The Laju Incident Shows Mr S R Nathan’s Bravery and his Sense of Duty to S’pore

On 22 August 2016, our former president Mr S R Nathan passed away at the age of 92.

Before he was the longest-serving President of Singapore, he had an illustrious career in the civil service.

And it was when he was the Director of the Security and Intelligence Division that the Laju incident happened.

The Laju Incident

Originally meant to be an attack on an Esso refinery in Norway, the attackers changed their plans when Norwegian authorities raised the alarm to prepare for a terror attack.

On 31 Jan 1974, four men armed with submachine guns attacked the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom.

They were from the Japanese Red Army (JRA) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP).

Minimal Damage Done

The four-man team ran into problems during the attack.

Their boat ran into the coral reef surrounding the island and they managed to convince a boatman into towing them towards the shore.

They carried submachine guns and explosives but failed to blow up the gas tanks.

In a bid to escape, they hijacked the Laju ferry and held the crew members hostage.

S R Nathan Assigned to the Crisis

Then Director of the Security and Intelligence Division, Mr Nathan was assigned to take charge of the crisis.

After negotiating with the hijackers for days, they agreed to release the hostages in exchange for a group of guarantors that will provide them with a safe passage out of Singapore.

The team that willingly took the place of the hostages was a group of 13 volunteer members: four commandoes and eight other government officials, including then officer-in-charge of the Marine Police, Mr Tee Tua Ba.

He told TNP in an interview his first working experience with Mr Nathan.

“Mr Nathan was calm, cool and clear-headed throughout the crisis.

“He understood the dynamics of the crisis as it unfolded, as well as the demands and pressures confronting me as commander on the ground.

“He was always prepared to listen to views, to assessments and to recommendations before finalising any plan of action.” – TNP

Leaving for Kuwait

The team of guarantors and the hijackers boarded a Japanese Airlines aircraft and left for Kuwait.

The team knew that the danger isn’t over as they had to hand the four hijackers over to the Japanese Embassy, which was captured by terrorists and had several officials held hostage.

Negotiated for Safe Passage

Mr Nathan was able to negotiate safe passage for the Singapore team out of the country and back home to Singapore.

“Again, upon landing in Kuwait, Mr Nathan used his wit and negotiation skills to convince the Kuwaiti authorities to let the Singapore team disembark safely and board another plane for their homeward journey.”  – TNP

Mr S R Nathan was awarded the  Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal) in 1974 for his role in the crisis.

The public can pay their last respects at Parliament House from 10am to 8pm on Thursday, Aug 25. A State Funeral Service will take place 4pm on Friday, Aug 26, at the University Cultural Centre (NUS) and will be open to Singaporeans from all walks of life.

Condolence boards will be available at Istana for those who want to pen tributes to the late Mr Nathan from Aug 23 at 6am. Condolence books will also be opened at all Overseas Missions for overseas Singaporeans and friends.

Featured Image: tnp.sg

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com