Speech by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, at Opening Dinner of the Fifth Asia-Pacific Security Conference (APSEC) 2010

I am pleased to be here tonight at the opening of the fifth Asia-Pacific Security Conference. Since the first APSEC Conference in 2002, the Conference has established itself as a valuable platform for delegates to exchange views on security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. More so today because within the last decade, all countries large or small had to adjust to new, often rapidly evolving and complex security challenges.

Tonight, I would like to share Singapore's perspective, as a small country, with limited resources and many constraints, having to navigate the widening arena of security threats precipitated by extraordinary events within the last decade. Back in 2004, the SAF formally rolled out its tagline - the 3rd Generation SAF transformation. The motivation was simple. The SAF sought to increase its effectiveness through the integration of technologies, platforms, systems and its various armed services. The SAF would fight as one lean, integrated "highly-networked" and responsive force - not an unfamiliar refrain across military services everywhere.

We could envisage the widening threat scenarios and spectrum of operations required of military establishments, by their citizens and from the surrounding communities. But it would be fair to say that very few predicted at the beginning of this century, how quickly our projections or predictions would come true. It was fortuitous that the SAF and MINDEF embarked on our force transformation early, and had invested in defence steadily over the past decades. These persistent efforts yielded dividends when we were called into a variety of missions, hitherto unforeseen a decade ago. The 21st Century World - New Challenges to SecurityIn the beginning of this century, the events of 9/11, with the cataclysmic collapse of the twin towers repeatedly shown on TV screens world-wide and resulting in the loss of nearly 3,000 lives, heralded the global threat of terrorism. That threat was brought closer home here when we uncovered similar plans afoot in Singapore.

Members of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group, prior to 9/11, had already been planning a series of bomb attacks on key installations in Singapore. Some of these JI members had received their training in Afghanistan. Fortunately, we were able to piece together intelligence reports and arrested the would-be perpetrators in December 2001. Failure to do so would have had dire consequences for Singapore and the region.

This incident underscored the need for Singapore to play our part in multinational efforts to counter the global terrorist threat.

This is why we have deployed SAF assets in support of multinational efforts in rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, to prevent terrorist organizations from using these places as safe havens to mount attacks against the international community. In Iraq, the SAF completed five deployments of Landing Ships Tank (LSTs) and KC-135 tanker aircraft, and one deployment of C-130 transport aircraft over 2003 to 2008. Singapore was gratified that these niche capabilities were valued by coalition partners. For example, our LSTs helped to protect key installations in the Northern Arabian Gulf such as the Al-Basra Oil Terminal from sea-borne terrorist attacks, while our KC-135s provided refueling services to coalition aircraft in the skies over combat zones.

In Afghanistan, our contributions to the ISAF's Provincial Reconstruction Teams commenced with the deployment of a dental team and construction engineering teams to Bamiyan province in 2007. At present, we have a medical team and a weapon-locating radar detachment currently deployed in Oruzgan province, and we are exploring the future deployment of a KC-135 tanker aircraft detachment and a UAV task group in further support of the coalition efforts in Afghanistan.

The fight against terrorism continues and most recently, the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day 2009 reminds us of the real and continuing danger posed by transnational terrorist threats

Within the last decade, the SAF was also called to assist when natural disasters struck - and there were quite a few. The Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 off the coast of Aceh claimed the lives of nearly 230,000 people around the region. In the wake of the Boxing Day Tsunami, armed forces not only played a significant role in establishing temporary command centres to co-ordinate rescue efforts, but also delivered medical supplies to areas which were not accessible by land. They were also instrumental in scouting disaster-struck areas to search for survivors. On the SAF's part, while our efforts may have been small in relation to the extent of devastation, the HADR response required to assist Indonesia and Thailand was unprecedented in scale for Singapore. At the peak of our deployment, more than 1,200 SAF personnel along with 3 LSTs, 8 Chinooks, 4 Super Pumas and other heavy equipment and engineer plants were deployed to four locations in these two countries. The SAF 3rd Generation transformation had helped to develop an effective and flexible organisational structure with the appropriate communication means to provide this rapid assistance on a large scale in the immediate aftermath of the Boxing Day Tsunami. This and subsequent natural disasters tested our operational readiness to deliver capabilities and resources to where it was needed most. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, four of our Chinooks transported 837 evacuees and security personnel and about 547 tons of equipment, relief supplies and sand in Louisiana. These helicopters were part of the SAF training detachment at Grand Prairie, Texas, which had responded quickly to the challenge of a real disaster relief operation when the Hurricane struck.

In 2008, Cyclone Nargis and the Sichuan Earthquake together killed nearly 210,000 people and inflicted an estimated $24 billion worth of property damage. The SAF despatched a C-130 to transport medical teams and supplies to Myanmar. For the Sichuan Earthquake, the SAF despatched two C-130 aircraft to deploy humanitarian aid supplies and 55-member civil emergency response team from the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Last year, the region was again struck by a spate of natural disasters in the form of tropical storms and typhoons, as well as a major earthquake in Padang, Indonesia. These recurring calamities call for more concerted and effective responses. In 2008, the Defence Ministers attending the Shangri-La Dialogue agreed upon a set of guiding principles for multilateral cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The Ministers also discussed useful practical ideas for disaster relief, including the concept of pre-positioning relief supplies and equipment for a swifter response.

In the last two years, the surge in piracy in the Gulf of Aden (GoA) and the western Indian Ocean has also become a serious cause for concern for the international community. According to the latest figures from the International Maritime Bureau, the number of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali Coast rose sharply in the first nine months of 2009 to 147 incidents compared to 63 in the same period for 2008. By the third quarter of 2009, the pirates had extended their reach beyond the Gulf of Aden and Somali Coast to the Southern Red Sea, the Bab el Mandab Straits and the East Coast of Oman. In November 2009, Lloyd's of London advised ship owners to review their insurance cover if transiting the Gulf of Aden or parts of the Indian Ocean, in light of the recent spike in pirate attacks, with a view to acquiring "specialist marine kidnap and ransom policies". Continued disruption to maritime traffic in this strategic sea lane of communication will no doubt escalate business costs and domestic prices for countries in the Asia-Pacific as well as their major trading partners elsewhere.

From April to July last year, the SAF deployed a Task Group comprising the LST RSS Persistence, with two Super Puma helicopters, to support the international counter-piracy effort in the GoA under the framework of the multinational Combined Task Force (CTF) 151. Just a week ago on 20 January, following the invitation of the Combined Maritime Forces, Singapore took over command of CTF 151 from the US. Over the next three months, a senior SAF officer from the Republic of Singapore Navy will lead CTF 151. He is supported by a command team and liaison officers, which comprises 29 Singaporeans and six personnel from Australia, France, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. The SAF-led team will coordinate CTF 151's counter-piracy operations to deter and disrupt piracy in the GoA. They will also coordinate counter-piracy operations with naval forces from the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), as well as with navies on national tasking operating in the region.

Armed Forces Need to Evolve and AdaptAs things turned out, the last decade provided ample opportunities for the SAF to test its operating efficiency, doctrines and ability to respond as one force, in an array of scenarios across different geographical terrain.

These different threats have greatly widened the scope required of our armed forces. Today's armed forces will have to acquire new equipment, develop new concepts of operation, size the right force structure, as well as train and develop the necessary human capital in order to build capabilities for counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-piracy and other non-traditional operations. Managing global pandemics such as SARS in 2003, deploying alongside domestic law enforcement agencies to protect key installations, and providing augmented security coverage during major international meetings - these are just some of the expanded roles and new tasks that the SAF has had to take on in the new security environment. Whether in overseas peace support operations or homeland security operations, armed forces will have to manage the growing dimension of civil-military relations. In Singapore's case, we have amended our SAF Act in 2007 to empower our servicemen and women to conduct homeland, air and maritime security operations in support of civilian authorities, and to regulate their conduct and define the rules of engagement when they are so deployed. These changes provide a clear legal basis for the SAF to act with confidence in its new security roles, and to cooperate effectively with civilian agencies in carrying out these tasks.

Importance of International CooperationWhile there is much that well trained and equipped armed forces can do by leveraging on their unique capabilities, we also recognize that individual States - even those with large and powerful militaries - cannot adequately address today's complex security challenges alone. Collaborative efforts with military and non-military agencies in other States are needed to solve complex security challenges. When effectively executed, these efforts can deliver pay-offs for the benefit of the wider general community. For example, the Malacca Strait Patrols, a multilateral collaborative initiative between Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, has contributed to the sharp decrease in piracy attacks in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. According to the Regional Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia or ReCAAP for short, the number of reported incidents of attempted or actual piracy attacks in the Straits have significantly reduced from a high of 43 reported incidents in 2004 to only 9 reported incidents in 2009. In August 2006, the Malacca Straits were also removed from the Lloyd's Joint War Committee's list of sea lanes with a war risk rating, on account of the improved situation following the launch of the Malacca Strait Patrols.

For small states like Singapore, the overarching security architecture and the stance of major powers within that framework are also all important. We were therefore encouraged to note that China and the United States have recently issued a Sino-US Joint Statement during President Obama's state visit to China on the 17th of November last year. In that statement, the US and China agreed to 'nurture and deepen bilateral strategic trust', so as to further cooperation on counter-terrorism, law enforcement and climate change, amongst other issues. Despite recent events which led to China's announcement to suspend planned mutual military visits with the US, we remain hopeful that the desire to deepen understanding and mutual cooperation amongst the major powers will prevail as issues of collective security will affect us all.

Three Principles for Effective Cooperation: Inclusiveness, Flexibility and Mutual UnderstandingSingapore will do its part to foster inter-state and inter-agency cooperation. Nevertheless, we, as do others, recognize the inherent pit-falls in attempting multi-state engagements. The recent Copenhagen Talks on Climate Change is an instructive case in point. Differences in views and interests that are not carefully managed can easily ruin mutual confidence and derail or dilute efforts on cooperative arrangements. It is thus useful for us to reflect on three practical principles that underpin effective cooperation.

First, cooperative arrangements must be inclusive, so as to bring all stakeholders on board. In regional security arrangements, we must recognise that both the major regional powers and smaller States have useful and necessary roles to play. At the same time, the role of extra-regional stakeholders who have significant interests in the region cannot be ignored, particularly in an interconnected world. Past experience has shown that inclusive arrangements, such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, have proven effective in keeping the peace, and responding to regional security challenges in cooperative and non-escalatory ways. Within the Asia-Pacific region, ASEAN is a key driver of various important regional organizations such as the ASEAN+3 process, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting, all of which serve to promote a region of peace and stability. ASEAN is also making good progress to establish the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus, or ADMM-Plus for short. The ADMM-Plus, when established, would provide a broad and inclusive platform for ASEAN countries to forge practical and concrete cooperation with extra-regional countries so that together, we are better able to address the wide range of transnational and non-traditional security challenges.

Second, cooperative arrangements need to be flexible and take into account the different capabilities and comfort zones of partners. Stakeholders must be allowed to contribute in accordance with their own unique circumstances and capabilities. And cooperative arrangements must have the flexibility to allow countries with different niche capabilities, expertise, cultural links and resources to form functional groupings that are best able to respond to common security concerns.

Let me illustrate. Within the Asia-Pacific, a number of maritime security institutions offer both littoral and user States a flexible range of options for participation and contribution. These cooperative frameworks can be further expanded to bring more stakeholders on board, when they are ready. For example, the ReCAAP that I mentioned earlier currently involves fifteen Contracting States. As the first and only government-to-government agreement that addresses the issue of piracy and armed robbery in Asia, there is great potential for more members to join ReCAAP and cooperate in information exchange, research and analysis, as well as capacity building efforts.

To promote maritime security in the region, Singapore has also set up the Changi Command and Control (C2) Centre. The Centre hosts the Singapore Maritime Security Centre, the Information Fusion Centre and the Multinational Operations and Exercises Centre. In particular, the Information Fusion Centre, or IFC for short, provides a useful platform for inter-agency cooperation and information sharing amongst different nations to better respond to our dynamic maritime security environment. The opportunity for navies from regional and extra-regional countries to deploy International Liaison Officers at the IFC, coupled with the networking of various information-sharing and analytical systems in one location, have enabled the IFC to facilitate cooperation on a wider range of maritime security issues beyond piracy alone.

Finally, cooperative arrangements must be underpinned by good mutual understanding between stakeholders. Confidence building measures need to be in place to foster a deeper dialogue and understanding between various partners. In the absence of such understanding, benign actions by one State could easily be misinterpreted in a hostile manner by neighbours, leading to a reluctance to cooperate or worse still, conflict. In order to avoid such misunderstandings, countries will need to engage each other in dialogue on security issues at multiple levels and different fora.

The long-standing Munich Security Conference in Europe and the more recent Manama Dialogue in the Middle East are examples of effective platforms for States to engage in constructive dialogue. In the Asia-Pacific region, the annual Shangri-La Dialogue has proved to be an effective platform for facilitating dialogue between countries, from which useful ideas have emerged and developed into practical cooperation. As a specific example, it was during the 2005 Shangri-La Dialogue, then Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Najib Tun Razak proposed the 'Eyes in the Sky' (EiS) initiative, which envisaged combined multinational maritime air patrols in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. This subsequently led to the Malacca Strait Patrols framework that I mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen, a decade ago at the dawn of this new millennium, very few if any predicted the security challenges we face today. It would be fair then to conclude that the only certainty going forward is that security challenges are likely to become even more unpredictable and complex. Individual armed forces have had to adapt in quick succession to evolving and expanding threat scenarios. In this environment, cooperation across agency, sectoral and national lines will become even more indispensable in dealing with the multi-dimensional security challenges that cut across national boundaries.

It is to our collective advantage that we invest in efforts to nurture cooperative arrangements that include relevant stakeholders, provide the flexibility to accommodate their interests, positions and contributions, and engage the others constructively to build mutual understanding.

The Asia-Pacific Security Conference aims to add to these efforts and I hope participants will have fruitful discussion through an open and candid exchange of perspectives and insights.

Thank you.