Vivian Balakrishnan
Singapore
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not issue advisories on wait times at overseas airports. Travellers may wish to monitor airline and airport websites, as well as news reports for real-time information on wait times and potential disruptions at specific airports.”
“When the conflict in the Middle East deteriorated and commercial flights were halted in March 2026, the Singapore Government mounted four repatriation flights from Muscat, Riyadh and Jeddah to bring stranded Singaporeans home.”
“The Government has stepped up public engagement to explain our foreign policy fundamentals and responses to key international developments to Singaporeans and to hear their views. We do this through dialogue sessions across segments of society, including students, youths, businesses and community leaders.”
“And the larger point during the Committee of Supply was that precisely, because the world is in such a difficult, prickly, volatile and dangerous state, actually, if we keep our wits about ourselves, we maintain unity and we continue to have this clear eye-realistic, but principled, approach, there are many opportunities for Singapore.”
“Well, in short, I completely agree with you. And that is why we have indeed been hosting these events and in your own capacity as a national athlete and also as an official now, you have seen how it works in practice.”
“Since 2022, about half of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) employees are women. The proportion of women in senior appointments has remained stable at about a quarter. We recognise that overseas postings are disruptive for officers with families, especially female officers who bear greater caregiving responsibilities.”
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Every one of 2,437 lines we hold for Vivian Balakrishnan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 49.
“There are also profound lessons for us in Singapore, to count our blessings since Independence, that we have been able to come together as one people, regardless of race, language or religion. We have been able to build a democracy that functions. We have been able to reconcile differences. We really have so much to be thankful for and to count our blessings in Singapore. 10.29 am”
“Mr Speaker, in our meetings, discussions, both formal and informal, clear reference has been made to the ASEAN Charter, and, of course, the question of human rights. But I also want the House to have a realistic assessment of the factors at play. The history of Myanmar over the past 70 years, and I mentioned that earlier this week, is a long and tortured history of a large, wealthy talented country, unable to come together and achieve national unity, unable to reconcile differences between ethnic groups, political ideologies, between the different pillars of the political construct that is Myanmar. Again, if you look over the past 70 years, the military authorities in Myanmar frankly do not respond to economic sanctions, do not respond to moral opprobrium. And certainly, references to the ASEAN Charter in Human Rights, whilst essential, are not sufficient to change their behaviour. So, we do need to be realistic in what we say or do. I want to emphasise that my key objective – again, perhaps, influenced by my medical background – is, first, do no harm. Do not raise false hopes, do not incite and do not encourage further crystallisation of disputes and violence. I say all this so that Singaporeans, both within this House and outside this House, will understand that despite all our fervent and earnest hopes of reconciliation, the keys ultimately lie within Myanmar. There is a limit to how far external pressure will be brought to bear. It does not mean we approve of what they have done and how they do it, and we are clear in our expressions of disapproval. But let us also be realistic and let us hope that good sense prevails.”
“Mr Speaker, as I said earlier, we would certainly consider additional assistance, but there are many obstacles. In fact, the more fundamental political and violent events occurring within Myanmar itself complicate any attempts to address this humanitarian disaster, but we will continue to look out for opportunities.”
“The short answer is yes and the foreign ministers are in daily contact with one another.”
“These recommendations include priority projects, such as the supply of radio receivers to the local community, in order to strengthen the dissemination of accurate information. We are prepared to send further consignments of aid and stand ready to support future comprehensive needs assessments once repatriation commences, so that we can be more targeted in helping the displaced persons. But at the end of the day, the solution to both the political and the humanitarian problems lie within Myanmar itself and in the hands of its people. We hope to see an outcome that reflects the interests and the will of the people of Myanmar. Singapore and ASEAN hope that Myanmar will succeed in its path towards democratic transition and national reconciliation. We will do what we can to support this. But, ultimately, only the people of Myanmar, including Tatmadaw, the NLD, and the diverse ethnic groups, some of whom have armed militias, only they can find a sustainable political solution that is in the best interest of their people. We can only hope that wisdom will prevail. And despite all the bloodshed so far, I still think it is not too late.”
“We also support a visit by the Special Envoy of the United Nation Secretary General to Myanmar, Ms Christine Burgener, and hope that she will also be given access during her visit to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders. Mr Speaker, if events continue to escalate, it will become even more challenging for all parties in Myanmar to achieve that essential reconciliation. If tensions do not abate, the longer term stability of our region will also be affected, with potential serious consequences for everyone. There will also be further humanitarian impact given the current severe COVID-19 and economic stresses confronting their people, and do not forget the unresolved resettlement of displaced persons from Rakhine State. Singapore's assistance to the displaced persons from Rakhine State is on-going. Singapore has contributed over S$1 million in bilateral humanitarian aid to both Bangladesh and Myanmar. We also made contributions through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management. Reflecting the generosity of Singaporeans, our private sector and community organisations have also stepped up, raising funds to provide for the material needs of those in the refugee camps. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic last year also compromised the delivery of some of this humanitarian assistance. It is important to resume efforts to ensure the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of refugees back to Rakhine State. We have lent strong support towards ASEAN's efforts to help improve the ground conditions in Rakhine State, such as through the Preliminary Needs Assessment (PNA) and the ASEAN Secretariat's Ad-Hoc Support Teams, which focused on implementing the recommendations of the PNA teams.”
“Members would be aware of the media coverage of that meeting. We also provided a full transcript of my intervention during that meeting. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers urged the Myanmar military authorities to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians. I conveyed Singapore's grave concerns over the situation in Myanmar. We are appalled by violence, inflicted by security forces against civilians. It is the height of national shame for the armed forces of any country to turn its arms against its own people. The use of lethal force against unarmed civilians is inexcusable under any circumstances. The immediate concern is to step back from a rapidly deteriorating situation. I called on the military authorities to seek a peaceful solution for Myanmar. The alternative is prolonged instability and to quote Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, "an enormous tragic step back" for Myanmar. The military is an institution in the body politic of Myanmar. In fact, the military authorities in Myanmar played a role in Myanmar’s political journey towards democracy in the past decade. It has to reach a modus vivendi with the other key stakeholders in Myanmar including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. There remain prospects for a peaceful resolution as long as all sides can come together, engage in genuine and direct dialogue, and find a way to return to Myanmar’s democratic transition. We thus hope that the military authorities will release President Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, so that these discussions can commence.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. It has been more than a month since the 1 February 2021 detention of Myanmar's civilian government leaders including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The situation in Myanmar unfortunately remains fraught with much uncertainty and there remains significant risk of escalation. The United Nations reported that on 3 March alone, 38 people died. MFA has strongly advised all Singaporeans to defer travel to Myanmar at this time and we have also advised Singaporeans who are currently in Myanmar to consider leaving as soon as they can by commercial means whilst flights are still available. I have spoken extensively on Singapore's response to these developments in Myanmar, including during my Ministry's Committee of Supply (COS) debate on 1 March. On 2 March, I joined other ASEAN Foreign Ministers via video-conference for an Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM). At that meeting, the representative of Myanmar's military authorities, Mr Wunna Maung Lwin also briefed us on his account. Singapore believes that ASEAN should play a constructive role in facilitating a return to normalcy and hopefully, stability in Myanmar, in line with the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. The Chair of ASEAN issued a Statement on 1 February, the very day the NLD government was ousted. The Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM) I referred to earlier, was convened on 2 March 2021. The meeting reaffirmed the practice for ASEAN to discuss important issues of common concern whenever they arise. This meeting was an opportunity to have frank and open, candid discussions, and to reflect the international community's concerns directly to the representative of the military authorities.”
“Mr Speaker, may I answer Question Nos 2 and 3 together, with your permission?”
“We have also put money into it and that we will use on a needs basis within the ASEAN family. I hope you agree with me. I agree with your sentiment that we do need to look after our region and I hope you agree with the way which we are doing it. Over and above our contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, you will also recall earlier in my speech, I mentioned that we had separately been giving test kids, PCR machines, PPE and other donations centrally, regional governments, NGOs throughout our region. To be honest, we have not beat our drums about it, it has been that good work has been done and it has been appreciated by our neighbours. As to vaccine power play, I do not want to get into the details of that. But I do want to make one point which I think is salient for our local population and it is this: Singapore will make decisions on vaccines on the basis of science and healthcare needs. Rest assured, this is just another example of the way we conduct foreign policy. We cannot be bought, we cannot be bullied, we cannot be intimidated into either approving or disapproving any vaccine. We will make decisions on the basis of health and science. But precisely because people know that is the way we decide, you will realise we become a rather important reference customer. So, there will be pressure on us, there will be push and pulls, but we must conduct this just like another example of foreign policy in a principled manner. I hope that addresses your point.”
“In the case of a pandemic, if you just split the world on the basis of "can afford" and "cannot afford", you will actually end up with more dangerous world because the virus does not respect race, language, religion, socio-economic status, wealth or lack thereof of your country. So, the second dimension of COVAX risk pooling is to make sure that at least for essential personnel and the people at greatest risk across the world, there would be some vaccines available to them. The way it was structured was that countries with more resources, and that included Singapore, would make advance market commitments. We would put money into the pot and say, "Well, there is money available, please commercial companies go and develop vaccines." And then, when we put money into the pot, although we would be entitled to our fair share on the basis of full market price, a significant amount actually would be committed to help support the less well-off countries. So, I have taken some pains to explain COVAX, so that you understand it is all about risk pooling across different vaccine candidates and across different countries. Specifically for us, apart from being one of the early birds who actually put real resources down, and I am glad that in this case, I assume that this entire House, including the Opposition, supports the Government's decisions on making advance commitments for the purchase of vaccines. But apart from doing that, to also express our willingness to help other parts of the world whom if we did not help, would become endemic reservoirs for further mutations and for this never-ending curse of COVID-19. That is why we put US$5 million into this. I have not specifically asked for it to be earmarked for ASEAN. For ASEAN, we separately have an COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for these two salient questions. And allow me to take a step back and explain first the rationale behind COVAX. Because, in fact, this is a unique moment in public health. Never before in history have so many vaccine candidates been developed, tested approved and deployed within one year. Let me tell you as a healthcare professional – this is unprecedented. It was essential, however, to have this because of the speed in which the global pandemic was galloping through the entire world. 4.30 pm The scientific and business challenge was this. At the beginning, in fact, even, I would say right up to about September or October last year, it was not possible to be scientifically sure which one would work and the first vaccine candidate that work would not necessarily be the best. And in any case, it would take a long time, by definition, to ascertain the long-term efficacy and safety of vaccines. Therefore, the concept behind COVAX is risk pooling. What do I mean by that? It means when you are not certain which horse is going to reach the finish line, never mind which one is going to win, which horse is going to meet the finish line, you need to put some advance bets. This is not really about horse racing bets. But you are putting money on the line so that multiple pharmaceutical companies would be incentivised to develop vaccines at a pace and with significant business risk. And if there was not such a facility to pool risk, and therefore incentivise this simultaneous rapid development of vaccines, we would not be in this happy situation. So, that is the first dimension. Risk pooling because you do not know which vaccine will work. The second dimension of risk pooling is that some countries, have the wherewithal, and many countries do not.”
“The methods that are found so successful in business [to obtain licences, concessions, contracts and so on] these methods are not available to us as a Government." And I think that reminder is still salient after 50 years. So, I hope that the people of Singapore will understand and take it in our stride. When relations become a bit prickly, a bit uncomfortable and we go through the inevitable episodes from time to time. And it can come from either or from both sides. But rest assured that MFA, indeed the Prime Minister and the entire Cabinet, will always make decisions on the basis of the long-term interests of Singapore. And Senior Minister of State Chee's reminder that our value, our unique selling point, is not to be a vassal state or to be bought or intimidated or to be a pale imitation of a larger power, but to be ourselves – authentic, reliable, trustworthy, relevant and useful – and the Member's point therefore that we need to continue to conduct foreign policy at home and to make these points to our own people and to convince them accordingly. Thank you for that question.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Alex Yam for that very salient question. The first point I would make is I hope they all listened to Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat's speech just now. I hope it will be translated into English as well and that The Straits Times will carry it. The fundamental fact is this: we will be pushed and pulled. And I remind my staff that right now, actually, we are in a sweet spot, in terms of our relationship with both superpowers. But whenever you are in a sweet spot, always anticipate that things can only go downhill from there. So, I am sure, sooner rather than later, an issue will arise and we will have to stand our ground. We will have to say no and it will be a test of our unity and our cohesion; and as the Member has quite rightly identified, our understanding and support of our own people because foreign policy begins at home. I would remind Members to recall the advice that whenever we receive a message or a video, or a social media posting, always ask who does it ultimately originate from; first question. Second question, what are the facts? Third question, who benefits or loses from the perspective that is being advocated from that posting? Fourth, what are the long-term national interests of Singapore? And I am always reminded of some very good pithy and sometimes, the prickly advice that Dr Goh Keng Swee gave us. In 1970, when he was describing the difference between conducting business and conducting foreign policy. Allow me to quote just a couple of sentences from him. He said, "In the nature of things, relations between independent sovereign states cannot be conducted on the basis of supplicant and overlord.”
“These will stand us in good stead going forward as we continue to pursue Singapore's long-term interests, always preserving our independence and our unique identity as a multi-racial, multicultural city state in the heart of Southeast Asia. This is our way of fulfilling Deputy Prime Minister Heng's challenge of emerging stronger. We will emerge stronger in an uncertain world. [Applause.]”
“We have also been providing medical supplies, including diagnostic test kits, PCR machines and personal protective equipment (PPE) to both the central and regional governments as well as various non-governmental organisations. In addition, we have taken steps on outstanding bilateral issues. At the last Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat, Prime Minister Lee and President Jokowi also welcomed our agreed "Framework for Discussions", where military training and the Flight Information Region (FIR) will be discussed separately but concurrently. And I am pleased that officials on both sides have continued discussions to move these issues forward. It speaks to the strength of our relationship that though the current situation may be challenging, we continue to look for ways to work constructively together. Mr Chairman, as we look ahead, there is much uncertainty on the horizon, particularly the foreign horizon. The waters around us remain turbulent. There will continue to be unexpected currents, gales, typhoons, maybe even tsunamis that could potentially throw us off course. But the last year has shown that – as Singapore Inc, as the Singapore people and the ship of Singapore – we have demonstrated our resilience as a people and as a country. We have made sacrifices for each other, we have looked out for each other's well-being and safety, we have kept the public health situation under control, and leaving no Singaporean behind anywhere in the world has been perhaps the best reminder about the value of citizenship. It is not just a red passport opening doors all over the rest of the world. We have preserved our relevance and I think we have actually strengthened our reputation as a principled, reliable and credible actor on the international stage.”
“Still, it is good that both sides have been able to handle this amicably and will continue cooperation in other areas. In Malaysia, Movement Control Orders have also been implemented in the different states. Malaysia declared a State of Emergency which will last until August 2021. Both the pandemic and the political situation will remain fluid and we probably will see an election in Malaysia later this year. Regardless of the outcome, we continue to look for opportunities to work with Malaysia and to make progress where we can. On Indonesia, we continue to have a close and substantive partnership, even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. High-level exchanges have continued, including Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi's recent visit to Singapore. In fact, I have been in almost daily contact with her, either by phone or via WhatsApp message for quite some time. We will continue to work together towards a strong recovery. Areas for cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia include public health, economic growth and investments, financial cooperation and safe travel. There has already been progress on some of these areas. I will just give you a quick few examples. Prime Minister Lee and President Joko Widodo endorsed the renewal of our Bilateral Financial Arrangement in 2020, which will help support monetary and financial stability in both our countries. We also launched an RGL with Indonesia in October 2020 to keep up business activities and people-to-people exchanges in a safe way. Whilst this Reciprocal Green Lane is currently suspended, we look forward to working with Indonesia to resume this when both sides are ready to do so, when the pandemic is under better control.”
“We will continue to work with Malaysia to gradually resume the cross-border movement of people, but this will need to include mutually agreed public health protocols to preserve the public health and safety of our peoples, while taking into account the medical resources available on both sides. I will continue to maintain regular communication with both the Foreign Minister Hishammuddin and the Menteri Besar of Johor Hasni Mohammad. We have managed to make progress on bilateral projects and issues. For example, we concluded negotiations to resume the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Project in July last year. When completed, the RTS Link will ease Causeway congestion, improve connectivity and foster more convenient people-to-people ties and generate shared economic and social benefits. Where we have had differences, we have also been able to manage them in a calm and rational way. For example, Malaysia allowed the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) Bilateral Agreement (BA) to be terminated on 31 December 2020 and has agreed to compensate Singapore for costs already incurred by Singapore in fulfilling our obligations under the HSR BA in accordance with this agreement. We had been flexible in trying to work out an arrangement that was acceptable to both sides and had agreed to suspend the construction of the HSR Project in September 2018. And then, in May 2020, we agreed to extend the suspension period to 31 December 2020. However – and I think Minister Ong has explained to this House before – we could not accept Malaysia's latest HSR proposal as it constituted a fundamental departure from our prior agreement. Ultimately, whilst we seek cooperation with our neighbours, we must always ensure that Singapore's long-term interests and rights are also protected.”
“That is how we maintain our relevance and our strategic autonomy and that is how we preserve our independence and our unique identity as a multi-racial, multicultural city state in the heart of Southeast Asia. By being relevant to both and at the same time, making it very clear to both of them that we will never be a stalking horse or a Trojan Horse for the other. This same principle actually applies in our dealings with our closest neighbours, which I think Miss Rachel Ong and others have asked about. With Malaysia, we have always sought a win-win approach in the many areas where we have common interests. I had previously spoken about how we had helped to bring each other's citizens home – I told Minister Hishammuddin we "tumpang" each other's transport – and we facilitated travel between our countries for those with urgent and compassionate needs because so many of us have relatives across the Causeway. We have coordinated well with Malaysia on our COVID-19 safeguards in order to minimise the disruptions to our companies, workers and citizens as well as the cross-border flow of goods and supplies. Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is a good friend whom I have known for two decades now. We met at the Causeway but with the boundary separating us on 26 July last year to discuss our travel arrangements in light of the border closures. Shortly after, we launched the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and the Periodic Commuting Arrangement on 10 August 2020 for essential work, business and official travel. Given the resurgence of COVID-19 worldwide, including in Malaysia in recent months, we had to suspend the Reciprocal Green Lane for three months from 1 February 2021 but we will review this after the suspension period.”
“So, given our deep friendships and our investments with both the US and China, it is inevitable that we will feel the tug of great power competition from time to time. We must expect this. We must not be upset or panic whenever we feel these tugs. In fact, I would say this is a design feature of the way we engage the two superpowers. It is normal for two superpowers to try to influence others to their way of thinking, particularly, if we are considered to be an important account, worth pushing and pulling. But I want to stress it is normal – in fact, it is imperative – for Singapore, or for any country, for that matter, to want to be able to choose for ourselves instead of being forced into making decisions by other people – in other words, not to be forced into making invidious choices. So, in navigating between the two superpowers, we must continue to maintain a consistent and principled foreign policy. For me, in simple terms, it means, I say the same thing to Wang Yi as I say to Antony Blinken. I do not have the luxury of saying different things to both of them and then hoping they do not compare notes. By being consistent. Next, we exercise our sovereign rights but with full respect for a rules-based multilateral world order and international law, and regardless of inducements or threats. What that means is that from time to time, we will have to say "no" to one or the other or both. When that happens – if you look back over the last five years, there have been incidents. We depend on the confidence, cohesion and unity of the Singaporean public and of Members of this House, across party lines, to stick together.”
“But I want to highlight a few points. China remains our largest trading partner, and surprisingly, we are China's largest foreign investor. We have three government-to-government projects: the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Tianjin Eco City and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative and all these have made commendable progress over the years. And you will know that Deputy Prime Minister Heng just co-chaired the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC). 3.30 pm Despite the pandemic, we have kept up our pace of cooperation and engagement with China. We sent medical equipment and supplies to each other at crucial stages of the crisis respectively. For operational reasons, I cannot go into details but let me assure you – when the chips were down on either side – fortunately, at different times – we stepped up and we helped. That is how you build trust. That is how you prove that you are a reliable partner, when a crisis breaks out and the chips are down. Therefore, you should not be surprised that China was the first country with which we established a reciprocal agreement – both because we have both been able to control the pandemic domestically and also because of this large reservoir of trust. Politburo Member Yang Jiechi visited Singapore last August and I also met State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his transit in Singapore in October. Needless to say, I have been on the phone with him several times in the last year. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen existing collaboration, with Singapore plugged into China's dual-circulation strategy. And we will look for new opportunities and break new ground.”
“American companies like Pfizer and Moderna have been trailblazers on vaccines and treatments. American innovation and enterprise remain engines for global growth. American companies will continue to lead the digital revolution. This is why I never count the Americans out. The cumulative stock of US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Southeast Asia stands at more than US$338 billion. The exact number is not so important. What is more important is that this sum is more than what the US has invested in India, Japan, South Korea and China combined. Stop for a moment to think about that. The US has more invested in Southeast Asia than it has in India, China, Japan and South Korea combined. Every time I met President Trump, I reminded him of this statistic. And there is another factoid. Approximately 85% of the US total investments in Southeast Asia are in Singapore – which creates many good jobs here. So, you understand then why our relationship with the US remains crucial. And the US military presence has underpinned peace and stability in our region for over half a century. I recently spoke separately with newly-appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Fortunately, both are old friends. I am familiar with them. I have known them in various incarnations before their current positions. We reaffirmed our excellent relationship and robust cooperation and discussed doing more in areas like global health, cybersecurity and the digital economy so that together, we can better tackle the challenges of our generation. With China, we share a deep, historical, cultural, linguistic legacy. We have a wide-ranging and important relationship, and I will get Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat to speak more about that after this.”
“So, when we say "centrality" and "integration", these are crucial for all the 10 members of Southeast Asia, all the more so when there is geopolitical instability. But if we can hold together, hang together, maintain centrality, then our longer term prospects for our region, in fact, are bright. Despite the pandemic, consider the fundamentals of growth in our region. We have 650 million people. ASEAN has a growing middle class and, in fact, will be one of the parts of the world in the next 20 years with the fastest growing middle class. We also have a rapidly expanding digital economy. It is no accident that we have a disproportionate number of unicorns, not just in Singapore, but also in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and expanding across ASEAN. We are also well-placed to leverage the reconfiguration of supply chains that is occurring now in the world. Accelerated no doubt by COVID-19 but really, fundamental trends that were already there beforehand. And so, it is imperative that we press on with economic integration, fulfil the ASEAN Community Blueprints, and continue to expand cooperation with all of ASEAN's external partners in an inclusive way. Let me now turn more specifically to how Singapore will navigate the relationship between the US and China. We have a longstanding, strong relationship with the US. It is a cooperation that is multi-faceted. It includes vital areas: defence, security, economic, cybersecurity and people-to-people education. And as the digital economy grows, we should all remember that the US is home to a vast pool of innovation, technology and talent that they harvest from all over the world. Its companies in Silicon Valley and beyond are global champions. It remains at the forefront of developments in science and technology.”
“We therefore call on all parties in Myanmar to engage in discussions and to negotiate in good faith, to pursue long-term peaceful political solutions for them to achieve national reconciliation, including a path to find a way to get back to the path of democratic transition. And we believe this can only begin if President Win Myint, and State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Ky and the other detainees are immediately released. Despite ASEAN's core principles of consensus and non-interference, ASEAN can still play a constructive role in facilitating, hopefully, a return to normalcy and stability in Myanmar. This was why Singapore strongly supported ASEAN's efforts from the start, including the ASEAN Chair's Statement. We believe in engagement and dialogue in good faith with all relevant stakeholders. A special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be convened via video conference tomorrow and where we will listen to the representative of the Myanmar military authorities. ASEAN will also work closely with all our external partners to foster an inclusive dialogue with all key stakeholders. And we must ensure that the mutually beneficial relations that ASEAN and our partners have built up do not become paralysed by this issue. If we can hold together and maintain ASEAN Centrality, the longer term prospects for our region are still robust. In case people do not appreciate the use of the word "centrality", it is not just jargon. You see, the choice for Southeast Asia is either we hang together, as what Mr Rajaratnam said at our founding, or for us to become fragmented into battleground and proxy states and vessel states.”
“We must continue strengthening ASEAN integration in concrete ways, whether in public health, economic cooperation or establishing protocols to prepare for safe re-opening. And this will reinforce the concentric circles of an open and inclusive regional architecture, which includes mechanisms like the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum and help ASEAN hold together, even as external forces try to push us or pull us one way or another, as it will invariably happen. But ASEAN also has additional internal challenges. And Myanmar, unfortunately, is a case in point. The recent developments in Myanmar are a source of grave concern to Singapore and indeed, to the larger ASEAN family. The immediate priority is to halt all acts of violence and the use of lethal force and to step back from a rapidly deteriorating situation. Yesterday, I think you all know there was a significant escalation in violence across the cities in Myanmar. Security forces shot at civilians with live rounds, rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas. Many deaths and injuries were caused. We are appalled by the use of lethal force against civilians. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and we hope that the injured will recover quickly. We strongly reiterate that the use of lethal weapons against unarmed civilians is inexcusable under all circumstances. We call on the Myanmar military authorities to exercise the utmost restraint, to desist from the use of lethal force and to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation in order to prevent further bloodshed, violence and deaths. Prolonged instability in Myanmar will have serious consequences for Myanmar, for ASEAN and across our region.”
“Even with new Biden administration, it is unlikely that the measures and tariffs against China will be removed in the near future. Friction over trade, emerging technologies, human rights, defence, finance and cybersecurity have all continued unabated. But I still believe, or perhaps you can say that it is a hope, that the US and China will find ways to manage their relations. Practical cooperation is possible, especially if it is conducted within a rules-based multilateral system, with established rules and norms of engagement. Some areas, in fact, COVID-19 is an example, which has starkly reminded the world of our interdependence and it would have been far more effective if the US and China had been able to cooperate effectively from day one. Another area where you need effective cooperation between the two superpowers is climate change. And here, I speak from personal experience. In 2015, as a Ministerial facilitator for the negotiations that ultimately led to the Paris Agreement, I witnessed first-hand how effective cooperation between the US and China enabled us to achieve what would otherwise have been unattainable in 2015. President Biden and President Xi had their first official phone call recently – I am sure it was carefully selected – the date was on the eve of Chinese New Year. It was a polite but firm conversation. They spoke about their respective concerns and differences. But they also discussed tackling COVID-19, the global health system, climate change and countering proliferation. I think that is a good start but without wishing away all the fundamental hurdles, obstacles and prickliness to their relationship. In our own region, it will be crucial to maintain ASEAN Centrality amidst this greater geopolitical competition and uncertainty.”
“The second is that the economic impact of COVID-19 has deepened fault lines, all across the globe and led to divisions both within and between countries and societies. Politically, that is why we are witnessing growing friction and distrust rather than cooperation and confidence-building. There has been increased pressure for governments to take a nationalistic, protectionist and isolationist approach. We have already seen this happen, whether it is the scramble for masks or PPE, or even now, in the distribution of vaccines. 3.15 pm The third risk that we are going to confront is that COVID-19 has, in fact, accelerated the pre-existing downward spiral of the US-China relations. Over the past year, we have witnessed sharp exchanges between senior figures on both sides. And this is deeply worrying. The US-China relationship remains the linchpin for geopolitical stability. But the fundamental shift in relations between two superpowers preceded the outbreak of COVID-19. China is increasing its influence, asserting its place in the world. The younger generation in China who grown up in the last 40 years have only known ascendency and they will not tolerate being treated or even perceive being treated unfairly by any foreign power. At the same time – and I tell you as a person who has had to travel frequently to the United States over the past five years, except for last year –now there is absolutely no doubt that there bipartisan support in the US for a tougher stance against China, to rectify what they believe are unfair practices, trade practices as well as to deal with a contest, a competition with a strategic rival on a scale that United States has never faced before.”
“This is why we concluded Digital Economy Agreements with Australia, Chile and New Zealand, and are exploring more with other partners. At home and abroad, we are also supporting capacity-building. Deputy Prime Minister Heng put a lot into education and skills and training, and that is to make sure that Singaporeans will have the skills and the capacity to be at the forefront of this global revolution. At the UN, ASEAN and other platforms, we will continue to work with our partners to develop and strengthen norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. Here you know I am referring to cybersecurity, which, in fact, remains a clear and present danger for all of us. Even more so now, that we are so dependent on digital technologies. Making progress on these priorities that I have just outlined, will not be easy. The world will continue to feel the pandemic's after-effects for several years to come. There will still be great geopolitical and macroeconomic risk for Singapore. I want to spend some time addressing this question of "risk to Singapore". First, global debt is already rising at unprecedented levels in the post-financial crisis era, that was 2007, 2008. Now, with COVID-19, you have seen a doubling of the global debt overhang. Governments have rolled out fiscal measures, loosened monetary measures, corporations have borrowed to stay afloat during the pandemic. In the short term, these steps have helped to avert the worst economic consequences for the globe. But you know these are ultimately not sustainable in the long run. That means, managing the transition will be a perilous journey for all of us, and especially for Singapore because of the role that we play in the global economy. So, that is one.”
“The fourth priority is climate change and many Members have referred to this. I am pleased to report that even in the midst of the pandemic, many countries continued to push ahead with implementing their obligations under the Paris Agreement. China, South Korea and Japan announced net zero targets. And we welcome the return of the US to the Paris Agreement. As a small island state, Singapore is disproportionately affected by climate change, but this is not a problem we can solve on our own. We must continue to work with the international community to operationalise, in a real and practical way, the Paris Agreement. For Singapore, MFA will work with other Ministries to do our part as a responsible member of the international community. We will seek new areas of cooperation, in innovating to build greener, more liveable cities, and because the world has now reached the point where more than half of humanity live in cities, urban solutions that we generate in Singapore will have salience and will be relevant all over the world. Therefore, we will help sustain global momentum towards a more sustainable future. This brings me to the fifth area, digital cooperation, which Mr Henry Kwek addressed. The digital revolution was actually well under way before the onset of COVID-19. The pandemic actually acted as a stress test, it was a catalyst, it sped up our movement online, voluntarily or otherwise; and everyone had to rely on digital tools for work, for school, for purchases, for transactions. To sustain growth and help us move ahead in the digital economy, we need to develop common frameworks, common global standards to ensure that cross-border transactions and engagements and digital exchanges, including e-payments and data flows, are safe, secure and efficient.”
“We founded and we co-chair the Friends of the COVAX Facility group, to provide impetus and support for the Facility's development. It is very easy now to say, "Oh, that's obvious. Why don't you do more?" But we will put our hands up when it was not obvious and when everyone was focused internally. Under the COVAX mechanism, self-funded countries like Singapore will be allocated a certain small amount. But really, what this facility does is to ensure that subsidised vaccines will be allocated to other 92 low- and lower middle income countries. So, on this count, Singapore is a net donor. Have no doubt about that. Now, in a panic, in a crisis, it is actually quite natural for every country to look to secure supplies for themselves first. But we know that the virus knows no borders. COVAX's primary value is in supporting wider access to vaccines. Without it, we would all be collectively worse off. In fact, Members may or may not be aware that it was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who introduced the term "vaccine multilateralism", which everyone bandies about now. He used it in June last year and it has since been acknowledged by the WHO Director General, and it has entered the international anti-COVID lexicon. We also contributed US$5 million to COVAX to help low-income countries access vaccines through this facility. Our quantum took into account the needs of the larger international community, and also our status as a tiny city state, but a responsible and contributing member of the international community. The need for a multilateral approach to fight COVID-19 is therefore, self-evident. This virus, I repeat, does not discriminate across language, race, religion or borders. And therefore, it is in our collective interest to help each other.”
“China scientists actually published the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in January last year. Very early, in the pandemic. Because they published it and because Singapore also played a small but important role in curating and processing the genome – and in fact, subsequent massive amounts of data on the genome database for COVID-19 – diagnostic tests were quickly developed all over the world, including in Singapore. There has been effective cooperation across borders to share research and to develop tests, vaccines and treatments. Ms Tin Pei Ling asked how Singapore has contributed to international efforts to fight COVID-19. Apart from our work on diagnostic kits, we were also amongst the first in the world to launch digital contact tracing solutions and one of the first to develop a contact tracing protocol, which we then open-sourced so others could access it, use it, modify it. Singapore also played a key role in establishing the COVAX collective vaccine purchase mechanism, which I believe several Members – Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Chong Kee Hiong – have asked about this. We must start with the principle, that fair and equitable access to vaccines across the globe is essential. This is not an ideological position, this is a practical proposition, because no one is safe, until everyone is safe. This is especially so for a small, open country like Singapore. No matter how well we control the pandemic within our borders, life cannot resume and get back to the status quo ante, unless the rest of the world is also made safer. This is why Singapore was an early supporter of the COVAX Facility, which seeks to harmonise public and private incentives for global vaccine development.”
“Sustaining international support for trade helps bolster our economic growth, as well as create jobs for Singaporeans. Second priority, to enhance our nexus for trade, shipping, finance, and data, and even more important, ideas. Throughout this crisis, Singapore has continued to be a transit hub for foreign nationals who needed desperately to get home, as well as for crew changes for the maritime industry so that essential supplies and food, and medication can continue to move across the globe. This is one reason why MOT has been very busy. Changi Airport, our port could never close. This is the other reason why, you will continue to see from time to time, we will have cases, apparently imported. Because, unlike other countries, complete isolation and shut down is not a viable strategy for Singapore. Even now, we are facilitating Singapore's economic recovery by continuing to negotiate reciprocal green lanes, RGLs, and other safe travel arrangements. Although, Members of the House will also appreciate that green lanes' bubbles will have to open and shut according to circumstances. We need flexibility. But the more important point is that we have continued to be a paragon of reliability, trustworthiness, that we have honoured at all times, the sanctity of contracts. We have never impounded supplies even when the crisis was deep. The third priority is to promote multi-stakeholder partnerships. COVID-19 has in fact shown that we can achieve new levels of partnership between government, civil society and industry – across borders – when we are united around a common purpose. For example, we have seen unprecedented levels of international scientific and medical cooperation throughout this crisis. Let me give you an example.”
“Efforts over the years to enhance our presence at multilateral fora have also paid off. We have participated actively at the UN, at the WHO and the WTO. And our networks were also key to securing our vaccine supplies early and to minimise delays. But beyond shoring up our foundation in a time of crisis, we are also building up resilience for a post-COVID-19 future. In this shifting, uncertain and volatile environment, strengthening our resilience is inextricably intertwined with increasing our relevance to the world. Mr Lee Kuan Yew's reminder to us to always seek relevance, has never rung more true than today. Let me touch on five priorities. First, diversifying and deepening our trade relationships. COVID-19 amplified the push for shorter supply chains, for greater efficiency and security, and many countries were stampeded into this. Nationalism, protectionism, became politically attractive in many parts of the world, especially when there is fear and uncertainty. So, the fact that we were still able to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, last year, was an important boost for trade and economic integration but also a statement and affirmation in itself, of the importance of maintaining multilateral trade relationships. It reaffirmed the role of free trade for shared prosperity and peace. Both the RCEP and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, remain open, the door remains open for like-minded economies to join, and as pathfinders to what we hope will ultimately be even wider agreements. For Singapore, I do not think I need to remind the House that trade remains three times our GDP. So, this is not a debating point, trade is our lifeblood.”
“I should also say, although I will not reveal the numbers, that some of our MFA officers have been infected with COVID-19 whilst they were overseas at post. For privacy reasons and operational reasons, I hope you will not ask me for the numbers, But let me assure this House that fortunately, all of them have recovered and are well. But again, this reflects our debt to them. Their grit and their resilience and their commitment to duty in the face of a crisis. Our Foreign Service Officers have worked over many years to build up diplomatic capital and in the last one year, we have drawn down on this capital. For example, where we had no embassies, we reached out to our partners including Malaysia, Japan, France, the UK, Israel and Taiwan to help bring our people home. Similarly, where we could, we also facilitated the return and transits of other countries’ nationals using our aircraft or transiting through Changi Airport. Across the Causeway, we have been working closely with the Malaysian authorities to help more than 350 Singaporeans who are elderly, or minors, or people with disabilities, so that they could reunite with their families in Singapore throughout these border closures. Mr Alex Yam had also asked about how we helped to ensure supply chain connectivity. In the early days of the crisis, when borders were closing, we worked with partners like Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand and our fellow ASEAN countries to keep the supplies of essential goods flowing. And this was absolutely crucial in that time of disruption and upheaval. 3.00 pm Let me give you one example. We established an air freight connectivity partnership with New Zealand, where flights transported food from New Zealand to Singapore and medical supplies Singapore to New Zealand.”
“Mr Chairman, when I spoke at last year's Committee of Supply (COS), at that point in time we had just repatriated 266 people from Wuhan, our own citizens. And this just in the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, 2020 has been a very busy year. At MFA, we undertook our largest ever consular operation in our history. Mr Alex Yam would know that we worked round the clock and have brought back so far, over 4,500 Singaporeans and their family members. There were many challenges, but we were determined to leave no Singaporean behind. Around the world, flights were disrupted, borders were closed, public health situations were deteriorating. And we had an unprecedented number of requests for consular assistance. In some countries like India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, we were able to mount repatriation flights to bring large groups home. But there were other places where Singaporeans were stuck in areas where we had no ground presence, no embassies. I am glad that members of this House have conveyed their appreciation to the men and women of MFA, all of whom, I want to emphasise, have remained unflinchingly at post overseas throughout this crisis, even as it worsened. Many of them are still separated from their family members, after one year. More than 300 of our officers continue serving at our overseas missions. They fly our flag abroad, keep in touch with Singaporeans overseas, help those who wish to come home, provide support to those who choose to remain. They also work closely with our economic and health agencies to sustain our flows of food, medical supplies and vaccines. They are part of the whole-of-Government of Singapore.”
“Another example is the Singapore Financial Data Exchange which has enabled us, as individuals, to retrieve a consolidated view of all our personal finances, using either the MyMoneySense portal or a mobile banking app. Actually, if you have not checked this out, it is a big deal because it allows data sharing which has historically been very difficult to achieve because you get a direct overview of all your financial statements and bank accounts. But you can imagine the security needed to enable that to happen. And this was enabled because we have central digital infrastructure riding on SingPass and MyInfo and the relationship the Government has had with the banks and our role as a neutral, trusted party to enable this kind of sharing and this kind of utility to occur. I want to also thank the 150 Smart Nation Ambassadors who, even in the midst of the difficulties last year, volunteered to help promote the use of digital technologies, including TraceTogether. Later this year, we will be convening a citizens panel to explore how we can improve the design of our digital services. So, let me conclude, COVID-19 did not change history but it has accelerated both the need and the opportunities arising from the digital revolution. Our Smart Nation Initiative has put us in a good position to seize the moment and to prove that we can and do solve real-world problems quickly and to differentiate ourselves in the post-COVID world.”
“Individuals can also opt to have their SMS one-time password sent to a trusted family member so that they can still have the benefit of security and the help of a trusted family member. We are consolidating information and services for our citizens under the one-stop LifeSG app. If you have not used it, please go and check it out. More than 250,000 people have already downloaded the app, and they can access a personalised dashboard of services to more than 70 Government e-services. Users can also view the Government benefits and support relevant to them, such as GST Vouchers, Pioneer and Merdeka Generation MediSave top-ups and, soon, including the benefits that have been announced under this current Budget. We are also improving our digital services for improved productivity and, next quarter, GoBusiness will launch an e-Service Navigator to provide our businesses easy access to over 300 Government e-services. But more importantly, this is also an opportunity to re-engineer our processes and make Government services more suitable and facilitatory to all our businesses. We have harnessed digital technology also to create more energy-efficient and water-efficient homes, and you will be aware of some further announcements on smart meters in both energy and water. Mr Alex Yam has emphasised that partnership is key, and the Government and financial sector are, indeed, in fact, a very good example where this partnership has borne fruit. Compared to a year ago, we have a 31% increase in PayNow mobile users. Today, we have than 2.7 million users, and PayNow transactions have more than doubled in this one year. No doubt accelerated by COVID-19 and the aversion to handling cash.”
“I agree with Ms Hany Soh that the Government plays a critical role not only in shaping the national digital infrastructure but also the processes and the thinking and the mindset around it. Just like physical infrastructure, we must commit to ensuring that our digital infrastructure, in both the hard and software side of it, is top-notch globally. The question on 5G rollout will be handled by MCI later. But even in that area, we will make sure that we are at the leading edge of the world and, both in terms of security and efficacy, we will be there. Ms Tin Pei Ling asked for an update on the national digital identity. I am glad to report that SingPass now provides seamless and secure access to over 1,400 digital services by 340 agencies, including private sector organisations, like some banks and insurance companies. The number of users of SingPass Mobile has grown. It was one million users in March last year. It is now 2.4 million users today. We will be looking to extend the benefits of our national digital identity platform and to enable easier access to e-services beyond our shores, and we are embarking on pilot projects with Australia and Shenzhen, China. I agree with Mr Sharael Taha that the Government's digital services must be secure, must be inclusive and must be personalised. We have introduced the SingPass two-factor authentication (2FA) modes to ensure that SingPass remains not only secure but accessible and especially to the elderly and vulnerable groups, especially those without mobile phones. And these include the latest use of Face Verification so that people can use Face Verification as a second factor and this will be based on matching their images against a verified database held by ICA.”
“One area which we will do more of is to make greater use of the cloud in order to scale new services and to re-engineer existing services. Seventy percent of our eligible IT systems will have migrated to the cloud by 2023 under the Digital Government Blueprint. This shift to the cloud incidentally will also make us greener and more sustainable. We will continue to attract and nurture top ICT talent within the public sector, through our Smart Nation Scholarships, Technology Associate Programme (TAP) and other talent development programmes. And we are not just looking for hardcore engineers but also multi-disciplinary teams – designers, analysts, policymakers, artists, communicators, in order to create really functional teams fit for purpose. We will be launching the Digital Academy next quarter, to build up the digital skills within the wider Public Service in areas including data analytics and cybersecurity. The Digital Academy will train more than 6,000 Public Service officers. We hope to offer about 95 training programmes within the first year. And I will also put in a request for Members of Parliament, those of you who want to attend these courses, please email me, and I might even try to persuade the Prime Minister to do an introductory course on C. I have not asked the Prime Minister yet. 5.45 pm I share Miss Cheng Li Hui’s concern that it is critical for our public officers to carefully handle classified information in order to maintain public trust. All officers will undergo an annual data security programme, so that they know their responsibilities and how to safeguard the data that they handle in the daily course of activities and we will also remind our officers of the severe consequences of mishandling data.”
“Over 700,000 manpower and workplace applications for businesses have been made through the GoBusiness portal and that also provides convenient, comprehensive information, especially on safe management guidelines over the past year. The Government was therefore able to continue serving people, providing services online even during the circuit breaker and thereby cushioned the social and economic impact. Technology will be critical as we try this year to resume our daily lives. For instance, using the National Appointment System for COVID-19 Vaccination, eligible persons can book their vaccinations online when it is their turn. But it goes beyond that. It is about matching supply and demand in time and space. And for those of you who have been vaccinated, you can check your records which are available on HealthHub. MOH and GovTech are also developing a globally inter-operable HealthCerts standard based on blockchain technology to facilitate cross-border verification of health documents. There will be notarised Pre-Departure Test (PDT) test results which will be available on SingPass Mobile and we will look into extending this to vaccine certificates as suggested by Ms Tin Pei Ling. Ninety-five percent of Government's transactions between citizens and businesses are today completed digitally end-to-end – 95% done paperless, cashless and presence-less. This is actually one of the highest rates in the world. These achievements have only been possible because of our relentless recruitment of talent and especially in-house engineering capabilities before the crisis hit. And we must now double down on building up our people, building up our capabilities and our agility and to use the latest cutting-edge technologies.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman, on behalf of Prime Minister Lee and Senior Minister Teo. COVID-19 has been a real stress test of the work that Smart Nation has embarked on for the past, more than almost seven years. It has exposed gaps, it has validated our investments over the many years and it has also allowed us to differentiate ourselves and to emerge stronger in a post-COVID world. So, the questions my team and I have asked ourselves in the last one year are the following: have our digital systems helped to save lives, enhance resilience, improve the quality of services provided to our people? Has it enabled us to overcome challenges collectively without leaving anyone behind? That has been our framing. The digital systems that we have been building up have actually showed to be absolutely critical in our fight against COVID-19. Many of the solutions that we deployed during the crisis were developed by our in-house engineers within GovTech and other public agencies in weeks, sometimes overnight, over days. TraceTogether, which now has 4.7 million people using it, SafeEntry – all these have helped to reduce the time needed to identify and quarantine close contacts. It used to take us four days. It is now down to 1.5 days. SupplyAlly and RedeemSG have been used to distribute more than 2.9 million TT tokens and 19 million masks. And those of you who participated in this would know that this really helped turbo charged the delivery of these. We had websites, MaskGoWhere, SupportGoWhere, FluGoWhere and we have the Gov.sg WhatsApp and Telegram channels. Again, rolled out overnight and the ability to provide crucial accurate information from trusted sources enabled us as a population to respond in a coordinated, effective and calm manner.”
“The recent political developments in Myanmar will inevitably further complicate the situation in Rakhine State and the efforts to commence repatriation of displaced persons. This is in addition to the existing challenges on the ground caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and armed ethnic insurgencies. It nevertheless remains important that the repatriation of displaced persons is voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable. While it will take time to reach a long-term political solution in Myanmar as well as in Rakhine State in particular, we hope that all parties would give due consideration to the urgent humanitarian needs of the displaced persons both in terms of assistance and the need to improve ground conditions. ASEAN will continue the ongoing implementation of the Preliminary Needs Assessment’s recommendations to improve the plight of these refugees. Ultimately the future peace and security in the Rakhine State requires a viable and durable political solution that addresses the root causes of the problems in the Rakhine State. ASEAN and our external partners will continue to support efforts to bring peace, stability, the rule of law, promote harmony and reconciliation among the various communities, as well as to ensure sustainable and equitable development in the Rakhine State.”
“All ASEAN Member States are expected to uphold the purposes and principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration. However, we cannot compel any ASEAN Member State to abide by them. ASEAN operates by the principles of consensus and non-interference in ASEAN Member States’ internal affairs, which are also enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. During Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin’s recent visit to Jakarta earlier this month, President Joko Widodo announced that they had tasked their Foreign Ministers to propose a Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to discuss developments in Myanmar. We have always been in favour of keeping communication channels open whether bilaterally, among ASEAN Member States or with our Dialogue Partners. A meeting among ASEAN Foreign Ministers would be an opportunity for all ASEAN Member States to share their concerns and perspectives given the importance and urgency of addressing recent developments. ASEAN’s external partners, particularly the major powers, have an important role to play as well. Engagement and communication are imperative for ameliorating the crisis and facilitating a return to normalcy. Some of our Dialogue Partners have expressed an interest in engaging ASEAN during this period. We welcome such proposals for ASEAN and our Dialogue Partners to exchange views and perspectives on the situation in Myanmar and other issues of common interest. This would reinforce ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN’s relevance. ASEAN will work closely with its external partners to foster an inclusive dialogue with all key stakeholders and encourage Myanmar to return to its path of democratic transition.”
“Mr Speaker, so far, there has not yet been a formal meeting convened of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers. You would realise that the difficulty there is we need consensus before the meeting can even take place. Having said that, however, I can assure you that there has been an intense flurry of communications, bilateral and group, amongst the Foreign Ministers in ASEAN. What is the key objective? Our key objective is to achieve peace, reconciliation, and as I said, to help Myanmar get back on the road of democratic transition. The main thing is not to make things worse, and not to be inflammatory. Second, keep lines of communication open and to keep engagement going. That is why also in that respect, this question of economic sanctions, I think I have explained in my answer just now that we are not in favour of generalised sanctions, which will hurt the ordinary citizens of Myanmar. I have also answered earlier on our advice to businesses that you have to take into account political risk, and social and political dynamics before making investment decisions. I am sure all our companies are currently re-evaluating their position. But again, I want to emphasise that it is crucial for us in both good times and bad times to maintain this separation between politics and business, and let businesses make commercial decisions and investment decisions on their own merits. And I think this is a good time for us to maintain that discipline. So, no, I will not give specific advice to companies, but I will make, to the maximum extent possible, all information available in this House and beyond, so that people can make their own commercial and investment decisions.”
“Let me explain why. The World Bank estimates that around a quarter of the population in Myanmar lives below the poverty line. And in fact, this has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. And so, in all my discussions and phone calls, I have said that we should not embark on widespread, generalised and indiscriminate sanctions because the people who will suffer most will be the ordinary people in Myanmar. In some, it is in recognition of this complex collage – historical, geo-strategic, economic, demographic factors – that we hope fervently for national reconciliation in Myanmar. The only way this can happen is if all parties in good faith, sit down, talk, negotiate and achieve reconciliation. And it is in that context that I express my hope that President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi would be released from detention so that they can sit down at the negotiating table and talk. One final point: I think Members would be aware that on 5 February, the Singapore Police Force felt compelled to warn against holding protests in relation to the recent developments in Myanmar. I am referring to protests within Singapore. I want to remind everyone, including foreigners who are visiting, working or residing in Singapore, that they should not import domestic political issues from other countries into Singapore. This is inimical to our own national interests, and of course, we will deal with this firmly in accordance to the law.”
“In fact, Members may be aware that, we, Singapore, is the largest foreign investor in Myanmar and we have cumulative approved investments at US$24 billion, as of December 2020. But I think what is interesting is that, of that figure I have cited, the major proportion of our investments in Myanmar, have in fact occurred in the last five years under the NLD government. In fact, this period, the last five years, saw a tenfold increase in Singapore's direct investments in Myanmar compared to the preceding five-year period before that. And I want to stress that companies made these investment decisions on commercial grounds. They did not do so because of political influence or political suggestion on our part. But I believe that the commercial companies saw promising opportunities in a Myanmar that was undergoing democratic transition. I say all these, in order to head off suggestions that we should now interfere on political grounds with commercial decisions. But in the same way, I am sure companies making commercial decisions and investment decisions will also pay attention to the political context of the venue in which they are seeking to invest in. And therefore, what has just happened is a major setback for its economy and for its ability to attract foreign investments. The current volatile operating environment, including a report that a foreign national had been arrested, will certainly affect the investment outlook and undermine business confidence. Our own businessmen are aware of these downside risks, and I have no doubt that Singaporean businesses are also re-evaluating their risk profile and their exposure to this market. I have had conversations with several counterparts – the US, Germany and others. And I have urged against widespread sanctions.”
“During World War II, Myanmar was a major theatre of operations because of its strategic location. China today shares a border with Myanmar that is more than 2,000 kilometres in length. Its trade with Myanmar last year was US$10.2 billion, making China, Myanmar's largest trading partner – larger, in fact, than even its trade with the rest of ASEAN. In short, due to its geography, Myanmar is no stranger to strategic rivalries, nor is it unfamiliar with the contest for influence from its larger neighbours. And it has long sought to pursue a realist paradigm and an independent foreign policy. And for that reason, I believe, Myanmar chose to become part of ASEAN. It is also worth reminding everyone here that Myanmar is a union, one that, since independence – and mind you, at independence, they were far ahead of Singapore – since their independence, they have struggled to forge a national identity that reflects its ethnic diversity. Racial and religious divisions run deep in the country with eight major national ethnic races and 135 ethnic groups. It has manifested in multiple long-running armed ethnic conflicts. And the refugee situation in Rakhine State – which remains unresolved to this day – is in fact a complex inter-communal issue with deep historical roots, going back in time. Given the risk of balkanisation, given that milieu, you would understand why Myanmar's national reconciliation and peace process is so essential and yet so fragile; and any prolonged instability in Myanmar will also affect Southeast Asia. Actually, Myanmar has come a long way in the last decade. And you may be aware that Singaporean companies have looked towards Myanmar for economic opportunities, new market access and to diversify our growth.”
“Mr Speaker, I really do not think I can make predictions. But the Member has raised several fundamental strategic questions and, with your permission, Mr Speaker, let me take a step back and go back to first principles. Our starting point has to be that every country's politics and destiny should be determined by its own people. Just as in Singapore, we will not tolerate foreign interference in our politics. Similarly, we do not seek to interfere in others' domestic affairs. This is a principle we hold fast to and, in fact, this is a foundational principle of ASEAN. The next point I want to make is because many people do not appreciate the many moving parts that the Member has just described. Let me give you a few facts. Myanmar is the 40th largest country in the world by size, twice the land area of Vietnam. It is resource-rich, mineral-rich. It has a mostly young, intelligent, hard-working, disciplined population of 55 million. Many of us here have colleagues or friends from Myanmar and you will know that these descriptions I have used are accurate. Their median age is 29. Fifty-five percent of their people are below the age of 30. If you look at the map, you will also realise that Myanmar occupies a very unique and critical geo-strategic position at the crossroads of India, China, Indochina and, in fact, has also a portal into Southeast Asia as a whole. Both India and China have had a long history of engagement with Myanmar, over millennia. And 200 years ago, the British Raj battled with the last Burmese dynasty for control of the region around the Bay of Bengal. In fact, the Rakhine state was one of the first areas to fall to the British and the Burmese were forced to cede that area to the British Raj. This was after the First Anglo-Burmese War.”
“But ASEAN also operates by the principles of consensus and non-interference in the internal affairs of ASEAN member states. These are enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. Nevertheless, I believe ASEAN can play a discreet constructive role in facilitating a return to normalcy and stability in Myanmar. ASEAN’s external partners, particularly the major powers, have an important role to play as well. Their perspectives are clear – you would have read the various statements that have been issued in the last two weeks. Engagement, rather than isolation, will go further in ameliorating this crisis. ASEAN will work closely with all its external partners, including the United Nations, the US, China, India, Japan, and the EU, to foster an inclusive dialogue with all key stakeholders and we encourage Myanmar to return to its path of democratic transition. Unfortunately, the recent political developments in Myanmar will inevitably further complicate the situation in Rakhine State and of the refugees from that state. Therefore, it will also inevitably delay the efforts to commence the repatriation of displaced persons, considering that we are also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic which is affecting Myanmar. So, it will take time to reach a long-term political solution in Myanmar as well as in Rakhine State, in particular. But we do hope that all parties would give due consideration to the urgent humanitarian needs of the displaced persons, both in terms of immediate assistance and the need to improve ground conditions in the refugee camps. ASEAN will continue the on-going implementation of the Preliminary Needs Assessment's recommendations to improve the plight of these refugees.”
“We thus hope that there would be no further disruptions to mobile and Internet connectivity. MFA will continue to maintain close contact with the Singaporean community in Myanmar and we stand ready to render appropriate consular assistance to any Singaporeans in distress. Mr Speaker, our bilateral relations with Myanmar are longstanding, and Myanmar is a key member of ASEAN. Singapore has always upheld the principle that the future of Myanmar has to be determined by her own people. We have supported Myanmar’s difficult democratic transition thus far. We are gravely concerned about the latest developments in Myanmar. Myanmar was already facing serious socio-economic challenges, made worse by the onset of COVID-19 last year and the continued armed ethnic insurgencies and, of course, Members are familiar with the situation of the refugees from Rakhine state. All these uncertainties, including from the latest developments, not only damage the prospects for Myanmar but also damage the broader stability of our region. ASEAN has a longstanding policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of our member states. Nevertheless, a Statement was issued quickly by the ASEAN Chair to reflect the seriousness with which ASEAN views the developments in Myanmar. The Statement emphasised and reaffirmed the importance of the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, including adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also called for dialogue, reconciliation and the return to normalcy in accordance with the will of the people of Myanmar. All ASEAN member states are expected to uphold the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.”