Pinnacle Club aims to foster closer S-E Asian ties

WHILE they may admit to being old soldiers, a group of retired military chiefs are not wont to fade away when it comes to improving diplomacy.

The six former top generals - who include a former president and an ex-prime minister - have launched a club that will welcome others of the same titles who have left the uniformed services. Its aim is to foster closer ties between South-east Asian countries.

Dubbed The Pinnacle Club, it can serve as a "diplomatic tool" to promote understanding among the younger generation of military men or even diplomats, said founding member Winston Choo, who served as Singapore's first Chief of Defence Force.

The other members are former Thai prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh; former Philippine president Fidel Ramos; former Indonesian vice-president Try Sutrisno; Bruneian General (Ret) Pehin Mohammad Hj Daud; and Malaysian General (Ret) Hashim Mohd Ali.

"We are old friends who can discuss or talk openly about any issues, even difficult ones," said Lieutenant-General (Ret) Choo, 72, who served in the Singapore Armed Forces for 33 years.

"If the older men can do it, hopefully the younger ones can also see that friendly relationship, and (such) contact can help to iron out difficult issues and reduce the friction."

He told The Straits Times that the club started five years ago as an informal meeting among his counterparts, many of whom became friends in the 1970s and 1980s.

"We grew up together, and some of us went to military college, so we can read each other very well," he said, adding that they are always "a phone call or text message away".

In a joint statement, Gen (Ret) Hashim and General (Ret) Try said the club can create "alternative channels of communication (that) will be available to assist in addressing issues that affect the good relations within ASEAN".

Four founding members met on Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel to formalise the grouping and draw up the Constitution of the fledgling club. Some attended the Singapore Airshow yesterday.

Former Republic of Singapore Air Force chief, Major-General (Ret) Goh Yong Siang, heads the secretariat.

Lt-Gen (Ret) Choo said he hopes to bring in new blood soon, with the possibility of expanding the group to include retired military chiefs from Australia, New Zealand, India and China.

jermync@sph.com.sg

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.