"What the two incidents drive home is this – power comes from the barrel of the gun. If we do not have the military to back us, our best diplomatic efforts won’t get us anywhere.
How else would countries like Indonesia and Malaysia treat us as equal? Is it enough to count on the goodwill of our friendly neighbours?
I think it’s best we arm ourselves well and that allows us to speak softly.
Come to think of it, Paul Tambyah and SDP, you still want to cut defence spending by 40%?"
Read more here: Power Comes from the Barrel of the Gun - By I Tahan You Very Long Already
"Some Singaporeans insist we apologise to China. WOW, what have they been smoking?
Shame on them. We are shipping our Terrex for Singapore’s military use, NOT for the Taiwanese.
If we are such pushovers, it will be the end of Singapore. Our modus operandi is to follow and respect international laws, and work within such frameworks.
Big countries can push their weight around (South China Sea hint hint), but Singapore is tough as nails. We make a stand and stick to it. China is using the Terrex incident to send us a message.
However, we are not mouthpieces. We will not be moved."
Read more here: The Terrex incident: We shall not be movedddd….., we from Singapore, we shall not be moved By The Rise of the Strawberry Nation
"Given the even tenor of ties , some have asked why Singapore should choose to upset them. Why not keep a discreet silence on the arbitration tribunal ruling against China's claims when it is, after all, not a claimant to any of the disputed South China Sea features?
But the fact is that China's insistence that it would not recognise the arbitration tribunal decision of last July undermines regional order - the very oxygen needed for small states such as Singapore to survive. The tribunal decision declared, among other things, that China's claim of "historic rights" to the South China Sea is incompatible with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
There is emerging hubris in Chinese policy circles over China's emergence as a great power and the concurrent decline of the US. As one well-connected Chinese interlocutor opined recently, no one should "push China around", even on contentious issues such as the South China Sea.
Amid such hubris, some countries have already succumbed to the temptation of bagging all the economic carrots that China has to offer, in exchange for a softer stance on the South China Sea."
Read more here: Staying friends with all powers works best for small nations By William Choong For The Straits Times
"Singapore knows that its options are limited as a small state with an open economy.
It cannot afford to fully ally itself to one world power or another. Not only would that ultimately result in vassal-dom, it would also close it off to options to pursue international political, economic and social objectives that are in its own national interest.
Its only recourse when large powers flex their muscles is summarised in this statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the South China Sea dispute: “We support the peaceful resolution of disputes… in accordance with universally-recognised principles of international law… without resorting to the threat or use of force. As a small state, we strongly support the maintenance of a rules-based order that upholds and protects the rights and privileges of all states.”
Read more here: Terrex APC seizure: What do we think? How do we react? By Daniel Yap of The Middle Ground
Vid: By FiveStarsAndAMoon FB page, The battle over 9 Terrexes is still dragging on into 2017.
Who will be the biggest loser from this debacle?
Update: Min for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen tweeted that he will be stating the Singapore Govt's position on the Terrex incident in Parliament later today (9 Jan 2017).
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