TRILATERAL DEFENCE RELATIONSHIP

Mr S. Chandra Das asked the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence whether there is a trilateral defence relationship involving Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and,if so, what are the details.

Mr Goh Chok Tong: Contrary to newspaper reports, there is no trilateral defence relationship among Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore maintains close bilateral defence relations with all ASEAN countries. We will build upon these ties to promote mutual understanding and cooperation. We therefore support and participate in informal bilateral and multilateral meetings, like the one held in Bali last year with Indonesia and Malaysia.

Multilateral defence cooperation in ASEAN does not depend on a few countries forming a nucleus with closer and more formal ties among themselves. This can be counter-productive, as it may isolate those ASEAN members outside the arrangement, and lead to unnecessary suspicions and misunderstandings. A stronger foundation for multilateral defence cooperation within ASEAN lies in good bilateral relations and a better understanding of one another's security perspectives. statistics - APPEALS TO THE PRIVY COUNCIL, NO. OF CASES FIXED FOR HEARING BEFORE THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL FROM 1979 TO 1988 (Cols. 127 - 130)