The second of two navy hips Singapore has committed to the United Nations' East Timor effort set sail yesterday evening, just as the first arrived in Darwin, Australia.
Officiating at the send-off of the RSS Intrepid at the Tuas Naval Base was Minister of State for Defence David Lim.
Updating reporters on the RSS excellence, which departed Singapore on September 18, he said it would reach Darwin today.
He said: "I understand it has already received its first task and should be sending supplies and materials to East Timor towards the end of this week.
On the situation in East Timor, he said: "Things are still uncertain in Dili itself, but operations are continuing and plans are going ahead.
"I cannot say there is no danger. We're going into a situation where you're dealing with armed militia on both sides, so you have to be vigilant and prepared and take necessary precautions."
He said it was not anticipated that the Singapore personnel could encounter any major conflict because their mission was largely a logistics operation, rather than a frontline one.
He added: "Our medical team is prepared to leave once we have sorted out what their task will be. Then they will be on their way and that will be probably sometime early next week/"
The medical officers are part of a 250-strong detachment from the Singapore Armed Forces, led by Colonel Neo Kian Hong.
The team also includes military observers and logistics support.
Meanwhile, the RSS Intrepid is expected to reach Darwin, the staging area for the United Nations-approved multinational force, on Oct 6.
Ten of the 86 personnel on board are Fulltime National Servicemen who volunteered to be part of the crew.
The RSS Intrepid is the second Singapore Landing Ship Tank to join the International Force for East Timor (Interfet), to help restore peace and security there as quickly as possible.
Major David Lau, 38, who took over command of the RSS Intrepid last month, said: "We really have no inkling of what is required of us other than logistics support, but the men are psyched up and ready to go."
However, it took some doing to convince his wife Shirley, revealed the father of two daughters, aged two and four.
"It's the first time she's seeing me go overseas. But I assured her everything was in goods hands and to not worry.
"And my elder daughter said she would miss me. So I told her that if she did, she should hug mummy."
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S'pore ship in Darwin
SAF medical Team in Timor
(taken from The Straits Times, 28/9/99)