Sentosa's Capella Hotel is venue for Trump-Kim summit

[能田]

                                        (World Today Wednesday 6 June 2018)

  Sentosa's Capella Hotel is venue for Trump-Kim summit

By Kelly Ng

The Government on Tuesday (June 5) gazetted Sentosa and its surrounding waters

as part of a “special event area”. Bloomberg

Updated 06 June, 2018

SINGAPORE — Following days of speculation and hours after the Singapore Government on Tuesday (June 5) gazetted Sentosa and its surrounding waters as a “special event area” for next week’s historic meeting between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the White House’s press secretary Sarah Sanders announced on Twitter that the southern island’s Capella Hotel would be the venue for the summit.

The gazetting of Sentosa came two days after a section of the Tanglin-Orchard area was gazetted as a “special event area” for the historic event.

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Two gazette notices under the Public Order Act were put up by the police and Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday, with one demarcating a smaller area within Sentosa — encompassing the buildings of Resorts World Sentosa, Amara Sanctuary Resort and Capella Singapore — as a “special zone”.

The other notice declares the entire island and portions of its surrounding waters, as well as the primary gateway linking the southern island to Singapore's mainland, as a “special event area”.

An earlier order made on Sunday declared the summit a “special event”. The order will be in force from June 10 to 14.

UPDATE: The venue for the Singapore summit between @POTUS

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) June 5, 2018

Before Ms Sanders’ tweet, there had been wide consensus among observers that the Shangri-La Hotel in the Orchard Road area could be the likely choice. There was also speculation that one of the leaders will be staying on Sentosa.

According to the Public Order Act, anyone who is in or seeking to enter a “special event area” could be subject to a search, and have his or her properties inspected. Individuals who do not have a “good and lawful reason” to be at the special event area may be refused entry.

The Act also prohibits certain items to be brought into the area. In relation to this summit, such items include any explosives or arms, any noxious or offensive substance, remotely controlled aircraft systems, loud hailers, flags or banners larger than 1 metre by 1 metre, as well as any substance “capable of being used to mark graffiti”, such as aerosol paint containers.

Security experts suggested “special zones”, which lie within special event areas, will serve as a second line of defence with more stringent security measures.

For instance, individuals and vehicles may be subject to mandatory checks before being allowed into the special zones, said Mr Muhammad Faizal Abdul Rahman from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ (RSIS) Centre of Excellence for National Security.

Mr Ong Kok Leong, chief operating officer of security agency Secura Group, said the special zones define critical areas which could involve restricted access except to authorised individuals. Security officers guarding the zones could also be given more search and seizure powers, he said.

Under the Act, anyone within a “special event area” who interferes with an “enhanced security special event”, such as by behaving violently, can be fined up to S$10,000 and/or jailed up to six months.

On Tuesday, the Government also made an order to allow for the use of “armoured vehicles” under the Road Traffic Act in relation to the summit. Four vehicles were specified in the order for transporting non-citizens taking part in the summit and related social activities.

While the Republic has hosted various high-profile meetings, security experts said the Trump-Kim summit will be accorded an unprecedented level of security and defence, given its regional and global implications.

“There has been an unparalleled amount of global attention cast on this summit, so the security requirements are going to be unusual. There is no clear reference point of any event of a similar scale,” said RSIS’ Dr Graham Ong-Webb, who researches on geopolitical developments in the Asia Pacific and strategic security.

Secura Group’s Mr Ong expects security for the summit to be a step up from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings here in September 2006, especially to guard against drone interference.

“The use of drones as a tool for potential terrorists is one key difference between how the troublemakers of today may operate, compared to in 2006. So the military and police will have to work hand-in-hand and activate their capabilities that can neutralise such threats,” said Mr Ong, who was formerly Commanding Officer of the police.

For instance, the Singapore Armed Forces uses a “drone catcher” system that can home in on an errant drone and catch it with a net.

While the summit may not have a direct national impact on Singapore, the Republic’s security arsenal will play a crucial role in ensuring its success. “There cannot be a single hiccup… If it succeeds, we can also take credit in organising it. On the other hand, anything negative will be reported around the world,” said Dr Ong-Webb.

He cited the unauthorised entry of a British national onto the Marina Bay street circuit during the Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2015 as an example of a “hiccup” that could dent Singapore’s reputation.

Hotels and retail stores in the vicinity will likely see enhanced security, said the experts, but they did not expect operations to be disrupted significantly.

“(The security) measures will seek to minimise inconvenience to nearby shops and residences, which would already be accustomed to such high security events happening nearby. In fact, the shops and residences can help as community partners by being additional eyes and ears on the ground to detect possible threats such as terrorists, violent protests and infiltration that may disrupt the summit,” said RSIS’ Mr Faizal.

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