SAF's Anti-terror Operations

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 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. 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. 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.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. Will there be more joint exercises between the Home Team and SAF to help ensure that both forces synergise their efforts and arsenal against the threat of terrorism? Will there be a joint response from both forces should a terrorist threat, unfortunately, vest on our shores?

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? That is why I talked about a joint system now, a Command and Control Information System, which both the Home Team and the SAF now use, which was developed by DSTA so that you share the same picture and that makes a lot of difference, as well as having an understanding of when you can divide out responsibilities, when you can actually come together.

So, I would say that there is a clear recognition that we need to exercise more often together and, indeed, we have. I mentioned the joint counter-terrorism exercise. I talked about also an exercise in the maritime domain with different agencies. So, we are aware of this need to coordinate and integrate our responses, not only of our security agencies, but of our community groups. Because, as I have said, while our security teams and security agencies can exercise, what we need to pay attention to is the aftermath of attacks. And, Madam, I think that is a whole-of-society response.

Can the Minister share − apart from Singapore – which countries have contributed resources to the military effort in the Philippines against ISIS elements? Is Singapore's contribution part of a multinational effort?

Let me answer the second question first. So far, the contributions to the Philippines do not lend themselves to that sense of a multinational effort because there is no central or prime mover for that. It very much depends on what the AFP says it needs and the relationships that the Philippines have with other militaries and other countries.

From what we know, a number of countries have been reported to be helping the Philippines, such as the United States. The Chinese have also contributed. If you consider the Trilateral Maritime Patrol in the Sulu Seas, which the Philippines does with Malaysia and Indonesia, then Malaysia and Indonesia. Members may have read that Malaysia also mobilised a humanitarian plane, under the auspices of AHA, which is the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management. And that is from our reports.

We have good relations with the AFP and there is good personal contact between myself and Secretary Lorenzana. And we thought that it was right for Singapore to assist because, if this problem becomes entrenched and it gets worse, cities in ASEAN will bear the brunt and will be subject to attacks if these terrorist cells become entrenched there.

Madam, We have a very successful SAF and defence force. Practically in every household, you will find a National Serviceman. How could the Government leverage on this advantage that we have to work with the community to form a strong defence against terrorism?

Mdm Speaker, let me thank the Member for that question. It is an important one. I think there are clear roles that security agencies should do because that is the primary responsibility and we have to have community groups.

Let me deal with the first. As members of the security forces, I think the public rightly expects the Home Team, the SAF − whether they are National Servicemen or Regulars − to be able to protect Singaporeans. But we have to train them. You cannot just say, "Well, go and protect Singaporeans." And that was the essence of launching the IDTI. I mentioned this institute and you may have seen footages yesterday in the news. It is not easy to tell someone with arms and, sometimes, you are worried that, "If you think this person is going to harm somebody else, if he is a terrorist, neutralise him." Because you can make the wrong judgement. In a tensed situation, the outcome can become very negative. You have to put them through training. The better trained they are, the better they are equipped, the more confident they are.

So, in the IDTI, we are training 18,000 National Servicemen every year to do the rudiments. You have basically video simulation screens which are life-size and moving targets − which means people, some are "hostages" and you also have "terrorists". And if they make the wrong decision, in an instant, they will know it. You have to get them used to that. We have various simulations on how to do a proper search, which, traditionally, they were not trained for because the Home Team is better at it. And we recognise that.

But in the event that you have multiple attacks and you need the resources of the SAF, then at least, at the very least, you have them trained at the basic level. I do not think they can be as proficient as the average policeman because that is not what they do every day but, at least you have that. And also, in the change of our assets, how we are equipping for that, we have mentioned that.

But at the community level, Mr Gan's question is: how do you ensure that we can protect at the precinct level? And I think that is not only for NSmen who are from the SAF, Home Team or SCDF which they have some level of training. I think that is where many of our community exercises are now dealing with it − emergency preparedness, where you bring in communities and you have to respond. Because the problem with small group and lone wolf attacks is the rapidity of these attacks. And you have to deal with the situation before formal security agencies can mobilise.

I think there is great scope and need for our community agencies to come together. I know that many Members, including myself, have been doing this − bringing community leaders and saying, "When we have an attack, can I depend on you for these resources? Can I depend on you for this? Can I depend on you to calm the community down, to speak to the community?" And I think we need to continually do that.