Singapore wants to be a regional force

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 08/10/2007 1:02 PM

JAKARTA: A political analyst said Singapore had an ambition to be a regional police force in Southeast Asia through the defense cooperation agreement it signed with Indonesia in April.

""Systematically, Singapore is preparing strategic steps to make it a sole police (force) in the region,"" the Center for National Policy Studies (CINAPS) said.

""And this has been indicated by its military alliance with the United States and the continuous development of its military facilities in other countries, including Indonesia,"" director of CINAPS Guspiabri Sumonigeno said Wednesday.

He said the current visit to Jakarta by former prime minister Lee Kwan Yeuw was part of Singapore's lobby ""to strengthen the islet country's bargaining power"".

He also said Indonesia had no ambition to be a major political and military force in the region. --JP

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