Transcript of PM Lee Hsien Loong's interview with Ian Bremmer, Time Magazine

A summit with leaders of the (then) negotiating states of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP). Pictured, from left, are Naoto Kan (Japan), Nguyễn Minh Triết (Vietnam), Julia Gillard (Australia), Sebastián Piñera (Chile), Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore), Barack Obama (United States), John Key (New Zealand), Hassanal Bolkiah (Brunei), Alan García (Peru), and Muhyiddin Yassin (Malaysia). Six of these leaders represent countries that are currently negotiating to join the group. Pic: Wikimedia Commons

Interview Transcript Extract:

Q: What are the consequences of no TPP?

PM: Your standing goes down with many countries around the world. Your opponents as well as your friends will say, "You talked about the strategic re-balance, you talked about developing your relationships. You can move aircraft carriers around. But what are the aircraft carriers in support of"? It has to be deeper economic and broad relationships. You do not do things which the Chinese do. The Chinese go around with lollipops in their pockets. They have aid, they have friendship deals, they build you a Prime Minister’s office or President’s office, or Parliament House or foreign ministry. For them, trade is an extension of their foreign policy.

You do not do these retail items. The one big thing which you have done is to settle the TPP, which Obama has done. It shows that you are serious, that you are prepared to deepen the relationship and that you are putting a stake here which you will have an interest in upholding. Now, let’s say you cannot deliver on the TPP. After you have gotten Vietnam to join, after you have gotten Japan to join, after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made very difficult arrangements on agriculture, cars, sugar and dairy. Now you say, "I walk away, that I do not believe in this deal." How can anybody believe in you anymore?

It is not just on trade, even on strategic issues. The key thing in Northeast Asia is North Korea. They are unpredictable, they are developing their nuclear capabilities and their missiles. You do not want the South Koreans to do that, you do not want the Japanese to do that. What is the restraint on them? It is your credibility as an ally and as a deterrent. I do not think failing to ratify the TPP will strengthen that at all, or help Mr. Abe, who has gone out on a limb to support this and is in the process of ratifying it right now.

Read the Full Interview Transcript (from PMO) here.

Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong on the U.S. Election, Free Trade and Why Government Isn’t a Startup

By Ian Bremmer, TIMES

"Maybe Americans feel they don’t need the rest of the world anymore"

By virtue of its location—on the mouth of the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia, through which one-third of the world’s seaborne traffic passes daily — Singapore has always been a country that punches well above its weight on the geopolitical and economic stage. It’s a country of many cultures and languages, and one that is a staunch ally of the U.S. while maintaining strong trading ties with a rising China.

That makes Lee Hsien Loong, Singpore’s Prime Minister and the son of its founder Lee Kuan Yew, a good person to speak to if you want to understand how Asia works. TIME foreign-affairs columnist Ian Bremmer had a chance recently to sit down with Lee in Singapore. The full transcript of their conversation — which touches on U.S. politics, China’s reforms and how to run a country in the age of automation — is reprinted below:

Q: Let me ask you a couple of questions about the perception of the U.S. election in Singapore, because I am very interested in that. Let us assume Hillary [Clinton] is going to win, I feel very confident about that. Let us assume that Trump does not do significant damage after the elections are over. How much damage do you think has been done concretely through this 18-month electoral process?

PM: In every American election, crazy things are said. Positions are taken which the winners try very hard to forget afterwards. George Bush Sr. said “read my lips” and regretted it. All American candidates who won have before winning been very harsh on China, and after winning, much more restrained in their approach towards China. On trade too, that has been true for some time. But this time it has been so nasty and harsh that I think Hillary, if she wins, will have a lot of things to unspeak which she will find very difficult to do. I think TPP [the Trans-Pacific Partnership] will be a casualty if it is not settled by January.

Read the full  Times Magazine article "Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong on the U.S. Election, Free Trade and Why Government Isn’t a Startup" here.

Workers Party demonstrate what it means to be "Transparent & Accountable"

So in the long running drama that is the AHPETC / AHTEC Town Council accounts, the Workers Party have decided that in the best interest of the public, as well as to demonstrate what it really means to be "Transparent & Accountable", WP are demanding that a Non-Disclosure clause be imposed BEFORE any Town Council Documents relating to Punggol East SMC (which Lee Li Lian lost in the 2015 General Elections to PAP's Charles Chong) is released to Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC) to finish the handover of accounts.

According to a TODAY news article, there are two reasons given by AHTC vice-chairman Sylvia Lim to explain why there has been a delay in handing over the Accounts.

(1)  There are "... confidentiality concerns that “need to be worked out”. Information relating to the town council’s vendors, contracting rates, and staff must not fall into the hands of a third party."

and

(2) that it would be "... physically challenging for AHTC staff to sieve through files and extract documents pertaining only to Punggol East."

First reason given - The Docs are "confidential" and must not fall into the hands of a "third party".

Can we say that this reason is rubbish to the nth degree? Why should the documents of the Town Council be "confidential"?  Who are the "third parties" that you are afraid of?

You are managing and operating a public entity. You are dealing with pretty mundane municipal matters like maintenance, area cleaning, facilities management etc. You are NOT a company with confidential Intellectual Property or designs that could be stolen by a competitor.

And what third parties? The Govt? What bullshit! The AGO just audited you. The PAP? Come on lah, you lost the SMC to the PAP. And they (PAP & PRPTC) are taking over Punggol East SMC from you. They have every right to any and all documents relating to PE SMC.

Unless, of course, you have something to hide which is either horribly embarrassing or will be politically very damaging to the Workers party (like showing how incompetent the Town Council was managed and where all the TC surplus was spent on).


Second reason - "Physically challenging"???   

What kind of a rubbish, bull-shit, primary school level type of excuse is this?

Hello! Didn't you invest in a new accounting/Town Council Mangt system when you took over in 2011? (See here, here and here)

Are you now suggesting that that this accounting/TC mangt IT system never materialised and/or is the system so badly built that the Town Council accounts are all hard-copy based?? (which in itself is a real cause for concern too. You spent the resident's money on the system but it fails to do the job it was designed for??)

Come on lah.. who are you trying to bluff?

The last few times AHPETC / AHTC tried to put obstacles in the way of the AGO / HDB in trying to sort out the TC accounting mess that WP created, it turned out that WP was simply trying to hide their incompetence from the public.

For example, back in Jan 2016, WP refused to use a "Big-Four" Audit firm to audit the TC accounts. Instead, WP wanted to appoint their own Auditors. It would later turn out that WP's choice of Auditors would be poorly qualified and simply not up to the task. 

And what's even more interesting is that in the end, all of  the WP nominated audit firms Business Assurance and MRI Moores, withdrew from being considered as AHTC's nominated accountants, without providing for any substantial reasons to explain their withdrawal.

What is interesting is that WP then applied to the Court for ACRA’s PMP documents (relating to WP's choice of Auditors) to not be released to the public. (CNA, 22 Jan 2016)

Isn't this all very suspiciously convenient? WP (intentionally?) chooses an incompetent unqualified audit firm. When this rejected by the Courts , WP applies to for the relevant documents to be kept secret. 

Why does WP want to seal the documents? 

And here's another fine example of WP's Transparency & Accountability moto in action. When the Court decided that a Big-Four Audit firm would be appointed, WP then tried to put a limit on what the Audit firm could check!

In MND's Reply to Media Queries on the Court of Appeal Hearing of 7 Jan 2016, it stated that: 

2(ii) Accountants’ Terms of Reference – AHTC’s Statement refers to the Court’s “helpful clarification that the accountants… were not being given a carte blanche to look into the TC’s affairs”. 

However: the Statement fails to disclose that AHTC had tried, unsuccessfully, to limit the accountants’ terms of reference, to: 

(a) Only the non-compliances identified by the Auditor-General’s Report (the “AGO Report”) of Feb 2015, and 

(b) Only any improper past payments involving its former managing agent, FM Solutions & Services (“FMSS”) and FM Solutions and Integrated Services (“FMSI”).

In other words, when WP failed to appoint an unqualified Auditor (perhaps in hopes that using an unqualified Auditor would mean less Audit findings.), WP had attempted to restrict what the Independent Auditor could do in its Audit.

And since the appointment of KPMG as the Independent Auditors, the public has since come to known that there are so many problems with the AHPTEC / AHTC accounts, that it really simply unbelievable.

The TC Accounts are under WP's direct control and oversight. How can WP have let things get into such a mess?

Why is WP constantly blocking access to documents?

Why did WP attempt to appoint unqualified Auditors?

Why did WP attempt to limit the scope of the Independent Auditors?

Is this an attempt at hiding something that would be disastrous for WP?

What ever happened to WP's promise of Transparency and Accountability?

What happened to WP's "over 25 years of experience managing Town Councils" ?

This are pertinent questions that remained unanswered by WP.

And yet, Low's response to the whole mess is simply this.

Read more here:

• TODAY: 25 Oct 2016 - AHTC seeks non-disclosure clause for document handover to PRPTC

• CNA: 7 Jan 2016 - HDB raises concerns about AHTC's choice of accountant

• Ministry of National Development: Reply to Media Queries on the Court of Appeal Hearing of 7 Jan 2016

• CNA: 22 Jan 2016 - Court orders AHTC to appoint 'Big 4' accounting firm 

• Read more about the AHPETC / AHTC saga

As expected, cowardly Alex Tan Zhixiang changes his tune once his lies have been exposed

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP FB page

On 22 Oct 2016, STR Editor Alex Tan Zhixiang, falsely claimed in an article that Law Minister K Shanmugam had said "Eurasian Singaporeans are Indian" in a forum on the changes to Singapore's Elected Presidency.

Shortly after, Min Shanmugam posted his remarks on his facebook page, slamming STR for the false attribution.

What happens next is typical (cowardly) behavior from Alex Tan Zhixiang.

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP FB page

Here's the screen-capture of STR Facebook post's edit history.

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP FB page

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that STR Editor Alex Tan Zhixiang had posted a false and sensational headline/article on his rubbish website, ONLY to change the headline/article shortly after his lies had been exposed and debunked.

Alex Tan Zhixiang will blatantly lie, even in the face of photographic evidence.

Despite the widely available photos and videos which clearly show Alex Tan Zhixiang taking an active role in the Sept 2014 YMCA Charity event Heckling incident at Hong Lim park, Alex Tan was quick to dissociate himself when news of Roy Ng and Han Hui Hui were being called in to assist with police investigations into the incident.

• Read the official SG Govt response here.

• See what TODAY paper reported about what the Law Minister actually said here.

• Also see what Min. Shanmugam had to say about the STR article here.

• You can read more about Alex Tan Zhixiang's various past antics and lies here.

• Read why we have given Alex Tan a crown of dead prawns here.

This is what happens when you read STR articles and believe what it says

This is exactly what happens when anyone reads a bullshit-filled STR / Alex Tan Zhixiang article and simply believes what it says without fact-checking.

Screen-capture from Hamish Brown Facebook page

The STR article by Alex Tan Zhixiang is written with lies and misleading half-truths which are intended to cause anger and provoke ill-feelings towards the Law Minister.

Have a read the comments under Hamish's first post. His friends were also reacting with anger, believing that the lies spread by STR was what the Minister had said.

Their reactions are the reason why race, as well as religious issues are still treated with extreme care in Singapore.

Racial sensitivity is the reason why the Editors of 'The Real Singapore' website  - Yang Kaiheng and Ai Takagi were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act for posting false articles which were intended to inflame racial relations and cause outrage between races in 2016.

It is also the same reason - religious sensitivity - why Amos Yee had to be taken to task for his videos which insulted various religions.


This is Hamish Brow's subsequent when he realises that he had been tricked by the falsehoods in the article from Alex Tan Zhixiang.

Screen-capture from Hamish Brown Facebook page

Here is the official SG Govt response here.

The Minister never said any of the things STR attributes to him. (22 Oct 2016) 

States Times Review (STR) article "Law Minister K Shanmugam: Eurasian Singaporeans are Indian" is a disgraceful fabrication. 

The Minister never said any of the things STR attributes to him. Indeed, he never said anything about Eurasians nor were there any questions posed to him about Eurasians at the IPS conference. 

It is malicious of STR to spread such vicious falsehoods, calculated to sow discord among our different ethnic groups. The Government will review STR's post and decide whether to take further action against STR.

See what TODAY paper reported about what the Law Minister actually said here.

Also see what Min. Shanmugam had to say about the STR article here.

You can read more about Alex Tan Zhixiang's antics and lies here.

Alex Tan Zhixiang latest lies gets Law Minister Shanmugam's attention

Screen-capture from Min. Shanmugam's Facebook page

Here is the official SG Govt response here.

The Minister never said any of the things STR attributes to him. (22 Oct 2016) 

States Times Review (STR) article "Law Minister K Shanmugam: Eurasian Singaporeans are Indian" is a disgraceful fabrication. 

The Minister never said any of the things STR attributes to him. Indeed, he never said anything about Eurasians nor were there any questions posed to him about Eurasians at the IPS conference. 

It is malicious of STR to spread such vicious falsehoods, calculated to sow discord among our different ethnic groups. The Government will review STR's post and decide whether to take further action against STR.

See what TODAY paper reported about what the Law Minister actually said here.

Well, is there any else thing that needs to be said here about this coward who tells lies for a living? 

Here's a quick recap of this scoundrel. 

Read why we have given Alex Tan a crown of dead prawns here.

Alex Tan Zhixiang has an almost pathological-level hatred for the late Lee Kuan Yew and PM Lee and anything PAP related.

In 2012, Alex Tan Zhixiang,  who contested under the Reform Party banner in the 2011 General Election, had sent SBS Transit an expletive-filled rant in an e-mail about his trip on one of its buses. 

In an apology posted online, he wrote: "The statements I've made have maligned the good work SBS Transit Ltd has done for Singapore, and the brutish language used is certainly a blesphemous libel (sic)." Read more here.

If anything at all, Alex Tan Zhixiang's sole expertise is in deception and misinformation. His articles on STR reflects his character and belief "Never tell the whole truth to anyone. Half-truth is designed to mislead without lying".

Alex Tan Zhixiang is widely known online to be one of the founders / Editors / Writers for the now defunct "The Real Singapore (TRS)". When TRS’ other two editors - Yang Kaiheng and Ai Takagi were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act, Alex Tan left Singapore shortly after.

He now delusionally imagines himself to be some sort of political refugee. Even Amos Yee has more balls than Alex Tan when it comes to facing the music.

Failing to get elected as an MP, Alex Tan Zhixiang now operates the States Times Review from Australia which runs false and misleading articles about S'pore, for advertisement revenue . 

Oh, and one last thing, besides being a bare-face liar, Alex Tan Zhixiang is also one big coward.

Despite the widely available photos and videos which clearly show Alex Tan Zhixiang taking an active role in the Sept 2014 YMCA Charity event Heckling incident at Hong Lim park, Alex Tan was quick to dissociate himself when news of Roy Ng and Han Hui Hui were being called in to assist with police investigations into the incident.

You can read more about Alex Tan Zhixiang's antics and lies here.

China's perception of Singapore: 4 areas of misunderstanding

China's perception of Singapore: 4 areas of misunderstanding
By Tommy Koh, Ambassador-At-Large at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the Straits Times

What China misunderstands about Singapore is that: Singapore is not a Chinese country despite having a majority-Chinese population; Singapore values a united Asean; Singapore is not a US ally but wants to be friends with all major powers; and Singapore has the world view of a small country.

Relations between Singapore and China are unique. There is no other country in the world with a population in which the majority are ethnic Chinese. Taiwan is not comparable because it is not a sovereign and independent country. Hong Kong is legally part of the People's Republic of China.


ASSET AND LIABILITY 

The fact that the majority of Singaporeans are ethnic Chinese is both an asset and a liability in the bilateral relations between Singapore and China. It is an asset because we speak the same language and use the same script, eat similar food and share some common values on education, family, the individual and the state, rights and responsibility, etc.

It is, however, also a liability because it has given rise to unreasonable expectations on the part of China towards Singapore. Many friends in China mistakenly perceive Singapore as a Chinese nation, describing us as "kith and kin". They feel that since Singaporeans are fellow Chinese, we should have a better understanding of China's policies than the other Asean countries. They also expect Singapore to support China's policies. I believe that this is one source of misunderstanding between us. China has to understand that Singapore is a multiracial and not a Chinese nation. Further, as a sovereign and independent country, Singapore's interests are not always similar to those of China.


SINGAPORE'S COMMITMENT TO ASEAN 

Another possible source of misunderstanding between Singapore and China is Singapore's commitment to Asean.

Singapore is located in South-east Asia. Singapore's destiny is tied to the destiny of our region. We want our region to be peaceful, stable and prosperous. We want the countries of the region to integrate their economies and to gradually become one community. Asean has played an indispensable role in this journey. Singapore is therefore deeply committed to Asean, to its effectiveness, unity and centrality.

Any attempt to undermine Asean unity would be regarded by Singapore as a threat to its national interest. This point is not hypothetical but real. Singapore would like Asean to be united and to be able to speak with one voice on any important question, including the South China Sea.


RELATIONS WITH MAJOR POWERS

A third source of misunderstanding between Singapore and China is over Singapore's foreign policy. Singapore's foreign policy is to pursue an independent course and not to be allied to any major power. It is Singapore's ambition to be close to each of the major powers, including the United States, China, India, Japan and Europe.

As tensions have risen between China and the United States, it is increasingly difficult for a country like Singapore, which is on good terms with both, to stay neutral and not be forced to choose sides. Some of my friends in China are not happy with the warm relations which Singapore enjoys with Washington. They have mistakenly accused Singapore of being a US ally and of siding with the US against China.

The truth is that Singapore enjoys warm relations with both Washington and Beijing.

Singapore is not a US ally. If Singapore were a US ally, we could not have broken ranks with the US and be among the first to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Nor would Singapore be so proactive in supporting China's One Belt One Road Initiative. Singapore and China have just embarked on the third iconic government-to-government project, centred on Chongqing.

These are not the actions of a US ally but a good friend and partner of China. Ever since Deng Xiaoping's paradigm shift to open the Chinese economy to the world, Singapore has actively supported China's efforts to build its economy and to modernise. Singapore is today China's largest foreign investor.


DIFFERENT WORLD VIEWS

There is a fourth possible source of misunderstanding between Singapore and China. We have different world views. China is a big country and has the world view of a big country. Singapore is a small country and has the world view of a small country. The two are quite different. Let me explain.

Singapore, like other small countries, wants to live in a world which is governed by laws, rules and principles and not by might or by force. We therefore support a rules-based world order and the multilateral institutions which uphold it, such as the United Nations, World Trade Organisation, International Civil Aviation Organisation, International Maritime Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme and International Court of Justice.

Singapore supports the rule of law in the world. To small countries, international law is both a shield and a sword. We would like disputes between states to be settled in accordance with international law. In the case of the South China Sea, we would like all states to act in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Singapore believes that disputes between states should be settled peacefully, without resort to force or intimidation. We believe in the primacy of negotiations. However, when negotiations fail, we believe that disputes should be referred to conciliation, arbitration or adjudication and not be allowed to fester.

I suspect that, as a major power, China's world view would be quite different from that of Singapore. It is important for each side to understand the world view of the other. Otherwise, China would not understand why Singapore attaches so much importance to international law and to binding third-party dispute settlement.


26 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC TIES 

In 1990, I led the Singapore delegation which negotiated an agreement with China for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China on Oct 3 that year. Minister Xu Dunxin was the leader of the Chinese delegation. Looking back over the past 26 years, I am very happy that our bilateral relations have expanded so much in every field. I believe that the friendship between our two countries will continue to strengthen in the coming years.

We should, however, try to avoid misunderstanding each other. It is in this spirit that I have discussed the four possible sources of misunderstanding between us.


The writer is the chairman of the Board of Governors, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore, and Ambassador-At-Large at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Original article source: Straits Times

Working to improve Singapore's public healthcare system

Screen-capture from Michael Porter's Facebook page

And who is Michael E. Porter to make this assessment of TTSH's healthcare strategy?

Michael E. PorterA Bishop William Lawrence University Professor 

Michael Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher.  

Throughout his career at Harvard Business School, he has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most challenging problems facing corporations, economies and societies, including market competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment, and health care. 

His extensive research is widely recognized in governments, corporations, NGOs, and academic circles around the globe. His research has received numerous awards, and he is the most cited scholar today in economics and business.  

While Dr. Porter is, at the core, a scholar, his work has also achieved remarkable acceptance by practitioners across multiple fields.

Read more about him here:

• http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/print-profile.aspx?facId=6532
• http://www.isc.hbs.edu/about-michael-porter/Pages/default.aspx

It is the little things that enable Changi In't Airport to be one of the best in the world

Any country can build a fantastically-designed and modern airport if they are willing to pump in the money.  Many countries have done so.

But does that necessarily mean that having the newest airport facilities makes it a top choice for travellers and airlines?

I would argue that it's often the little things that count. And certainly Changi International Airport does enough of the 'little' things to build up its reputation as an air-travelers' paradise.

Great work, Changi! And keep the Singapore Brand flying high!

Screen-capture from Linked-In.

==========================
Update:

CNN: What are the world's best and worst airports for 2016?

By Elaine Yu, CNN, Updated 0856 GMT (1656 HKT) October 20, 2016

Extract:

"... But how pleasant can an airport actually be?  

That's where The Guide to Sleeping in Airports comes in, offering its annual scrutiny of the best and worst places to wander around in a jetlagged stupor. 

The best in 2016?  

Once again it's Singapore, scooping three titles -- best airport for sleeping, best airport for layovers and best airport for overall experience. 

"I had almost an eight-hour layover on my second trip and still felt like it ended too soon to see everything I was hoping to see," gushed one of the guide's respondents about the city-state's Changi Airport. 

Free and comfy reclining loungers and massage chairs are just the basics here. 

This airport already has a butterfly garden, swimming pool and cinema. 

A new Changi development containing an indoor forest with hiking trails and a 40-meter rain vortex falling from the roof is due to open in 2018. ..."

Read the full article here.

Don't believe any of it? Well, try it out and judge for yourself.    :)


==========================

Did you know....

Pic: ITB Asia. Credit: Changi Airport Group

• External aviations experts back in the 1970s had recommend to then PM Lee Kuan Yew to expand Paya Lebar Airport. However, LKY decided that it was better to re-site the airport at Changi which would give it room to grow sea-wards instead of being constrained in the city.

• In the early years after Independence, LKY wanted a Singapore which was abundant with lush greenery - hence the term "Garden City" was coined. Thus it's no surprise that this garden city concept was extended to Changi Airport. Today Changi is one of the "greenest" airports you can visit. Besides the many flora throughout the airport, there are 5 themed gardens, including a Sunflower Garden and a Orchid Garden. Visitors to/fro Singapore would travel along the ECP which is lined with trees and flowering shrubs. 

• LKY was so obsessed with how Changi Airport was progressing that he asked for weekly reports on the state of the airport toilets' cleanliness. 

Read more here:

• Ministry of Transport: Speech By Mr Lee Kuan Yew At Changi Airport 25th Anniversary Dinner on 1 July 2006

• The Business Times: Lee Kuan Yew, truly the father of Changi airport

• TODAY: LKY’s attention to detail helped ensure clean toilets at Changi Airport, 17 Sept 2013

• Changi Airport Facebook page

[Defending the Lion City] What happened during Singapore's Counter-terrorism Exercise

Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) officers storming a cinema in Tampines in Singapore's largest counter-terrorism exercise yet. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Islandwide anti-terror exercise: Officers rescue hostages in cinema and malls
By Danson Cheong, Tiffany Fumiko Tay, Straits Times, Published 18 Oct 2016

SINGAPORE – Their first target was the Century Square shopping mall in Tampines. Walking brazenly into the mall, four “terrorists” started firing without warning. Shoppers who were not killed or injured, ran for cover and called the cops.

Moments later, the first responders from the police’s Ground Response Force and Emergency Response Team arrived on the scene, and they soon overwhelm and kill the four gunmen.

This daring attack set the scene for the islandwide counter-terrorism exercise that culminated in simulated coordinated attacks on shopping malls in Bishan and Tampines in the wee hours of Tuesday (Oct 18) morning.

The scenario was part of Singapore’s largest counter-terrorism exercise. The 18-hour operation led by the police, started on Monday (Oct 17) morning, and ended at 4am on Tuesday (Oct 18). It involved over 3,200 officers, including those from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), other Home Team agencies and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Two "terrorists" have taken hostages inside the BHG department store in Century Square. Police officers from the Anti-Swarming Team arrive to deal with them swiftly. Video: Danson Cheong

In Tampines, police officers pursued the terrorists as they moved from Century Square to the adjacent Tampines Mall. Along the way, the Special Operations Command’s Anti-Swarming Teams were activated to also deal with the threat.

At the Tampines Mall atrium, the officers encountered a terrorist wearing a suicide vest – but before he could detonate it, he was shot and killed. Later, in an act of desperation, the remaining terrorists holed up in the Golden Village cinema taking about 35 movie-goers hostage.

They barged into cinema hall 1 as a movie played, firing blanks at the ceiling, and yelling: “Get down and shut up!”

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, "terrorists" kill one hostage and strap an improvised explosive device on another. ST VIDEO: DANSON CHEONG

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, "terrorists" strap a suicide vest onto a "hostage". ST VIDEO: DANSON CHEONG

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, the SAF's Special Operations Task Force troopers neutralize the terrorist threat quickly and identify the hostage strapped with the suicide vest.

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, a suicide vest gets detonated by SAF's chemical, biological, radiological and explosives engineers. ST VIDEO: DANSON CHEONG

They commanded hostages to take pictures and post them on social media. To let the hostages know they were not joking, they picked a man at random and shot him in front of the crowd.

"All of you better cooperate with us, or I will make sure you suffer and die," said one of the terrorists.

Later, one of the hostages was strapped with a suicide vest as he cried for help.


Said one of the terrorists: "We are ready to die, are you?"

This was when the SAF’s Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) was called in. The SOTF officers ended the siege in a flash. Armed with night-vision goggles, they fired blanks from their HK-416 assault rifles and P-90 submachine guns in the darkness, quickly neutralising the terrorists.

By the time the lights came on seconds later, all but one of the terrorists were dead. The one remaining terrorist rose to take a potshot at an officer as the team checked the aisles, but he too was quickly dispatched.

"Everyone listen up, we are from the Singapore Armed Forces, we are here to rescue you," said one of the officers to the hostages.

Outside the cinema, police officers formed a security cordon - the exercise was meant to test coordination between different agencies.

The moviegoers, played by SAF servicemen, were swiftly marched out with their hands on their heads, while the hostage who had explosives strapped onto him had the suicide vest removed.
It was later "detonated" in a controlled explosion inside the cinema hall, after the SOTF officers and hostages had left.


By then, SCDF officers have arrived on the scene at Tampines Mall to tend to the wounded. Those inside the mall were quickly brought to the first aid point outside, where a medical support vehicle, or mobile hospital, was waiting to tend to those with serious injuries.

Community responders trained in CPR and first aid had also been activated to tend to the injured and help perform triage.

One of them was accountant, Madam Rama Diwakar, who was helping bandage the wounded outside the malls. Speaking to The Straits Times after the exercise, Madam Rama, 45, said: “This is really very realistic. We’ve learnt how to treat patients without losing our cool.”

In another exercise, four gunmen blazed their way into Junction 8 Shopping Centre in a surprise attack just before 1am on Tuesday (Oct 18).

SAF and police personnel were put to the test with a "cold start" exercise at the Bishan mall, where they reacted to an active shooter scenario unrehearsed.

Pops of gunfire and cries for help from "shoppers" could be heard from outside Junction 8 when police officers arrived on the scene.

The Emergency Response Team officers, specially trained in counter-assault skills and armed with HK-MP 5 submachine guns, moved in tight formation as they entered the mall to neutralise the attackers.


In the second wave of response, the Army Deployment Force (ADF), a new rapid response unit set up by the SAF in July, showcased its operational readiness in its first deployment exercise.

A "gunman" kills a hostage before being taken out by Army Deployment Force (ADF) soldiers. Video: Tiffany Fumiko Tay

Arriving on the scene in Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicles, soldiers set up a cordon around the perimeter of the mall to contain the shooters.

Meanwhile, SOTF officers spilled out of unmarked vans, entering the building through a staircase at the mall's loading bay.

Among the escaping shoppers were three "sleeper" gunmen, who were quickly identified and "killed" by ground forces.

By about 2.20am, with the smell of smoke heavy in the air, all seven gunmen had been neutralised.

In the last part of the operation, officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority would go on to nab a “terrorist” attempting to flee the country.

Article and Video Source: Straits Times


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My thoughts on the Counter-Terror Exercise:

• This Exercise is probably as realistic as anyone can practically get without firing any real ammo, and disrupting daily life.

• Keyboard warriors / "Haters" will most likely disparage the entire Exercise as a "wayang" (show) and say things like "it's so staged", "terrorist will not be so stupid" blah blah blah. Whatever lah you morons...you fail to see the larger exercise objective(s) beyond the obvious.

• Without discounting the seriousness and inherent value of such an Exercise, for those who are Counter-Strike fans and happened to be involved in the Exercise, the whole thing was probably one huge wet-dream. I mean - how often do you get to play out hostage scenarios in public places and fire off your weapon, even if it was only blanks?

• A shit-load of Blanks were fired. And a lot of dirty weapons will have to be maintained and cleaned before being sent to the armskote. I can imagine the hours that will be spent cleaning, digging, brushing. Fingers will be oily, dirty and cramping. But I think the exercise troops will think it's worth it. 

• As what other terror attacks like the Boston Marathon Bombing had shown, having a rapid and well-coordinated emergency response will significantly reduce fatalities. While it would seem from media reports that our public Hospitals are not actively involved in this exercise, they do conduct their own mass-casualty exercises (such as Exercise Kingfisher and Exercise Northstar) to test and strengthen their capabilities and management processes when faced with a sudden surge in casualty numbers.

Read more here:

• RAND Corporation - The Lessons of Mumbai (Terror attacks)

Note: The RAND report gives a chilling account of what happened during the Mumbai Terror attacks and looks in the tactics used by the terrorist. I would say that this is the nightmare scenario that haunts our security agencies. The Mumbai Terrorists did not attack any "hard" targets. Instead they went after "soft" targets such as hotels and train stations, all public places which had little or no security and had crowds of people around.

• Medscape - World Class Emergency Response in Boston Marathon Bombing

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[Defending the Lion City] S'pore's biggest anti-terror exercise kicks off

More than 3,200 personnel from police and military units, as well as over 50 volunteers from the People’s Association Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Civil Defence Lionhearters are part of the exercise. Pic: Various sources

TODAY, By Wong Pei Ting, Published: 4:19 PM, October 17, 2016

SINGAPORE — Don’t be alarmed if you see policemen, immigration officers or army personnel out in full force at shopping malls or MRT stations on Monday (Oct 17), or if you hear gunshots late in the night.

On Monday morning, the Republic kicked off its largest counter-terrorism exercise, which will conclude at 4am on Tuesday. It will test and validate Singapore’s multi-agency response plan in the event of terrorist attacks.

Led by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), more than 3,200 personnel from the Home Team and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as well as over 50 volunteers from the People’s Association Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Civil Defence Lionhearters will be part of the exercise.

Conducted in two phases, the first phase simulates a situation of heightened alert, after Singapore receives information and intelligence threats pointing to an imminent attack on the country.

Shortly after the alert was received at 10am, Home Team and SAF personnel were dispatched at over 360 locations for land and border security patrols. Places where members of the public will see a heightened security measures include public transport nodes, commercial areas, residential heartlands and Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints.

Concurrently, the SAF started conducting refresher drills – also called “just in time” training – with its Island Defence Task Force (IDTF). These include weapon, baton and search-and-arrest drills. The men are also briefed of the rules of engagement when dealing with a suicide bomber or active shooter.

Notably, the SAF’s Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicle (PRV) was deployed alongside a Police Fast Response Car (FRC) at the Marina Bay Financial Centre for deterrence and as part of stepped up security measures late on Monday afternoon.

Phase 2, which will take place later on Monday night, involves a response to multiple terror situations unfolding at different locations at 10pm, when blanks, thunder flashes, and smoke simulators will be used.

To facilitate the conduct of the exercise, cordons will be set up within the exercise venues. Also, Tampines Central 5 and Bishan Place roads will be closed to all vehicular traffic, except authorised SPF, SAF and emergency vehicles.

Parking restrictions along the peripheral roads will be strictly enforced, said the police, so vehicles parked indiscriminately or causing obstruction will be towed away.

Pic: TODAY

The SAF’s IDTF was established in 2001 when SAF soldiers were deployed to protect vital installations around Singapore to boost national security after the Sept 11 attacks in the US. Under this task force, soldiers from the SAF work closely with Home Team agencies such as SPF, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to protect key installations.

Pic: Channel News Asia

The SAF units activated for the joint patrols for Monday’s exercise are the 4th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (4 SIR), 5th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (5 SIR), and 41st Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (41 SAR). The soldiers comprise both full-time national servicemen and regular servicemen. They are equipped with the integrated Load Bearing Vest (iLBV) with ballistic protection and helmet, an SAR 21 Assault Rifle, a Military Security Armband, a flexicuff, a baton torch, and communications equipment.

Article Source: TODAY


Click below to learn more about SG Secure

• SG Secure

• SAF Facebook page

• SPF Facebook page

• Or search HashTags:  #StayAlert #StayUnited #StayStrong #SGSecure

• Straits Times - SG Secure news articles

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ADVISORY ON MULTI-AGENCY ISLANDWIDE COUNTER-TERRORISM EXERCISE

Source: SPF Facebook page

The Singapore Police Force (SPF), supported by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the People’s Association (PA) will be conducting an islandwide counter-terrorism exercise from 17 to 18 October 2016.

This exercise is part of ongoing efforts by the Home Team and SAF to test and validate Singapore’s multi-agency response plan in the event of terrorist attacks. The exercise also serves to raise public awareness on the current threat landscape and encourage continued vigilance from members of the public.

The exercise will be conducted in two phases:

Phase 1: From 10am to 10pm on 17 October 2016
Phase 2: From 10pm on 17 October 2016 to 4am on 18 October 2016

In Phase 1, officers from the SPF and the SAF will be conducting joint patrols at public places such as MRT stations and bus interchanges, while officers from the ICA and the SAF will be conducting joint patrols at the land checkpoints. Members of the public can expect a heightened visibility of SPF, ICA and SAF officers during the exercise.

In Phase 2, blanks, thunder flashes, and smoke simulators will be used at various locations. Members of the public are advised not to be alarmed. ‘Exercise-In-Progress’ signage will be placed prominently at exercise venues throughout the exercise. To facilitate the conduct of the exercise, cordons will be set up within the exercise venues.

During the exercise, the following roads will be closed to all vehicular traffic, except authorised SPF, SAF and emergency vehicles from 11pm on 17 October 2016 to 4am on 18 October 2016:

1. Tampines Central 5
2. Bishan Place

Parking restrictions along the peripheral roads will be strictly enforced. Vehicles parked indiscriminately or causing obstruction will be towed away.

Members of the public may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 if they have further queries.

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Workers Party glosses over the fact that there was no actual progress made on resolving the Audit Points

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP

WP's tradition of suppresio veri, suggestio falsi to paint a rosy picture of their slow progress (aka delay tactics). Nothing can be described as "successful" if it resolved nothing. Worse still if new implementations introduce more problems instead.

In fact, KMPG's July report stated that it found a further 70 control failures within the town council, in addition to the 115 control failures earlier identified by the Auditor-General's Office. 

This has been consistently what KPMG's monthly report been saying: "These Audit Points are unresolved ....or iii) because of identified shortcomings in the way in which they have been remedied. "

Fabrications About The PAP

15 October 2016 KPMG Monthly Report
(See Full Report)
Reference Section 1.2 - Summary of status as at Oct 2016 Report, Page 1

15 September 2016 KPMG Monthly Report
(See Full Report)
Reference Section 1.2 - Summary of status as at Sept 2016 Report, Page 1

"Referring to the lapses, KPMG said "no audit points were resolved" in the period since the last progress report last month.

While AHTC has put in place some measures to address these issues, several have not been fully implemented and others have not been tested, said KPMG. It added that some measures were also found lacking. As a result, they were not enough to bring the town council in line with the Town Councils Act, said KPMG."

Straits Times: 17 Sept 2016  - AHTC accounts: Audit points not resolved since last report

18 August 2016 KPMG Monthly Report
(See Full Report)
Reference Appendix A, Section A.1, Page 4

One major area it has to clear up is the more than 1 million transactions it had recorded in 18 temporary clearing accounts. 

So far, AHTC has investigated only 599 of these transactions after two months.

TODAY: 18 Aug 2016 - AHTC’s dummy code not fictitious, but processes weak: KPMG



20 July 2016 KPMG Monthly Report
(See Full Report)
Reference Appendix A, Section A.1, Page 12

In his post, Mr Shanmugam said that KPMG, which is AHTC’s own independent accountants, had uncovered even more faults than the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) and AHTC’s statutory auditors. He said the AGO and AHTC’s statutory auditors found 115 failures, and KPMG uncovered another 70 – making a total of 185 failures. “Since the AGO audit, the situation has not gotten better. It has gotten far worse,” he wrote.

Mr Shanmugam added that the report underlines a key issue: that AHTC’s leadership has neither upheld nor enforced integrity and ethical values. “The rot is at the top,” he wrote. “This should come as no surprise.”

He said the High Court and the Court of Appeal have already criticised the Workers' Party's Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Pritam Singh for suppressing the truth (designed to mislead) both in Parliament and in Court. “To them, the truth is a tradable commodity,” he said, adding that he would elaborate further on this in another post.

Channel News Asia: 23 Jul 2016 - KPMG report on AHTC paints 'devastating account' of town council mismanagement: Shanmugam


In a 43-page report posted by AHTC on its website on Wednesday, KPMG — which was appointed by the town council on court orders to help fix compliance and governance lapses following a protracted legal tussle — said it had identified a further 70 “control failures” after four months of work. 

These cut across key areas of governance, financial control and reporting, procurement and records management over five years. 

TODAY: 21 Jul 2016 - AHTC has ‘pervasive’ lapses, needs to ‘reset tone’



15 June 2016 KPMG Monthly Report
(See Full Report)

• Reference Section 2.3 - Status of Audit points, Page 3 to 6. 
• Only 3 Sub-points - 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 - have been deemed satisfactorily resolved by KPMG.