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Security and Intelligence Division

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Security and Intelligence Division
Agency overview
Formed17 February 1966; 58 years ago (1966-02-17)
JurisdictionGovernment of Singapore
EmployeesClassified
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Parent agencyMinistry of Defence[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

The Security and Intelligence Division (SID) is the foreign intelligence service of Singapore under the purview of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), tasked to gather, process, and analyse information from around the world that concerns the national security and national interests of Singapore.[2]

Although the SID falls under the purview of MINDEF, it is autonomous within the ministry.[3] The SID is also highly secretive; most of its personnel are only known to the country's top government officials.[4]

The SID is led by a director, who holds the rank equivalent to a permanent secretary, and reports directly to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).[5] Prior to the 1970s, the director reported directly to the Minister for Defence.

Background

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The SID shared a similar background to its domestic counterpart, the Internal Security Department (ISD).

In the aftermath of 1915 Singapore Mutiny, to collect the political intelligence, espionage, and the surveillance of potential subversives,[6] a political intelligence bureau was established in Singapore under direct command and control of Major-General Dudley Howard Ridout, General-Officer-Commanding of Singapore,[7] which eventually became the Special Branch in 1919.[6]

Prior to 1965, Singapore's primary intelligence agency was the Malaysian Special Branch. After Singapore gained independence in 1965, the Ministry of Interior and Defence (MID) was directed to reorganise and consolidate all intelligence capabilities in January 1966. The SID was subsequently established in February 1966, with Tay Seow Huah as its first director.[8]

In 1974, S. R. Nathan, who was then the SID Director, led a negotiation team to help resolve the Laju hostage crisis.[9]

As the SID is a highly secretive organisation, information about its activities is only released occasionally to the media. In 2001, Yap Chuin Wei, a reporter from The Straits Times, interviewed a former SID officer on the agency's work. The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the SID works in three main ways: collection of information, analysis of information, and informal diplomacy.[10] The SID was also mentioned in Lee Kuan Yew's book From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965–2000, in which it is said to have played a role in providing weapons to anti-communist forces in Cambodian Civil War in the 1970s.[11] The SID also played a role in rebuilding Singapore's relations with Indonesia after the Konfrontasi ended in 1966.[10] Tim Huxley wrote a short history of the SID in his book Defending the Lion City: The Armed Forces of Singapore, which was published in 2000.[12]

The former SID officer interviewed by Yap said that SID officers rarely receive public awards due to security and political concerns. They are awarded a set of medals equivalent to the National Day medals instead but their names will not be publicised.[10]

In 2004, the National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) was set up under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to deal with security threats and terrorism. This meant that the SID and the ISD, which previously worked independent of each other, had to share information for the first time.[13]

In August 2013, it was alleged that the SID cooperated with the Australian Signals Directorate to tap the undersea fibre optic telecommunications cables that link Asia, Europe and the Middle East.[14]

On 19 July 2021, the SID launched its official website to attract and recruit more talents into its ranks.[15]

Directors

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The following is a list of former Director of the Security Intelligence Division. The identity of the director is not conspicuously made known to the public, until they relinquish the post.

Name In office Notes References
Tay Seow Huah 1966–? [8]
Tan Boon Seng ?–1971 [16]
S. R. Nathan 1971–1979 [9][16]
Eddie Teo 1979–1994 [17][18]
Choi Shing Kwok 1995–2005 [10][19][20][21][22]
Chee Wee Kiong 2005–2010 [23][24][25]
Ng Chee Khern 2010–2014 [26]
Joseph Leong 2014–2019 [27]
Lau Peet Meng 2019–2024

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Security and Intelligence Division Launches Official Website". Archived from the original on 20 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Reflections on Thirty-Five Years of Public Service: From Espionage to Babies" (PDF). Ethos. January 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Present at the Creation" (PDF). Defence Science Organisation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Our History". sid.gov.sg. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Video: Building Security Partnerships in Asia (Chee Wee Kiong)". Blip. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  6. ^ a b Ban, Kah Choon (2001). The Untold Story of Special Branch Operations in Singapore 1915-1942. Raffles.
  7. ^ Comber, Leon (13 August 2009). "The Singapore Mutiny (1915) and the Genesis of Political Intelligence in Singapore". Intelligence and National Security. 24 (4): 529–541. doi:10.1080/02684520903069462. S2CID 154217090.
  8. ^ a b "Tay Seow Huah Book Prize". S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Archived from the original on 27 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  9. ^ a b "S. R. Nathan". National Library Board Singapore. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d Yap, Chuin Wei (19 May 2001). "Examining the world's second-oldest profession". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  11. ^ Lee, Kuan Yew (2000). From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000. HarperCollins. pp. 378–379. ISBN 0060197765.
  12. ^ Huxley, Tim (2000). Defending the Lion City: The Armed Forces of Singapore. Australia: Allen & Unwin. pp. 89–90. ISBN 1-86508-118-3.
  13. ^ Tor, Ching Li (21 July 2004). "United front against terror". Today. p. 6. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  14. ^ Dorling, Phillip (29 August 2013). "Spy agency taps undersea cables". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  15. ^ Tor, Ching Li (19 July 2021). "Singapore intelligence officers open up as SID seeks to recruit more diverse talent". CNA. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Civil service reshuffle". The Straits Times. 6 August 1971. p. 10. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  17. ^ "Mr Eddie Teo has extensive experience in public admin". AsiaOne News. 26 July 2008. Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  18. ^ Backman, Michael (31 May 2006). "Downsides devalue Singapore Inc". theage.com.au. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  19. ^ "Press Release: Changes in Permanent Secretary Appointments" (PDF). Public Service Division, Prime Minister's Office. 1 June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  20. ^ "Defence chief heads list of 653 officers to be promoted". The Straits Times. 28 June 1996.
  21. ^ "MAS to get new managing director". The Straits Times. 22 February 2005.
  22. ^ "Achievers in many fields". The Straits Times. 9 August 2000.
  23. ^ "New appointments for other permanent secretaries". The Straits Times. 13 August 2010.
  24. ^ "Press Release: Appointment of Head of Civil Service And Permanent Secretaries" (PDF). Public Service Division, Prime Minister's Office. 12 August 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  25. ^ Goh, Chin Lian (2 May 2013). "MFA Permanent Secretary Bilahari Kausikan retires". SingaPolitics. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  26. ^ Chua, Tony (14 June 2012). "Capitamall Trust appoints Ng Chee Khern as Director". Singapore Business Review. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  27. ^ "Joseph Leong to be appointed Permanent Secretary". Channel NewsAsia. Singapore. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
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