Reply to Media Queries on Trespassing in SAF Training Areas

In response to a media queries on trespassing in SAF training areas, the following reply was issued:

Generally, SAF facilities such as camps and bases, have high levels of protection and comprehensive security plans, such as perimeter protection and access control measures to prevent unauthorised intrusion.

However, it is not possible to secure the SAF's training areas in a similar way, due to their large size and long boundaries. Under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act, the public is not allowed to enter the SAF's training areas without authorisation. Training activities, such as the movement of armoured vehicles and use of live ammunition in the training areas, pose a safety risk to trespassers. To deter entry into training areas, which are forested and uninhabited, the SAF has constructed gates to prevent unauthorised vehicle access into the training areas, and placed signboards along the boundary of the training areas to warn the public against unauthorised entry. Members of the public should not enter these areas at any time. If trespassers are caught, they will be handed over to the Police.