Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman to Parliamentary Question on Used SAF Uniforms Seized From Smugglers Near Batam

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) whether the Ministry has determined (i) how the used SAF uniforms came into the possession of the smugglers who were caught unloading them near Batam in November 2016 and (ii) the motive for smuggling the uniforms to Batam; and (b) how does the Ministry intend to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Dr Mohamed Maliki bin Osman: Madam Speaker, the SAF has an established system for disposing of its used and unwanted equipment. SAF servicemen who need to dispose of their used uniforms can do so via collection points at all SAF eMarts. Our contractors for uniform disposal collect the used uniforms and send them to the incinerators. The used uniforms are then incinerated under witness by an SAF personnel.

Following the incident, the SAF has reminded our contractors to ensure that all uniform disposals are done in accordance with established procedures. The SAF will also be putting up more disposal bins at SAF eMarts and will establish used uniform collection points at entrances of selected camps near populated areas in the next two to three months to reinforce the system. NSmen will be reminded to dispose of their old uniforms only via authorised collection points. These measures will reduce opportunities for unauthorised vendors to obtain and then sell used SAF uniforms.