‘Business as usual’, shops say despite heightened security for Trump-Kim summit

SINGAPORE — Businesses in areas affected by next week’s US-North Korea summit have no plans to scale back their operations, saying it would be “business as usual” despite the heightened security and disruptive road closures kicking in from this weekend.

United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to hold a historic summit at the Capella Hotel in Sentosa on Tuesday (June 12).

Both leaders are due to arrive in Singapore on Sunday, and are widely reported to be staying at two hotels the Tanglin-Orchard area - the Shangri-La and the St Regis.

In preparation for the event, the Singapore Government has gazetted areas near the two hotels in town, as well as the entire Sentosa island, Sentosa Gateway, and its surrounding waters.

The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said on Friday that the Capella will not be open to the public for the duration of the summit.

However, other retailers, eateries and places of interest in Sentosa, which has been gazetted as a Special Event Area, will adhere to their usual business hours.

“It will be business as usual at Sentosa’s various unique leisure offerings, and the island will continue to welcome locals and tourists during the period of the upcoming summit,” SDC said in a statement.

Those planning to visit the island on June 12 and 13 should expect to encounter additional security measures for the summit.

For instance, existing gantry lanes on the Sentosa Gateway could be diverted to facilitate random security checks, while those entering the island via cable cars may also have their bags checked.

SDC said it does not expect significant changes to visitor footfall over the summit period, noting that other entry points to the southern island, including a boardwalk and the Sentosa Express monorail, will continue to operate as per normal.

Businesses in the Orchard-Tanglin area struck a similar tone when approached by TODAY. Despite uncertainties over the actual impact of the security measures, most establishments in the area, including Hard Rock Cafe, Brewerkz and Modesto’s, said they intend to go about their normal operations for the week ahead - at least for now.

“Everybody’s just not sure how extensive the level of security will be, so we just have to wait and see,” said an employee of a restaurant at Forum The Shopping Mall.

A manager at the Rocky Master cafe across the road said their staff have been peppered with questions from regular customers about potential changes to their opening hours.

The cafe might be shut if traffic closures are indeed extensive, but the management has yet to make a final decision, added the manager who declined to give her name.

Thousands of officers have been mobilised to provide security for the summit, and even National Servicemen have been recalled, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam told reporters on Friday.

St Regis and Shangri-La hotels have said that their restaurants and eateries will continue to operate at their usual hours, despite the heightened level of security around their premises.

Tentages used by security teams, for instance, have been set up at the basement carparks of the St Regis.

Ms Jeanette Toh, the general manager for eatery Crab in Da Bag, said she has certainly noticed the heightened security in town.

Earlier this week, the police dropped by to ask about a closed circuit television camera outside the eatery, which is located across the road from the St Regis hotel. They enquired about a “suspicious object” but declined to say more, added Ms Toh.