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Interpretation of this Part
201A. In this Part ––“Committee” means the Committee appointed under section 201C(2); “infrastructure” includes physical facilities, supply chains, information technologies and communication networks or systems.[25/2007]
Deployment of Singapore Armed Forces for air and sea operations in aid of civilian authorities
201B.—(1) The Minister may authorise the Singapore Armed Forces to be deployed in any manner that is reasonable and necessary for all or any of the following air or sea operations:(a) to combat piracy or piratical acts; (b) to detect and prevent any aerial or maritime threat to the defence or security of Singapore; (c) to detect and prevent the unlawful carriage by air or sea of any weapon, explosive or other dangerous device or substance; (d) to rescue any hijacked aircraft, vessel or other fixed or floating facility; (e) to carry out such other air or sea operation as the Minister, after consulting the Committee, may, by notification in the Gazette, prescribe.[25/2007] (2) The Minister must have regard to Singapore’s international obligations when giving any authorisation under subsection (1).[25/2007] (3) Subject to sections 201E and 201F, any serviceman deployed for duty under subsection (1) may, for the purposes of the operation for which the serviceman is deployed, do one or more of the following in relation to any aircraft:(a) intercept the aircraft and require it ––(i) to leave, or not to enter, Singapore airspace or such part of Singapore airspace as may be specified by the serviceman; or (ii) to land at an aerodrome or such other place in Singapore as may be specified by the serviceman; (b) capture or recapture the aircraft; (c) board the aircraft; (d) where the serviceman is on board the aircraft —(i) prevent, or put an end to, acts of violence; (ii) protect persons from acts of violence; (iii) free any hostage from the aircraft; (iv) evacuate persons to a place of safety; (v) detain any person whom the serviceman believes on reasonable grounds to have committed an offence or to have a design to commit an offence, to be handed over to a police officer as soon as practicable; (vi) search the aircraft, and any person or anything on it, including its cargo; (vii) seize any dangerous thing or other thing related to the operation concerned or evidence of any offence found in such a search; (e) detain the aircraft and bring it, or cause it to be brought, to any other place in Singapore; (f) take measures (including the use of force) reasonable and necessary in the circumstances to exercise any of the powers in paragraphs (a) to (e).[25/2007] (4) Subject to sections 201E and 201F, any serviceman deployed for duty under subsection (1) may, for the purposes of the operation for which the serviceman is deployed, do one or more of the following in relation to any vessel or fixed or floating facility:(a) intercept the vessel and require it to leave, or not to enter, Singapore territorial waters or such part of Singapore territorial waters as may be specified by the serviceman; (b) pursue, stop and board the vessel; (c) where necessary and after firing a warning signal, fire at or into the vessel to disable it or compel it to be brought to for boarding; (d) capture or recapture the vessel or facility; (e) where the serviceman is on the vessel or facility —(i) prevent, or put an end to, acts of violence; (ii) protect persons from acts of violence; (iii) free any hostage from the vessel or facility; (iv) evacuate persons to a place of safety; (v) require any person to give information concerning himself or herself, the vessel or facility or anything thereon; (vi) detain any person whom the serviceman believes on reasonable grounds to have committed an offence or to have a design to commit an offence, to be handed over to a police officer as soon as practicable; (vii) search the vessel or facility, and any person or anything on it, including its cargo; (viii) seize any dangerous thing or other thing related to the operation concerned or evidence of any offence found in such a search; (f) detain the vessel and bring it, or direct the person in charge of the vessel to bring it —(i) to a port or to any other place in Singapore; or (ii) out of Singapore; (g) take measures (including the use of force) reasonable and necessary in the circumstances to exercise any of the powers in paragraphs (a) to (f).[25/2007] (5) The powers under subsections (3) and (4) extend to aircraft and vessels outside Singapore in accordance with Singapore’s international obligations.[25/2007]
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.[25/2007] (2) For the purposes of this Part, the Prime Minister must appoint a Committee consisting of such persons as the Prime Minister may appoint.[25/2007] (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.[25/2007] (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.[25/2007] (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.[25/2007] (6) The Minister, after consulting the Committee, may at any time revoke or vary any order made under subsection (1).[25/2007] (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.[25/2007] (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.[25/2007] (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 Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021, 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;[Act 3 of 2021 wef 01/07/2025] (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.[25/2007; 28/2009; 15/2010; 19/2018; 26/2018] (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.[25/2007] (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.[26/2018]
Powers of Singapore Armed Forces in vicinity of protected area or place
201D. The Minister may authorise any serviceman to exercise one or more of the powers under section 201C(9) in the immediate vicinity of any Singapore Armed Forces property which has been declared a protected area or a protected place under the Infrastructure Protection Act 2017, for the protection of persons and property therein.[25/2007; 41/2017]
Serviceman to act on Minister’s authorisation or superior order
201E.—(1) A serviceman may exercise any power under section 201B(3) or (4) or 201C(9), or give an order to exercise that power, only —(a) in accordance with any authorisation or order by the Minister to do so; or (b) under, or under the authority of, an order of a superior (called in this section a superior order) to do so.[25/2007] (2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a), any authorisation by the Minister includes written authorisation given in advance specifying the powers which are exercisable under the circumstances specified in the authorisation.[25/2007] (3) The Minister must not authorise or order the taking of measures involving the use of lethal force against any person, vehicle, aircraft, vessel or facility unless the Minister is satisfied that those measures are reasonable and necessary in the circumstances, and in so doing, the Minister must have regard to Singapore’s international obligations.[25/2007] (4) Subsection (1)(b) applies only if —(a) the serviceman is under a legal obligation to obey the superior order; (b) the superior order is not manifestly unlawful; (c) the serviceman has no reason to believe that circumstances have changed in a material way since the superior order was given; (d) the serviceman has no reason to believe that the superior order was based on a mistake as to a material fact; and (e) the serviceman exercises the power or gives the order to exercise the power in a manner reasonable and necessary to give effect to the superior order.[25/2007] (5) In this section, “superior” means the Chief of Defence Force, an officer, a warrant officer, a military expert of or above the rank of ME3 or such other serviceman as the Minister may specify in an authorisation or order.[25/2007; 28/2009]
Restriction on use of force likely to cause death or grievous hurt
201F.—(1) A serviceman in exercising any power under section 201B(3) or (4) or 201C(9) must not, in using force against any person ––(a) do anything likely to cause the death of, or grievous hurt to, the person unless the serviceman believes on reasonable grounds that doing that thing is necessary to —(i) protect the life of, or to prevent serious injury to, another person (including the serviceman); or (ii) protect infrastructure specified in an order made under section 201C(1) against damage or disruption to its operation; (b) do anything likely to cause the death of, or grievous hurt to, the person in exercising any power under section 201C(9)(f) unless the serviceman would have been authorised by the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Act 2018 to do so if the serviceman were a police officer acting in accordance with that Act; or (c) subject the person to greater indignity than is reasonable and necessary in the circumstances.[25/2007; 26/2018] (2) If a person attempts to escape being detained, a serviceman must not do anything that is likely to cause the death of, or grievous hurt to, the person unless the person has, if practicable, been called on to surrender and the serviceman believes on reasonable grounds that the person cannot be apprehended in any other manner.[25/2007]
Procedure on arrest of persons, seizure of property or detention of aircraft and vessels
201G.—(1) Any person arrested or detained by a serviceman in exercise of the serviceman’s powers under section 201B(3) or (4) or 201C(9) must be handed over to a police officer as soon as practicable, and section 66(3), (4) and (5) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 applies to that person as if he or she were handed over to the police officer under section 66(1) and (2) of that Code.[25/2007; 15/2010; 19/2018] (2) Where a serviceman has seized any thing or vehicle in exercise of the serviceman’s powers under section 201B(3) or (4) or 201C(9), the serviceman must —(a) take any action that is reasonable and necessary to secure the thing or vehicle or prevent it from being used; (b) if the serviceman believes on reasonable grounds that the thing or vehicle has been used or otherwise involved in the commission of an offence, hand it to a police officer as soon as practicable; and (c) if paragraph (b) does not apply, return the thing or vehicle to the person from whom it was seized, or hand it to a police officer as soon as practicable.[25/2007] (3) Any thing or vehicle seized by a serviceman must be dealt with in the same manner as if it were seized by a police officer under the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.[25/2007] (4) Where a serviceman has detained any aircraft or vessel in exercise of the serviceman’s powers under section 201B(3) or (4), the serviceman must —(a) take any action that is reasonable and necessary to secure the aircraft or vessel, or prevent it from being used; (b) report the detention of the aircraft or vessel to the Chief of Defence Force as soon as practicable; and (c) deal with the aircraft or vessel in any manner that the Chief of Defence Force, after consulting the Commissioner of Police, may determine.[25/2007]
Obstruction of exercise of powers
201H. A person who obstructs or resists, or fails to comply with any order of, a serviceman acting in the exercise of the serviceman’s powers under this Part shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.[25/2007; 26/2018]
Powers exercisable under other written law
201I. Nothing in this Part affects or derogates from any other power exercisable by a serviceman under any other written law.[25/2007]
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Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. Read the official text ↗
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