Deployment of Singapore Armed Forces for land operations in aid of civilian authorities
201C.—(1) Where the Minister, after consulting the Committee, is of the opinion that a relevant event has occurred, could occur or would be likely to occur, the Minister may order the Singapore Armed Forces to be deployed for the relevant event for such period as may be specified in the order.
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(2) For the purposes of this Part, the Prime Minister must appoint a Committee consisting of such persons as the Prime Minister may appoint.
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(3) Any order made under subsection (1) must be published in the Gazette as soon as practicable after it is made unless, for reasons of urgency or national security, it would be impracticable or undesirable to do so.
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(4) Any order made under subsection (1) must specify —
(a)
the circumstances to which the order relates;
(b)
the location or infrastructure to which, or the person to whom, the order relates;
(c)
the interest to be protected or threat to be averted, as the case may be;
(d)
the powers under subsection (9) which apply in relation to the order; and
(e)
the period for which the order is in force.
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(5) An order made under subsection (1) is not invalid by reason that it does not specify one or more of the particulars in subsection (4), if the Minister is satisfied that it is impracticable or undesirable that the particulars be so specified.
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(6) The Minister, after consulting the Committee, may at any time revoke or vary any order made under subsection (1).
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(7) The Minister may make any order under subsection (1) without consulting the Committee if he or she is satisfied that ––
(a)
because of a sudden and extraordinary emergency, it is not practicable to do so; and
(b)
any of the circumstances specified in that subsection exists.
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(8) An order made under subsection (1) by virtue of subsection (7) stops being valid after the end of 72 hours from the time it was made, unless confirmed by the Committee.
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(9) Subject to sections 201E and 201F, any serviceman deployed for duty in accordance with any order made under subsection (1) which is in force may, for the purposes of the relevant event for which the serviceman is deployed, do one or more of the following:
(a)
exercise any of the powers conferred on a police officer by sections 63 to 68 and 75 to 85 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 in like manner as if references in those provisions to ––
(i)
a police officer were references to a serviceman;
(ii)
the rank of sergeant were references to the rank of third sergeant or ME1 (depending on whether the holder of that rank is a military expert); and
(iii)
the rank of inspector were references to the rank of second lieutenant or ME4 (depending on whether the holder of that rank is an officer or a senior military expert);
(b)
regulate, restrict, control or prohibit the use of any public road or public place, where and to the extent that similar powers are not exercisable under paragraph (f) by a serviceman;
(c)
erect or place barriers in or across any public road or street or in any public place and take all reasonable steps to prevent any vehicle being driven or ridden past any such barrier, where and to the extent that similar powers are not exercisable under paragraph (f) by a serviceman;
(d)
arrest, without warrant, any driver or rider of any vehicle who fails to comply with the signal of a police officer or serviceman requiring such person to stop the vehicle before reaching the barrier erected or placed under paragraph (c), where and to the extent that similar powers are not exercisable under paragraph (f) by a serviceman;
(e)
where and to the extent that similar powers are not exercisable under paragraph (f) by a serviceman, stop and search any person or vehicle, or enter and search any premises, if the serviceman has reasonable grounds for believing that any evidence of the commission or of the preparation for the commission of an offence under the Arms and Explosives Act (Cap. 13), the Arms Offences Act 1973 or the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 is likely to be found on the person or premises or in the vehicle, and may ––
(i)
disarm that person;
(ii)
seize the evidence so found, any weapon, explosive or other dangerous device or substance and any article or material or accumulation thereof capable of being used for causing hurt if the serviceman has reasonable grounds for believing that it is intended or likely to be used for the purpose of causing hurt; and
(iii)
seize any vehicle in which that evidence, weapon, explosive, dangerous device or substance, article or material is found;
(f)
exercise any of the powers conferred on a police officer under any provision in Part 4 (except sections 17 and 24), or section 31 or 48, of the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Act 2018 as if references in that provision to a police officer were references to a serviceman, but only —
(i)
when an activation order is made and in effect under that Act in respect of a relevant event;
(ii)
to the extent requested by the Commissioner of Police;
(iii)
after a police officer gives an order or a direction under section 19(1) or 21(1) of that Act, if the power under that provision is so requested; and
(iv)
within a target area within the meaning given by that Act unless it is a power in section 28 or 31 of that Act.
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(10) In this section, “relevant event” means —
(a)
a terrorist attack in Singapore;
(b)
injury or threat to the life of any person that the Minister proposes to specify in the order under subsection (1);
(c)
damage or disruption to the operation of any infrastructure that the Minister proposes to specify in the order under subsection (1);
(d)
the taking of any hostage;
(e)
the unlawful carriage by land in or through Singapore of any weapon, explosive or other dangerous device or substance; or
(f)
any other event that the Prime Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, specify.
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(11) A reference in subsection (9) to similar powers exercisable under paragraph (f) is a reference to the following powers described in the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Act 2018:
(a)
the powers conferred on a police officer under sections 16, 18, 19 and 20 of that Act, where subsection (9)(b), (c) or (d) (as the case may be) is concerned;
(b)
the powers conferred on a police officer under sections 16, 22, 23, 25 and 26 of that Act, where subsection (9)(e) is concerned.