SINGAPORE: A ministerial committee convened to respond to the ongoing Middle East conflict will focus not just on energy disruptions and rising fuel prices, but also the wider supply shocks, security and diplomacy issues arising from the conflict, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam has said.
Outlining the broad scope of the committee’s work on Saturday (Apr 4), Mr Shanmugam gave the example of how there could be “inevitable price rises” for food and other products affected by supply disruptions.
Mr Shanmugam was giving the media his first update as chair of the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee, which was announced on Thursday.
The committee was convened by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to coordinate Singapore’s response to energy disruptions. The conflict in the Middle East constrains shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which Mr Shanmugam said has affected a significant part of the world’s supply of oil and gas.
“It’s not clear when that situation will change, and even when the war stops very soon, doesn’t mean supply disruptions will go away,” Mr Shanmugam said to the media at a community event in Chong Pang.
Mr Shanmugam said the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee has been stood up for “a few weeks”, and has been working with an executive group comprising permanent secretaries and heads of various government agencies.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong acts as adviser to the committee.
The committee also comprises the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment for food issues, the Ministry of Trade and Industry for energy issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The committee’s structure was set up many years ago, and it is activated in times of crisis, said Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Home Affairs. It reports to the Cabinet.