With just a couple more days till the biggest show on earth lands right here on our shores, you can bet that local authorities are putting the pedal to the metal when it comes to security measures.
Singapore is, of course, used to such things — the country has hosted a number of meetings, dialogues and high-profile political figures before in the past. But the huge responsibility of providing neutral ground for the first-ever meeting between a sitting United States president and a North Korean leader means the June 12 summit will likely prove the biggest thing we’ve ever (and probably will ever) see.
Yesterday, the three likely venues involved in the talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have seen safety and surveillance measures stepped up.
Shangri-La Hotel
TODAY reported that the Shangri-La Hotel has had a large portion of its car park cordoned off until June 15. The five-star hotel off Orange Grove Road has long been a choice of accommodation for past US presidents, and it’s more than likely that Trump will be following suit as well.
Heightened security at the venue is no issue — the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security forum attended by the defense ministers and delegates around the world usually sees roadblocks and stringent security checks in the vicinity.
The St. Regis
Where Kim will stay, however, is trickier speculation. Despite earlier reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants to stay at The Fullerton Hotel (but not fork out the cash), it seems that he might very well end up at The St. Regis instead, the five-star Orchard Road hotel with bespoke butler services.
That’s because The St. Regis is actually included in the gazetted area (the Singaporean term for an area cordoned off for official use) for the upcoming summit, while the area around the Fullerton Hotel — a grand, five-star heritage building by the Singapore River — hasn’t been designated a “special event area.”
It’s even more likely now that Kim will end up at the St. Regis, a nine-minute walk from where his US counterpart might be staying. Various media reports have noted that plainclothes Singapore Civil Defence Force officers were seen holding lengthy discussions in the hotel lobby, while portable CCTV camera systems were seen being placed around the hotel.
What’s important to note, too, is that The St. Regis was the hotel where the Chinese delegation bunked in back in 2015, during yet another historic summit, that one between Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou.
Capella Hotel
The luxurious hotel on the resort island of Sentosa will play host to the actual meeting between the leaders and is considered a much easier spot to ramp up security. Sentosa itself is an island off the southern coast and is only connected to the mainland by way of a bridge.
As for the hotel, each of its 112 rooms and restaurants have been blocked out for the week around June 12. Non-guests aren’t even allowed to enter the hotel’s only entrance on Artillery Avenue.
Gurkhas
While both leaders will have their own personal security teams, Singapore will be deploying its own special guard force: The Gurkha Contingent. Consisting of Gurkhas from Nepal, the troopers hold a reputation for total discipline, loyalty, and just generally being total badasses. Known as some of the fiercest fighters on earth, Gurkhas have been recruited as an effective frontline force here since 1949 and will be tasked to secure the summit venue.
Road blocks and prohibited items
From June 10 to 14, the venues involved in the summit and the areas surrounding them have been designated as Enhanced Security Special Event Areas. The police will be conducted checks on people and vehicles entering the zones, and it’ll be considered an offence to bring certain items into the areas.
On WhatsApp, a message listing all the affected roads has been spreading around, and judging by the maps provided by the police, the list is accurate. Find it here.
