no.1 02/08/1991 Strait Times Page: 22
Headline: Singapore's defence needs, by
Najib
Republic is strategically 'most vulnerable' in region
SINGAPORE needs a much larger army equipped with a large stock
of
sophisticated weaponry if it wants to protect itself fully against
external
aggression, said Malaysian Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak.
He told the Asian Defence Journal in an interview published in its
July issue
that for a country of its size and population, Singapore could be
considered
the most heavily armed state in South-east Asia.
But its geographical characteristics make it strategically
the most
vulnerable state in the region and it needs a larger defence
capability than
it presently has, he said.
Describing regional arms control issues as "non-issues", he said
South-east
Asian countries spend very little on arms compared to Israel and
the Gulf
states.
"In fact, most of our feelings of military threat from our
neighbours are
born of morbid fears and suspicions," he added.
Datuk Najib said most South-east Asian states were difficult to
defend
because of their geographical characteristics, and with the
exception of
Vietnam, most were considerably under-armed.
Indonesia's defence, for example, was far from adequate to insure
its
far-flung territories against external attack, he said.
Likewise, both the Philippines and Malaysia, where the armed forces
have been
trained primarily for counter-insurgency work, should pay more
attention to
external defence given their geographical characteristics.
He went on to discuss the impact of the Gulf war, noting that it
has slowed
down the process of global disarmament.
"On the other hand, the Gulf crisis tends to speed up the process
of
re-armament in countries which have suddenly realised the utter
deficiencies
in their national defence," he noted.
Asked for his view on Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew's
proposal that Singapore and Malaysia allow mutual inspections of
each other's military facilities, he said Mr Lee suggested this as
a way to reassure Singapore's neighbours that its arsenal was not
offensive in nature.
Malaysian armed forces moving in new direction
In the wide-ranging interview, Datuk Najib said that the Malaysian
armed
forces were moving in a new direction now that the communist
insurgency
problem has been resolved.
He said that new weaponry is being acquired to transform the
Malaysian armed forces into a more conventional force, equipped to
counter external
aggression.
He also touched on the US military presence in the region which, he
said,
could serve as a "countervailing force" against regional powers
that might
emerge.
Regional powers could emerge in the vacuum left by the United
States and the Soviet Union if the two superpowers scaled down
their presence here following the end of the Cold War, Datuk Najib
said.END of quote 1.
2.
Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew's proposal that Singapore and
Malaysia allow mutual inspections of each other's military
facilities,
Well,it is a very interesting suggestion.
