Singapore

Singapore, Indonesia launch defence alumni initiative

Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing – who is in Jakarta for a working visit – and his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin also reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to explore new areas of bilateral cooperation.

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Emil Chan

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SINGAPORE: Singapore and Indonesia launched a new defence alumni initiative on Tuesday (Jul 14), aimed at bringing together generations of military officers from both countries.

Singapore Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing and his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin launched the Indonesia-Singapore (INDOSIN) Defence Alumni initiative in Jakarta, where they signed the alumni’s initiating directive and unveiled its logo, said Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).

“The alumni brings together generations of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) officers who have participated in each other’s courses and training,” said MINDEF. 

“It will enable these officers to maintain their personal and professional ties beyond active service, strengthening people-to-people ties between Singapore and Indonesia across generations.”

The initiative is known as Persahabatan Alumni Pertahanan, or PERSAHAN, a name that combines the Indonesian words for “friendship” and “defence alumni”.

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The chiefs of the defence forces of Singapore and Indonesia will be the co-presidents of the alumni to guide its plans and activities, MINDEF said. The co-presidents may also invite other SAF and TNI officers who have contributed significantly to bilateral relations between the two armed forces. 

The alumni’s membership will also include current and former defence attachés to Singapore and Indonesia.

The launch ceremony was attended by SAF and TNI officers from previous cohorts of professional military courses, reflecting the close personal and professional ties built between the two armed forces over the past decades, MINDEF said.

Lauding the event as another milestone of the defence relations between the two militaries, Indonesia’s Chief of Defence Force General Agus Subiyanto said he was “honoured to grace the launch of the initiative, which will strengthen the relationship between individuals from the TNI and SAF, as well as both institutions in the future”.

During a meeting, both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to work closely together and explore new areas of bilateral cooperation, MINDEF said.

Both sides also agreed on the importance of continued collaboration through multilateral platforms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), MINDEF added.

“We have always believed that true security is not achieved in isolation. It is best safeguarded through partnerships that promote peace and stability, while working closely with partners like the TNI,” said Mr Chan.

“Partners like Indonesia and the TNI have been and will continue to be critical to the security of this part of the world, and our partnership will continue to promote peace in the broader region.”

Mr Chan is in Indonesia from Tuesday to Wednesday. During the visit, he also attended the SAF Day Reception, an annual diplomatic and military event hosted by Singapore’s Defence Attache’s Office.

Source: CNA/ec(ac)

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