions that we had asserted our sovereign immunity as well as asked for updates that their investigations are ongoing. As I had said in my reply, they have said that they will settle this in accordance with Hong Kong law.”
“We have communicated to the Hong Kong government on a number of occasions, as I have said, at various levels, including the Prime Minister's letter, and I have read to Members their response. There was one previous case where there were some similarities, and this was a case where the South Korean's equipment was also seized by the Hong Kong authorities. This was in 2010, and it was also an armed personnel carrier, as well as a light tank; and it was returned subsequently to the South Koreans.”
“Let me answer the second part first: no, it does not contain any of that sensitive equipment. The easiest way to answer Mr Singh's question is that you can purchase the Terrexes and associated equipment on the open market. So, they do not contain any sensitive equipment.”
“Mdm Speaker, there was another question on loss of earnings from this incident. It is a theoretical question. I find that hard to assess. ST Kinetics or ST Engineering will have to do its work. But whether this increases the notoriety of the platform and, therefore, increases its selling potential or not, who is to say? It is theoretical and I want to defer from answering that question.”
“Let me thank Mr Low for his questions. Not only in the future of losing our equipment, but that has been our prevailing policy. That is why we have, as I said, for that special category, imposed special conditions on ourselves and our commercial shippers and whether it is in the form of port-to-port or converting commercial ships to State Marine Ensign when we brought back our submarines. But in this particular instance, the Terrexes do not fall into that special category, and we leave it to the carriers to designate the ports. Hong Kong is an international port of repute, and there is no reason to believe that our SAF assets will be seized. Have there been conditions? I have related to Members what the Hong Kong government had responded with. That is, at complete face value, what has happened. They have said that they need time and that they will handle it in accordance with Hong Kong's laws, and we welcome that assurance. The third question on the cost of the nine Terrexes, it is as listed in the shipping manifest at S$30 million.”
“Madam, we have been advised by our lawyers that there are legal avenues available to MINDEF to claim for damages against shipping carriers and contractors if they have not fulfilled their contractual obligation. So, the answer is yes. In addition, all SAF cargo we ship is insured against losses under some conditions. We have to check if the insurance claims are applicable for this particular incident.”
“We, therefore, look forward to the Hong Kong government returning our Terrexes in accordance with international law. Singapore and Hong Kong have long enjoyed good and friendly relations. We hope the matter will be resolved satisfactorily and our friendly relations will endure.”
“This principle is well-established under international law, and we are advised by lawyers that it is also the law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). Accordingly, the Singapore Government has asserted our sovereign rights over the SAF Terrexes. We have informed the Hong Kong Government on several occasions over the last two months, both through lawyers and our Consul-General in Hong Kong, that the detained Terrexes and other equipment belong to the Government of Singapore and are, therefore, immune from any measures of constraint. Accordingly, we have requested the Hong Kong authorities to return our property immediately. Prime Minister Lee has also written to Chief Executive CY Leung of Hong Kong on this matter to reiterate the same message. The Hong Kong authorities have responded that the investigation is ongoing and will take some time to complete and that the Hong Kong government will handle the matter in accordance with their laws. Singapore welcomes this response. Adherence to the rule of law has been the fundamental basis for peace and stability in the last half century in Asia. It has enabled countries both large and small to build trust and confidence in one another, cooperate and prosper together. These are the very principles incorporated in the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation whose signatories pledge "to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law". Whether APL, the shipping company in this case, has complied with the rules of Hong Kong port is a matter between APL and the Hong Kong authorities, which should follow the due process of Hong Kong law. That issue between APL and Hong Kong Customs affects neither the legal position of the Terrexes nor the Singapore Government's rights.”
“For example, as we did previously, when we shipped advanced weapon and sensor systems or submarines back to Singapore previously, the special measures include chartering whole ships, mandating direct shipments, deploying protection forces or even converting the commercial ship to a State Marine Ensign. The Terrex troop carrier vehicles did not fall into this special category. Members have asked if military secrets have been compromised due to the detention of the Terrexes. As MINDEF has stated, the detained Terrexes and other equipment were being used for training and do not contain any sensitive equipment. Arising from this incident, SAF has reviewed its shipping procedures comprehensively to reduce the risk of SAF equipment being taken hostage en route. Where we think the risk of detention of SAF assets has gone up, whether in Asia or any other part of the world, we will impose extra precautions even if this means incurring higher freight charges. Alternatively, SAF may consider housing that equipment at overseas training sites to avoid shipping them altogether, and procure additional units to meet operational requirements, where necessary. In the present case, the SAF Terrexes were transiting in Hong Kong, one of the world's busiest and most established transhipment points. They were in transit on board the ship when they were ordered to be off-loaded by the Hong Kong authorities and detained. The legal position is that the SAF Terrexes and other equipment detained in Hong Kong are the property of the Singapore Government. They are protected by sovereign immunity, even though they were being shipped by commercial carriers. This means that they are immune from any measures of constraint abroad. They cannot legally be detained or confiscated by other countries.”
“Thank you very much. Mdm Speaker, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Chief of Army have already disclosed the procedures used by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for shipping military platforms for overseas training. Let me summarise. Singapore has limited training areas. Each year, SAF moves over 700 military platforms using commercial carriers to all parts of the world in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States (US). The SAF's contracts with these shipping companies and agents require them to comply with established protocols and all relevant international and local port rules. But the contracts leave it to the shipping companies to designate routes and ports, because this is their core business. Neither the SAF, Singapore, nor indeed most other countries, operate on the assumption that our cargo will be arbitrarily seized when transiting reputable foreign ports. SAF has followed these procedures for shipping military equipment for over 30 years without any significant incidents. These commercial arrangements have enabled SAF to ship military equipment safely and economically. It would cost three to four times more and add several hundred million dollars to MINDEF's annual budget to ship all military equipment directly from point-to-point. Neither does the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) have transport ships with that scale and capability to ship all this equipment. However, our Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs), currently our largest multi-purpose and transport ships, are due for replacement. We will consider if we need to replace them with ships of larger capacity. There are some exceptions, albeit rare, when SAF does not use commercial shipping companies, or will apply special considerations if we do, based on security risk assessments.”
“Mdm Speaker, can I request that Question Nos 5 to 9 be taken together?”
“Madam, the main thrust of my response to the Member's questions is that Singapore must dictate its policies based on its own interests. That is our starting point. Our policy must work to the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans. Page: 7 Now, obviously, we have to watch what other countries do with foreign policy. Singapore is a small country and, as I have said in my answer, we will work with like-minded partners who pursue peace and stability in our region. In this framework, we have facilitated and pushed for ADMM-Plus. We push for joint cooperation and exercises with other countries and we want to seek to have as many friends as possible. We encourage countries to use our facilities, whether it is Changi Naval Base or the airbases. There are specific agreements that we have entered into. I mentioned the FPDA in 1971; there is a historical basis, but it also falls in line with this overarching principle that we will work with like-minded countries that seek peace and stability in our region. We also have an MOU, a Strategic Framework Agreement and an enhanced DCA with the US, which facilitates the use of their ships and planes in our airbases. To answer the many theoretical scenarios which the Member has raised, which I do not propose to address, I think our starting point is whatever the calculations of other countries, whatever their foreign policy, we start from this important fundamental – we seek to make sure that Singapore benefits the most. Our foreign policy or defence policy is predicated on making sure that we position ourselves in the best possible position to survive and to compete. We want to make friends with as many militaries and countries as possible.”
“US ships and planes are more frequent users since the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and then-US Vice President Dan Quayle. That MOU facilitated the US' presence in this region and provided the security umbrella under which emerging economies in Asia thrived. The MOU was updated by the Strategic Framework Agreement by Prime Minister Lee and then-US President George W Bush in 2005. And recently, we enhanced the Defence Cooperation Agreement with the US in 2015.”
“Mdm Speaker, as an independent and sovereign nation, Singapore pursues policies for its own interests for all matters of state, including defence, with the goal to attain the right and best conditions that ensure our survival and progress in this competitive world. We, Singaporeans, are ultimately responsible for our own security but we will partner like-minded countries that pursue common objectives of peace and stability for our region. For this reason, Singapore joined the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) in 1971 which imposes an obligation on the five nations to consult in the event of an external attack on Malaysia and Singapore. In the past decade, we have also worked with other ASEAN countries to build a security architecture that is inclusive and based on the rule of law; where peaceful settlement of disputes, dialogue, cooperation and non-provocation are the norm for countries within that framework. This led to the set-up of ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in 2010, which includes, apart from the ASEAN member states, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand from Asia, as well as the US and Russia. As a matter of policy, Singapore will continue to partner like-minded countries to pursue peace and stability for our region. We seek to be friends with all militaries and encourage them to use our port and airbases for transit. Indeed, military ships and submarines from many countries, both from ASEAN-Plus countries like US, China, India and Japan, as well as from other continents like Europe, South America, Oceania and Africa, stop and use facilities at Changi Naval Base.”
“The total number of tickets put up each year for balloting by the public to attend the previews and the National Day Parade (NDP) show range from 50,000 to 165,000. The Padang and Marina Bay sites for NDP have lower seating capacity while the new National Stadium has the largest capacity, especially since an additional preview show has been added to increase the pool of balloted tickets. The two National Education Shows also provide opportunities to tens of thousands of school children to watch the NDP live as part of their national education. In addition, a small proportion of tickets are set aside to be given to sponsors, grassroots organisations, and families of participants and Ministries, in recognition of their support and hard work and effort in organising the NDP. Since 2013, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has already excluded applicants who were successful in the preceding year from the current year's e-balloting. This should improve the chance of success for ballots by those who have never seen the NDP live. MINDEF is gratified with the strong interest shown by Singaporeans to celebrate the NDP shows but the overall success of ballots would still be dependent on the total number of applicants, which can be many times the number of balloted tickets each year. Live telecasts of the NDP will continue to ensure that as many Singaporeans as possible get to watch the NDP show and celebrate National Day together. Page: 141”