NOL should never be sold for any amount of money. Its a national security and national defense issue. Imagine there is a threat of war or even actual conflict. which shipping line will continue services to singapore? Their insurance companies will not insure the ships who go into a designated war zone. How do we then get our supplies and weapons? You trust the Malaysians to let in what we need? Only a national shipping company like NOL with singapore flagged ships, can be ordered to send their ships to singapore for purposes of resupply and what not. Unless you have a large navy with container capability, we absolutely need NOL. On the other hand, if the PAP is saying there is no need for NOL, because the prospect of war or conflict is non existent, then what is the purpose of a $13 billion defense budget?
A very simple and logical strategy, but it appears that the "scholar" Ministers and scholars may not have seen this important correlation and scenario.