COOPERATION A MUST TO COMBAT GLOBAL TERRORISM

The threat of terrorism and extremism is a global problem that must be resolved through coordinated efforts from all nations and across all religions.

This was one of the most pressing issues discussed over the ministerial luncheon, said Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. He was speaking to the media at a doorstop interview after the luncheon which he had hosted, on the second day of the Shangri-La Dialogue. The Dialogue is held in Singapore from 3 to 5 Jun.

The luncheon, a regular feature of the Dialogue, is a valuable platform for ministers to engage in open and meaningful discussions on key regional and international security issues. This year, 24 visiting ministers and their representatives attended the event.

"As I looked around the table, there were many ministers who came from countries that had direct attacks," said Dr Ng, as he highlighted the pervasiveness of the terrorism threat. "It was sobering for all of us that when it came to terrorism, ministers from all around, different parts of the world - whether it was America, whether it was Europe, whether it was Asia, whether it was Australasia - had something to say," he added.

Explaining that they had discussed collective measures for tackling terrorism, such as through shared intelligence, better communication and joint resources, Dr Ng pointed out that, regardless of one's religion, everyone had a responsibility to prevent radicalisation.

"On this, thankfully, we have also leaders from moderate Muslim nations who made the point that this has nothing to do with Islam; it's a religion that's hijacked, and it depends on the moderates - not only moderate Muslims, but moderates of all religions, regardless of religion - to take a stand, so that the extremists don't get ahead or are able to radicalise the younger generations," said Dr Ng.

Creating a principled security network

On United States Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter's call for a principled security network in his plenary session earlier in the day, Dr Ng agreed that such a partnership would be widely accepted. He emphasised that this would help to set the precedence for dispute resolution: "How you resolve one dispute sets the rule for resolving subsequent disputes."

"From time to time you have issues that come up, but it is this shared perspective that we are articulating the rules for the road that allow us to move smoother, to move in unison and to reach the destination together."

As for concerns in Asia about China's actions with regard to territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Dr Ng acknowledged that it was a growing concern as the impact would affect many nations. He said: "The South China Sea is a critical waterway and everyone recognises that if there is any disruption to that critical waterway, just as it would occur if there were any disruptions in the Strait of Malacca, it will impact us enormously." Dr Ng noted that the Code of Conduct that Singapore was formulating would encapsulate the rules of engagement in managing the South China Sea issue.

FPDA 45^th anniversary

Earlier in the day, Dr Ng hosted a breakfast for Malaysian Defence Minister Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon, and Australian High Commissioner Philip Green. This was to commemorate the 45thanniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

During the meeting, the Defence Ministers released a Joint Statement to reaffirm member nations' commitment to the success of the FPDA. They also pledged their continued support for the conduct of professionally valuable exercises.

"The FPDA is here to stay," said Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, of the future of the FPDA. "These exercises have been ongoing for so many years (and it is) in times of uncertainty (that it is) even more important for us to show that it goes on."