RSS COURAGEOUS (Collision with ANL Indonesia)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Dr Ong Chit Chung asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (a) what are the causes of the collision between RSS Courageous and merchant vessel ANL Indonesia and (b) whether follow-up actions are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (a) if he will provide a status update of the recent collision between RSS Courageous and ANL Indonesia; (b) what measures are being taken to assist the family members of the deceased, especially on a longer term basis; and (c) how will the Republic of Singapore Navy ensure that this accident will not leave a psychological scar on existing navy personnel and impact the recruitment of potential navy recruits.

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence if he will explain how the collision between the naval vessel RSS Courageous and the container vessel ANL Indonesia occurred in Singapore waters recently.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam): Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I will take the three questions by Dr Ong Chit Chung, Mdm Ho Geok Choo and Mr Chiam See Tong together.

Mr Speaker: Yes, carry on.

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: Sir, the collision between the RSS Courageous and the merchant ship ANL Indonesia was a most tragic event for the Navy, the SAF and Singapore. On behalf of the Singapore Government, I offer our deepest condolences to the families of 1SG Seah Ai Leng, 1SG Heng Sock Ling, 2SG Chua Bee Lin and CPL Goh Hui Ling. This has been a very difficult time for their families and we share in their grief and sorrow.

It is to be expected that Singaporeans want to know what happened that night and what caused the accident. The investigation by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is ongoing. MINDEF's own Higher Board of Inquiry is still in the process of putting up its report. It would not be appropriate for me to give a full public account at this point. But I will give Members some facts of the situation leading up to the collision.

RSS Courageous, an Anti-Submarine Warfare Patrol Vessel, was conducting a regular operational patrol in Singapore territorial waters. This is part of the Navy's mission of safeguarding our territorial sovereignty. RSS Courageous was in the waters off Pedra Branca. There has been a spate of violations of our territorial waters at Pedra Branca by foreign state vessels recently. There were a number of violations in the two weeks before the incident, and there have been several since then.

On the night of the collision, ANL Indonesia was heading out of the Singapore Straits towards the South China Sea. RSS Courageous was sailing in the opposite direction. The two vessels were headed in the general direction towards each other. RSS Courageous had detected ANL Indonesia on radar. ANL Indonesia was also visually sighted by the duty watch personnel on board RSS Courageous. The two vessels subsequently came into a close quarter situation, and both took action to try to avoid a collision. But unfortunately the collision took place. ANL Indonesia rammed into the right rear section of RSS Courageous and a portion of the tail end of the Patrol Vessel was sheared off. This portion included the aft mess, where four servicewomen who were off duty at the time were resting.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is carrying out an independent investigation into the incident, and MINDEF has given MPA our fullest cooperation in this investigation. The Commanding Officer and crew members of RSS Courageous have been interviewed by MPA. MPA expects to complete its full investigation by the end of the month and will make known its findings in due course. Separately, MINDEF has convened a Higher Board of Inquiry to determine what happened on the part of RSS Courageous. Until the various investigations are completed, we do not have a complete picture of the events that happened that night. At this juncture, it would not be appropriate for us to speculate on how and why the collision happened, or to apportion responsibility for the collision.

I would like to reassure the House that MINDEF takes a very serious view of this incident and we will take close heed of the findings of the inquiries and rectify any problems that are identified. In the meantime, the RSN has taken immediate steps to reinforce the existing emphasis on safety and professional training. It is increasing checks on shipboard practices and operational training, and conducting a thorough review of its procedures and processes.

Safety has always been a matter of high priority for the SAF. There are inherent risks involved in military activity, and we take every precaution to mitigate such risks with intensive and comprehensive training of our people and a thorough system for risk management. We cannot entirely rule out accidents no matter how safety conscious we may be, because other elements such as errors of judgement and mechanical failures sometimes come into play. Whatever the cause of the tragic accident involving RSS Courageous, the SAF will use the findings to make further improvements so that we further reduce the risk of another accident.

We can be proud of the way the crew of RSS Courageous responded in the extreme circumstances after the collision and the way the whole Navy has responded since then. It underscores the capability, resolve, and professionalism of the RSN, and its esprit de corps. In the face of difficult sea conditions, the Commanding Officer and crew of Courageous fought to stabilise their severely damaged ship, while tending to injured crewmates and searching for those who were missing. They displayed their mettle in the face of grave adversity and professionally and resolutely carried out what they were trained to do.

A search and rescue operation was launched immediately after the collision. In the immediate aftermath of the collision, the Police Coast Guard provided critical assistance. Over a period of ten days, the RSN and RSAF conducted an extensive and intensive search and rescue operation. We received valuable assistance from the Indonesian armed forces. In coordinating the search and rescue operation, the RSN also sought the assistance of the Malaysian armed forces for the search of the Johor coastal areas as we wanted to cover every possibility. We deeply appreciate the assistance and co-operation our neighbouring countries extended to our Search and Rescue operation. I should also note here the dedicated efforts of the salvage crew in their attempts to recover the sheared-off portion of RSS Courageous under adverse monsoon conditions.

We know how difficult this must be for the families who have lost their loved ones and we are deeply sorry for their loss. After the incident, the RSN has been keeping in close touch with the families to give them support and provide assistance. Professional counsellors have also been helping them through this difficult period. MINDEF will continue to provide the necessary support to the families of the four servicewomen.

This has certainly been a difficult period for the RSN and the SAF. But it is also in such moments of adversity that the real quality and character of the organisation and its people shine through. The RSN plays a vital role in protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Singapore's waters. We cannot shy away from our responsibilities in the face of tragedy. The RSN will continue to conduct patrols to safeguard Singapore's territorial waters. I have every confidence that the RSN and SAF will overcome this tragic event and continue to discharge their mission with even greater determination.

Dr Ong Chit Chung (Jurong): Sir, I want to express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and I am sure the RSN will put all this behind it, and learn and move forward. I want to ask whether the Deputy Prime Minister could clarify the Malaysian statement that Singapore had asked Malaysia for permission to conduct search and rescue operation in the waters off Pedra Branca. What is our response to the Malaysian request for such joint patrols?

Further, could the Deputy Prime Minister clarify what he mentioned earlier, ie, there was a spate of violations of our territorial waters at Pedra Branca by foreign state vessels recently? Could the Deputy Prime Minister please tell this House what actually happened?

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: Sir, the incident happened in Singapore territorial waters off Pedra Branca and Singapore did not ask permission from Malaysia to conduct search and rescue operation. To put this in the proper context, in accordance with well-established international search and rescue procedures, there is an arrangement for aircraft to enter foreign airspace in a search area to conduct search and rescue operation, if necessary. This requires prior diplomatic clearance to enter foreign airspace. For this particular operation, both Indonesia and Malaysia granted Singapore prior diplomatic clearance to enter their airspace to conduct search and rescue operation.

As for joint patrols, there is no question of joint patrols in Singapore's territorial waters. Sir, as you know, the Singapore and Malaysian governments have agreed to refer the issue of Pedra Branca to the International Court of Justice. In fact, both sides have agreed to proceed with the signing of the special agreement on 6th February to International Court of Justice. Unfortunately, Malaysian government vessels from both their navy and marine police have recently stepped up their intrusions into Pedra Branca waters and this despite the fact that the Malaysian government is aware that after the two countries agreed in 1994 to take the case to the ICJ what happened on the ground at Pedra Branca will have no bearing on the judgment by the ICJ.

There were three violations by Malaysian state vessels over the last week of December. There were five more violations last week. In these incidents, the Malaysian vessels came close to Pedra Branca and conducted various activities. As Members know, the Malaysian media reported extensively on the 24th December 2002 incident where a Malaysian marine police patrol craft brought along a group of journalists.

Besides these violations, it is also regrettable that the Malaysian government has seized on the tragic accident involving RSS Courageous to try to advance their claim to Pedra Branca. The Malaysian government presented a Third Party Note to the Singapore Government on 14th January 2003 protesting "the violation of Malaysia's territorial waters around the Malaysian island of Batu Putih" by RSS Courageous at the time of the collision. The TPN further stated that as the collision had taken place in Malaysian territorial waters, the Malaysian Marine Department had commenced investigations and the TPN attached forms for the Commanding Officer of RSS Courageous to submit to the Malaysian Marine Department.

It is most unfortunate that the Malaysian government has chosen to exploit this tragic accident which can only serve to stir up emotions and make it more difficult to have an amicable settlement of the issue.

Sir, Pedra Branca is Singapore's territory. The RSN will continue to carry out its mission of safeguarding Singapore's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The RSN will continue to patrol our territorial waters off Pedra Branca.