The following is a press release from the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).
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The SDP is greatly concerned about the recent incident involving SAF armored vehicles seized in Hong Kong. The military and diplomatic implications are far reaching and may significantly impact on our country’s national security.
In this regard, there are immediate questions that the government must answer:
1. Is there any reason why the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) thinks it is actually acceptable to ship our military equipment from Taiwan to Singapore via Hong Kong knowing fully the political tensions between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China?
2. Why is sensitive military equipment transported using a commercial shipping company? Would MINDEF contract out such operations to civilian companies in times of actual combat? If not, why are we not relying on our naval transport facilities and testing their operational readiness during training?
3. What steps are MINDEF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs taking to secure the return of our assets without causing greater fallout with China?
It is important that Singapore maintains a strong and intelligent defence system. The latest incident raises questions on both fronts.