The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will further deploy planners to support the multinational coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said in Parliament on Monday (Jan 19).
As part of its involvement in the coalition since November 2014, the SAF has sent a needs assessment and survey team, and a liaison officer to facilitate planning and coordination between the SAF and coalition forces.
Dr Ng revealed this in Parliament in response to questions by MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC Alex Yam on Singapore’s involvement in the fight against ISIS.
The planners will be deployed to the Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters and the Combined Air Ops Centre, and a site-survey team to prepare for the subsequent deployment of its KC-135 tanker.
However, Dr Ng said that it was still “premature to determine if there would be further requests” for more support from Singapore.
He also answered another question on the risk posed to Singapore, due to its early involvement in efforts against ISIS: “It is well-nigh impossible for any security forces in any country to be able to monitor any and every citizen. And our greatest challenge indeed is if an attack occurs, what happens to the unity which we have forged over many years.
“We must continue to use this time not only to increase our vigilance… But also to ask our community to come together and withstand such false ideologies and stand together if ever such an attack occurs.”
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
