Detained Terrex vehicles will be returned to Singapore: MFA

Hong Kong authorities will return the Terrex infantry carrier vehicles to Singapore, the Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday (24 January).

“On 24 January 2017, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Leung Chun-ying replied to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s earlier letter to inform him that the Hong Kong authorities have completed their investigations, and will be releasing the SAF Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles and other equipment to the Singapore Government through the carrier. This is a positive outcome,” MFA said.

Lee has replied to Leung to thank him for Hong Kong’s cooperation in resolving the matter, the MFA statement added.

The announcement on the impending return of the vehicles comes two months after they were seized at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal in Hong Kong on 23 November.

Despite multiple meetings between container shipping firm APL, which was shipping the vehicles from Taiwan to Singapore, and Hong Kong’s Customs and Excise Department, the issue was unresolved.

The seizure of the vehicles was also debated in Parliament earlier this month, when Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told MPs that Lee had written to Leung on the issue.

In a post on his Facebook page, Ng said, “SAF Terrexes are coming home to Singapore. Looking forward to this happy reunion with all Singaporeans in the Year of the Rooster.”