THE war on terror got an airing in Parliament on Friday as MPs refered to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainee Mas Selamat Kastari's escape as a stark reminder that the threat is far from gone and very close to home.

MP for Sembawang GRC for example said the Mas Selamat case brings home the message that Singapore will continue to face challenges to the country's security.

The global terror threat is a key reason why Singapore continues to contribute to international security.

The Ministry of Defence's (MINDEF) latest planned deployment will be to the Oruzgan province in Afghanistan.

MINDEF will send its largest SAF contingent to the country in the 2nd half of the year.

This will consist of a 20-person medical team which will go through two rotations for about three months each to the Field Hospital in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Oruzgan.

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The teams will provide primary healthcare and ward capabilities in support of the medical facility run by the Dutch and Australian forces in the Ductch-led provincial reconstruction team in Oruzgan.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean on why the SAF needs to have a continued presence in Afghanistan : 'Afghanistan is at the frontline in the global fight against terrorism. Extremists have made use of an unstable Afghanistan as a safe haven to train terrorists and to export violence and terror to other countries including Singapore. A number of JI detainees who have planned attacks in Singapore had trained in Afghanistan and more recently, a self-radicalised Singaporean was detained on his way to join the Taliban in Afghanistan'.

To prepare our soldiers, they will undergo a comprehensive 3-week training in Singapore prior to their deployment in Oruzgan.

This'll be followed by more training in Australia so the Singapore team can work seamlessly with their Australian counterparts and be briefed on the ground situation as well as how to handle threats in volatile Afghanistan.