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SINGAPORE: Camera phones may be used in military camps here after the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) decided to relax its ban.
The Straits Times reported that the SAF had introduced tightened security measures and the changes could start as early as next month.
One of these measures included dividing camps into red and green zones, where camera phones can be used only in the "non-sensitive" green zones, such as bunks, canteens and gyms. "Red" areas will be those containing classified military equipment.
Camera phones will also be banned in camp offices, where sensitive information might be potentially accessed by servicemen.
Currently, only phones without cameras can be taken into military camps, and servicemen often end up carrying two mobile phones - one to use in camp and another to use outside.
Although there have been no official details about the new rules, The Straits Times says it understands an announcement will be made in a few weeks.
The decision to lift the restrictions, which were first put in place in 2007 after photographs of training activities were posted online, is a turnaround for the Ministry of Defence which has been keeping a tight rein on the use of new technology within the camps.
Sources told the paper that the new security measures that have been put in place are similar to those used by the military in the United States. They also said these measures have been tested to make sure they are tight enough to deal with cameras that may pose a high risk.
Senior commanders of the army were notified of the plan in an email last month. They have since been identifying restricted areas and making their camps camera phone-friendly.
The decision to lift the ban showed the military was keeping itself relevant to a tech-savvy generation, said defence analyst Bernard Loo.
"What is important now is that servicemen are being educated on how to use their phones without compromising the operational security of the Singapore Armed Forces," he said.
Life will be easier when he is called in for training, said operationally ready national serviceman Ranjan Indiran, 31.
"Going online, checking work e-mails on the phone is second nature to us," said the lawyer. "It will be so much easier to keep in the loop with the civilian world."
