KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) confirmed a police helicopter conducted a flight in airspace near Singapore on official assignment yesterday (September 11), Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Hazani Ghazali.
“Throughout the official assignment that has taken place until now, PDRM did not receive any notification from Singapore’s aviation authorities about any incident of a helicopter flight entering their airspace,” he said in a statement today.
The PDRM statement was issued following news on social media claiming that a PDRM helicopter had encroached into Singapore airspace.
A local news portal had earlier reported yesterday that an Agusta Westland AW139 helicopter, with the call sign 9M-PMD, that was on its way to Pengerang, flew across Pulau Tekong, the location where Singapore conducts military and national service training sessions.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) scrambled F-16 fighter aircraft at approximately 0920hrs (9.20 am) today in response to a potential air threat.
“After ensuring that our security was not compromised, we stood down our aircraft,” a MINDEF spokesperson said in reply to media queries.
On average, the ministry said the RSAF fighter aircraft are deployed to investigate and deal with 350 potential air threats each year.
— Bernama
