Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said Singaporeans assembling in missions abroad to vote could present a possible target for terrorists who have vowed to attack not only US interests but also those of their allies.

Singapore has thrown its support behind the strikes on terrorist targets in Afghanistan in retaliation for the September 11 suicide attacks on New York and Washington.

The city-state also has one of only two ports in Southeast Asia that can berth US aircraft carriers.

An amendment to the election law passed in April allowed Singaporeans to vote at diplomatic missions in Washington, London, Beijing, Hong Kong and Canberra.

"We could not ignore these threat scenarios and the danger these would pose to our people overseas should we go ahead with overseas voting," Wong told parliament.

"Getting Singaporeans to congregate at known locations overseas on a published date for the purpose of voting will certainly expose our overseas citizens to unnecessary security risks.

"We cannot take the security and safety of our fellow citizens for granted, no matter which part of the world they may be in," Wong said.

He denied charges by opposition politicians that the move to suspend overseas voting was due to the government's desire to call a snap election.

"The sole reason for (the) government's decision is security," Wong said.

Singapore is not due to go to polls until next August, but there has been widespread speculation that general elections could be around the corner after the government announced last month it was opening its register of electors.

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