PROTECTION OF COASTLINE FROM INTRUDERS

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PROTECTION OF COASTLINE FROM INTRUDERS: 13.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Home Affairs in the light of the recent incident of the three robbers who fled from Johore and landed at Pulau Tekong (a) what are the measures taken to protect our coastline from intruders; and (b) what further measures will be taken to beef up protection of our territories and prevent such an incident from happening again.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs has various measures in place to safeguard Singapore from intrusions from the sea.

Within Singapore Territorial Waters, the Police Coast Guard (PCG) undertakes law enforcement and security policing. PCG has increased its manpower establishment by 134 posts, to strengthen security deployment within Singapore Territorial Waters. PCG has also boosted

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its operational capabilities. For example, PCG has enhanced its surveillance and monitoring capabilities of our coastline and waters. The surveillance system comprises coastal radars and electro-optical sensors. This system is complemented by regular patrols by PCG crafts that track on any suspected intrusions or suspicious activity. The number of PCG patrols has increased by 30%, and the number of checks conducted has increased by 160% since September 11.

Sir, the PCG has also purchased new training simulators to improve their officers' skills and experience to deal with a range of scenarios. All these efforts improve the effectiveness and professionalism of our PCG officers.

On land, physical barriers are erected at vulnerable spots along the coast to deter attempts to land and to slow down intrusions so that the intruders can be more easily arrested. At sensitive coastal sites, land forces are also deployed to provide another layer of defence against intruders.

The Police also work closely with their counterparts in Malaysia and Indonesia , exchanging information to proactively stop intrusions. The Tekong incident was an example of this close cooperation where the Royal Malaysian Marine Police informed PCG once the motorised sampan carrying the three robbers entered our waters.

PCG's enforcement efforts thus far have been effective. Hence, there has been only one reported

sea robbery incident within Singapore Territorial Waters since 1990. We have also received intelligence that our enhanced security measures have made it difficult for human smuggling syndicates to convey illegal immigrants into Singapore by sea. They have now resorted to asking the illegal

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immigrants to swim to our shores under the cover of darkness.

Sir, as for future plans, PCG will be enhancing its surveillance capability by acquiring better surveillance equipment and increasing the number of surveillance locations. PCG also continually reviews its capabilities and deployment to deal with new maritime threats.

However, it is not possible to ensure that no intruder will ever slip in. This is especially so with our close proximity to Malaysia which, at some points, are as close as 400 metres. Thus, it is important that we also have in place a response system to deal with such intrusions. The swift and decisive action taken by the Police and the SAF in dealing with the three robbers who landed on Pulau Tekong shows that we are able to do so.

My Ministry will work with MINDEF to determine what more can be done to improve security on the island. Possible measures include the erection of physical barriers similar to those that had proven effective elsewhere in Singapore , as well as having additional patrols and surveillance sites around the island.

Sir, I would like to assure the House that protecting our coastline remains a top priority for the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State if there were any other intrusions besides the reported Pulau Tekong incident and whether the added measures that we have taken for Pulau Tekong would also be extended to other offshore islands, in particular, where the oil refineries are sited.

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, this is the first incident of such a nature, ie, of armed robbers having committed a robbery in Malaysia and then dashing across. Of course, for other intrusions, illegal immigrants always try to slip

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across, for these, we have been able to detect them, which is shown by the numbers. The number of illegal immigrants arrested, in fact, has come down, from 14,700 ˆ’ that was at the height in 1998 ˆ’ to 5,500 last year. Let me assure the House that this is something that we do ˆ’ take a step ahead of the illegal immigrants all the time. The trends change. When we tightened up the land checkpoints, they came in by sea, and when we patrolled the coast, they now try to swim across. We try to keep a step ahead of them.