Written Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran to Parliamentary Question on Leveraging Automation and Technology to Monitor and Curb Sea Robbery Incidents in Singapore Strait

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport with the rise in sea robbery incidents in the Singapore Strait 

a.     what is the Ministry doing to protect our ships and their crew; and 

b.     whether the Ministry is leveraging on automation and technology to track and monitor the hot spots with the eventual aim of eradicating the perpetrators. 

Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran:

1.     Between January and July 2021, there were 22 reported sea robbery incidents in the Strait of Singapore, which includes the territorial waters of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. None of these 22 cases occurred within or originated from Singapore’s territorial waters. The 22 reported incidents represent a slight increase over the 19 cases reported over the same period in 2020. 

2.     Maritime security agencies respond swiftly and robustly to any suspicious activities within our territorial waters. For example, should a vessel encounter a sea robbery incident in Singapore territorial waters, the Police Coast Guard (PCG) will board the vessel and conduct checks onboard to search for unauthorised personnel and ensure the safety of the crew. The PCG will also do the same upon request by the ship captain if a vessel subsequently enters Singapore territorial waters after encountering such an incident. 

3.     To support these enforcement actions, the Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre (SMCC) maintains our overall maritime situational awareness. Through the use of data analytics and intelligence, the SMCC detects and deters maritime security threats, and coordinates responses at the national level. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and PCG use technology to monitor vessels around and within Singapore’s territorial waters. For example, MPA uses its Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS) to monitor the safe navigation of ships. MPA also issues alerts to vessels passing through areas with recent piracy or armed robbery incidents, to remind them to stay vigilant. The RSN and PCG leverage on a network of cameras and coastal surveillance systems to detect and track suspicious activities within Singapore’s territorial waters. 

4.     Piracy and sea robberies are transboundary problems that require collaboration among regional partners to combat effectively. To that end, our agencies will continue to work closely with the maritime authorities and enforcement agencies of our neighbouring countries, and to share information and conduct coordinated patrols. 

5.     Singapore has also contributed actively to cooperative regional efforts to combat piracy and sea robberies. Singapore has hosted the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) since its inception 15 years ago. The ReCAAP ISC is a vital part of the regional anti-piracy architecture, facilitating information sharing, capacity building, and cooperative arrangements between its contracting parties. 

6.     In addition, the RSN hosts the Information Fusion Centre (IFC), a regional Maritime Security centre which shares information on hotspots and locations with higher concentrations of vessels with authorities of neighbouring countries, to aid them in making decisions on the appropriate actions against possible perpetrators.