I think the important lesson for Singapore is not whether the Government should use private firms for offensive work, but whether they can keep commercial incentives from shaping operational decisions that carry diplomatic or escalation risks. Public-sector procurement should therefore separate technical capability from authority to act, with government retaining control of target selection, rules of engagement, evidence handling and kill switches, while regional partners establish channels to validate suspicious activity before treating it as state-directed action.
I think the important lesson for Singapore is not whether the Government should use private firms for offensive work, but whether they can keep commercial incentives from shaping operational decisions that carry diplomatic or escalation risks. Public-sector procurement should therefore separate technical capability from authority to act, with government retaining control of target selection, rules of engagement, evidence handling and kill switches, while regional partners establish channels to validate suspicious activity before treating it as state-directed action.