Background  

The Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world with about one third of global container trade and about one quarter of global oil trade transiting through it each year. Seaborne trade is the lifeblood of Singapore's economy. As such, the security of Singapore waters is a top priority for our national agencies.

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) has reported an increase in the number of sea robberies in the region in 2021. These incidents largely comprise cases of petty theft and most are opportunistic and non-confrontational in nature, with the majority of the incidents occurring in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait. The tactics and modus operandi of the perpetrators remain the same, consisting of petty crime involving the theft of crew belongings, engine parts, or scrap metal. These petty theft incidents were of low severity, in which the crew were usually unharmed, and the perpetrators unarmed. That said, the transit of vessels through the Singapore Strait remained safe and the overall risk from sea robberies has not increased, given that more than 1,000 vessels pass through the Singapore Strait daily.

The increase in the number of sea robbery incidents in the Singapore Strait was likely due to the worsening of COVID-19 situation which imposed financial and economic difficulties on local communities and affected their livelihoods. Given the ongoing COVID-19 situation, it is highly important that regional authorities and the shipping industry continue to share information and strengthen cooperation to combat sea robbery and theft in this region.

Singapore's Maritime Security Efforts

Singapore recognises that the fight against piracy and armed robberies against ships is a shared responsibility that requires strong collaboration among all stakeholders – the littoral States of SOMS, the shipping community and international organisations such as the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre.

Our national agencies, which include the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG), and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), work in concert to ensure the security of Singapore territorial waters 24/7. In addition, the Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre, a Whole-of-Government setup for maritime security, also maintains comprehensive situational awareness and coordinates responses to rule out maritime security threats.

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). MPA takes a proactive approach towards ensuring that the SOMS remains safe for seafarers and vessels.

MPA partners closely with the shipping industry to raise awareness in the SOMS about maintaining vigilance whilst traversing along SOMS. MPA regularly issues information on sea robbery incidents in the SOMS to vessels most commonly involved in such incidents, such as bulk carriers and tankers, which depart from the Port of Singapore. This is in addition to MPA's reminders to industry to adopt the counter-piracy measures recommended in ReCAAP ISC's Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.

MPA also collaborates with the shipping community in Singapore through dialogues and forums to remind vessels to adopt the necessary precautionary measures as well as to gather feedback from the community. MPA notes that the insurance premiums for vessels transiting the SOMS have remained stable during this period.

In terms of day-to-day operations, MPA works together with RSN and PCG to ensure that vessels have a safe passage when travelling into and out of Singapore waters. For vessels transiting through the SOMS, MPA's Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) broadcasts regular alerts over the Marine VHF radio to remind vessels to exercise vigilance.

"The shipping industry have been actively working with government agencies and there is close collaboration among all stakeholders. These incidents have not had a major impact on shipping traffic, and there has not been a rise in insurance premiums as the incidents are of low severity," said Mr Michael Phoon, Executive Director, Singapore Shipping Association.

Police Coast Guard (PCG). The Police Coast Guard works closely with maritime security agencies in ensuring the safety and security of Singapore's waters. PCG leverages on international cooperation, patrols, and a network of cameras and systems to detect and respond to criminal activities within Singapore's territorial waters. Should any vessel encounter armed robbery incidents in our waters, PCG will board the vessel and investigate accordingly. For vessels that subsequently enter our waters after encountering such incidents beyond our waters, PCG will only board the vessel upon the Captain's request and conduct checks on board to ensure the safety of the crew, and take action against persons onboard suspected to be involved in the armed robbery.

"The Police Coast Guard (PCG) is committed to Prevent, Deter and Detect crime in Singapore territorial waters. PCG works closely with other Singapore maritime agencies such as MPA and RSN to enhance information-sharing and monitoring of vessels around and within Singapore territorial waters. PCG stands ready to respond swiftly to security threats within Singapore territorial waters," said Superintendent Elvis Chong, Head Operations & Security of PCG.

Information Fusion Centre. Given the importance of maritime information-sharing in addressing transnational maritime threats including sea robberies, the Information Fusion Centre (IFC), under the RSN's Maritime Security Command, provides a platform for multinational information-sharing and collaboration with regional and extra-regional partners. The IFC also works closely with the shipping industry to promote best practices, such as encouraging ships to adopt Ship Protection Measures to deter and delay unauthorised boarding. Regular Shared Awareness Meetings are hosted by the IFC with the shipping community to strengthen collaboration between regional authorities and the shippers against sea robbers. An example is the Voluntary Community Reporting (VCR) for the shipping community to report maritime security incidents or anomalous behaviours out at sea, enhancing shared awareness.

While COVID-19 made enforcement efforts more challenging, we will continue to work with the relevant maritime agencies and authorities of neighbouring littoral States to collectively address maritime incidents and threats.

Close Collaboration with Indonesia and Malaysia

Given the transnational nature of sea robberies in the Singapore Strait, the Republic of Singapore Navy's Maritime Security Command works closely with Indonesian and Malaysian maritime enforcement agencies, including their Navies and Coast Guards, to exchange information, discuss ways to strengthen cooperation, and take action both at sea and ashore. This is done through the International Liaison Officers (ILOs) attached to the IFC and via direct operation centre linkages, to cue prompt operational responses. For example, on 9 May 2021, IFC was alerted by the captain of a Greece-flagged tanker, of a small boat carrying five perpetrators, attempting to board the tanker using a hook and rope. The Indonesia ILO contacted his navy's operation centre and an Indonesia Navy patrol vessel was swiftly deployed to the scene, preventing the successful boarding of the tanker.

In addition, Singapore has long-standing cooperation with our neighbours through the Malacca Straits Patrol. The arrangement with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand includes regular conduct of coordinated sea and air patrols, sharing of information, as well as joint training and exercises to strengthen understanding and collaboration to deal with maritime incidents together.

"Over the years, the IFC has established strong operational relationships and mutual trust with our partners from regional enforcement agencies and the shipping community. This has ensured that the IFC is promptly alerted to any incidents, enabling us to inform our partners for shared awareness, and cue operational responses in a timely manner," said Lieutenant-Colonel Lester Yong, Head of Information Fusion Centre.