By MP for Aljunied GRC, Pritam Singh
[Delivered in Committee of Supply on 5 March 2015]
The Minister of Defence has previously stated in parliament that in the coming years, the rise in MINDEF’s defence expenditure would largely correspond with the rise in inflation.
This year however, MINDEF’s budget for FY15/16 is 5.7% higher than the year before. I understand certain defence purchases require a long-tail of planning, expense and life-cycle considerations. I recall the presentation at the COS last year by Defence Minister on the likely shape of the SAF in 2030 with larger capacity LSTs, next generation fighter aircraft and the intention to transfer more of the Army’s traditional fighting units onto mobile platforms, as possible chages to the order of battle of the SAF. Is the increase in this year’s defence budget attributable to platforms that MINDEF intends to purchase in the years to come, and if not, how does the Ministry account for the rise in expenditure from the past year?
Secondly, in view of maintaining fiscal prudence at the national level, would MINDEF consider including more cost-saving measures a key criteria of defence purchases as exemplified by the announcement of the purchase of the aerostat last year – which was widely reported in the local media to have reduced MINDEF’s operating expenditure footprint for the task at hand by 29%.
Finally, I would like to enquire about MINDEF’s plans to operationalise a suggestion, most recently made by Malaysia as the current Chair of ASEAN – for the establishment of an ASEAN peacekeeping force? What is the current thinking of MINDEF about this idea.