by MP for Aljunied GRC, Pritam Singh
Mr Chairman, in view of our aging population and additional pressure to spend on social security in the years to come, there is a growing perception that the defence budget would require some moderation in future. The security architecture in the region, in particular ASEAN, and the relationship between the militaries in the region gives reason to be relatively positive about the low probability of outright military conflict breaking out in the region. This is especially in view of the national resources expended towards defence diplomacy in particular.
Most recently, the establishment of the ADMM (ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting)+8 in 2010 gives ASEAN an additional dialogue mechanism with the key players in our region – the US, China, India, Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. Closer to home, the relationship with Malaysia has taken on a completely new dimension over the last few years as well – especially with the Iskandar region in Johor promoting greater interconnectedness between the two countries so much so, that a train line and passport-less travel between the two jurisdictions have been proposed. This is a far cry from the atmospherics in the 1990s with the security PUB water resources in Johor, prospectively necessitating action by the SAF to secure these assets, in the event access to them was cut off by Malaysia.
Mr Chairman, the paradigm that defines the strategic environment especially between our immediate neighbours appears to be entering a new phase of stability. This will inevitably increase the pressure on the government to reduce the defence budget for uses, such as health and education. However, I refer to a chart that appeared in a recent edition of Janes Defence Weekly on 18 Jan 2012, which forecasts our defence budget increasing from about US$9.3b in 2011 to US$12b in 2015.
Can the Minister please share MINDEF’s strategic outlook for the region, with particular reference to the size of an SAF Singapore needs to protect our national interests in the years to come?