Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, in 2015’s MINDEF Committee of Supplies debate, I had raised the issue of fair and equal deployment in the SAF, particularly in the vessels of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
In answering my previous question regarding having halal-certified kitchens on our vessels, the MINDEF Ministers had cited the key issue of space being a premium on ships and that other provision would be made not only for Muslim servicemen but any other services of other religions with dietary restrictions.
Sir, RSN has produced a video series on YouTube titled “The Passage 2”, which featured among other trainees, then-midshipman Johan Fadli – a RSN regular personnel being deployed in the LST RSS Endurance from July to August 2024 for the Midshipman Sea Training Deployment (MSTD), a rite of passage for midshipmen to be commissioned as naval officers or to graduate as a naval warfare system engineer.
The video series was entertaining and educational on what midshipmen of both genders and races experienced during the MSTD. Sir, I had hoped to see some shots featuring some of the aforementioned provision that has been made for servicemen with various dietary restrictions.
Nevertheless, I would like to seek an update from MINDEF on the steps and measures taken thus far in making RSN’s naval vessels a more inclusive and open workspace that is fair and just to all Singaporean servicepersons. I believe that it is important that we clearly communicate to the public – that there are no systemic barriers in the way of any Singaporean wishing to serve on our navy vessels.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Similarly, in the SAF, our servicemen and servicewomen are steadfast in their commitment to Singapore’s military defence. Ms Denise Phua and Mr Faisal Manab asked about inclusiveness in the SAF.
The deployment of service personnel to vocations is based on merit, capability and aptitude, as well as their commitment to the SAF and to Singapore, regardless of race, gender or religion. This approach is fair and optimises our manpower for SAF vocations.
The Chairman: Mr Faisal Manap.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, I would like to thank Senior Minister of State Zaqy for his comment and remarks on my cut. I would just like to repeat my request: whether the Senior Minister of State can provide an update regarding the steps and measures taken thus far in making RSN naval vessels a more inclusive and open workspace?
Mr Zaqy Mohamad: I thank Mr Faisal Manap for his clarification. We have given him replies on this issue previously and the considerations have not changed. The provision of halal food requires adherence to religious stipulations, including on the food source, preparation and storage. For local training and operations – that is, trainings in Singapore – these conditions can be met by having separate kitchens and halal-certified sources of food. The SAF also provides halal food to our soldiers in camps or when they are training outdoors.
But when SAF soldiers are deployed overseas, there are practical constraints. For overseas exercises on land, the SAF links up with local suppliers to provide halal food where feasible. And depending on the country that they are training in. You have to understand that the landscape is very different from having our cookhouses here in Singapore. On Navy ships, the kitchens need to be self-sufficient to prepare and provide meals for all servicemen on board – not just the Muslim servicemen, but also others who may have other dietary restrictions.
The space for kitchens and storage of food needs to be compact and maximised due to other operational constraints, such as control and combat systems, ammunition and equipment spares, as well as living quarters for our servicemen. For these reasons, a separate halal kitchen on our naval ships is not feasible. We have to separate the kitchen from the food being served – two different things. For our Muslim personnel on board our ships, our ships provide options, such as seafood, chicken and vegetables.
I note that Mr Faisal Manap noted seeing our Malay serviceman in our video. Our servicemen have accepted this. For non-Muslim Navy personnel with specific dietary restrictions, such as vegetarians, they can also select from these options on the ships too.
I think we have to basically consider that there are different considerations for different groups and we have operational considerations as well. Nonetheless, we thank all our servicemen and servicewomen, particularly those on ships and when training overseas, who understand these constraints and accept them.
Ministry of Defence
29 February 2024
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-2353
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 