Comments by Second Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Mr K Shanmugam at the Heartware Network CSSP Challenge Camp
At the Heartware Network CSSP Challenge Camp, held at the Mayflower Secondary School, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Mr K Shanmugam gave the following comments in response to media queries:
"We talk about moulding S’pore as a nation, as a society, as an inclusive society with active citizenry. There are many areas you can start, and one of the key areas is with the young. "
"The NGO that is involved in this project, together with the Home Affairs and together with the school, has , found the right mix. It has focused on boys and girls, aged 14. What’s also very interesting is that this camp has been running for 6 years, and has started to involve madrasahs which have sent their students. Whether you’re studying in a state school or a madrasah, we are all Singaporeans. "
"They share ideas, they talk about what makes for a vibrant S’pore society; for a peaceful Singapore society. In one of the projects, these are 14-year-olds - they talk about potential bomb threats and they talk about potential terrorist threats and they draw a circle of human beings and say that as long as that circle of Singaporeans, , are united, none of these bombs and terrorism threats would work."
"It’s very profound ,at this age. You see a very large numbers of students from different races coming together. A substantial number of Malays, Indians and of course Chinese. The facilitators are in JC1. This is how you encourage active citizenry. It is interesting, it is challenging for them. It is proactive and positive. it’s very refreshing."
The Straits Times - Students get ready for 'terror attack'
05 June 2008
WHEN the trains stop running and City Hall MRT station shuts tonight, a 'terror attack' will cause a commotion.
Some 280 students from 26 schools, including three madrasahs, will exit a stationary train into the tunnel as part of an emergency drill.
When they emerge above ground, some will have to use the first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills they learnt at an ongoing camp on safety and security issues.
Now in its sixth year, the annual camp is organised by a group of 15 youths brought together by the Heartware Network, a non-profit organisation for youth.
The four-day camp is supported by the Singapore Civil Defence Force, SMRT and Singapore Food Industries, among others.
Visiting the students yesterday, Law and Second Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said the camp had the 'right mix'.
Having also judged the camp's Community Engagement Programme poster design competition, Mr Shanmugam came away impressed.
Citing a poster that caught his eye, he said:
'They are 14-year-olds, they talk about...a potential terrorist threat, and then they draw a circle of human beings. And they said that as long as that circle of Singaporeans, humans, united, none of these terrorist threats and bombs will work.'
'It is very profound,' he said, noting that students from different races - and including 28 from madrasahs or Islamic religious schools - were working with facilitators of junior college level.
'This is how you encourage active citizenry. It is interesting, it is challenging for them, it's proactive and it's positive. It's very refreshing.'
Students also got the chance to make new friends and to bond.
Madrasah Aljunied student Muhd Nazirul Mubin, 15, said: 'Our syllabus is quite different, and I thought I'd feel left out, but it was easy to get along with my teammates.'
Anderson Secondary's Kevin Yong, 14, chipped in: 'When we talk and learn about CPR or how to counter terrorism, we find we share much in common.'
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Tamil Murasu - Emergency combat rations with the minister
05 May 2008
Translation
Bedok View Secondary School student Utkarsh Pandey yesterday learned how to share emergency combat rations. Students from madrasahs participated for the first time in the community awareness youth camp attended by some 300 students from 24 schools. Law Minister and Second Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who attended the youth camp, ate combat rations together with the students. Students who participated in the camp learned that, during times of war, natural disasters and terrorist attacks, one ought to share whatever food that is available. Utkarsh Pandey said that he had learned that understanding and team spirit is essential during an emergency.
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TODAY - Students in midnight MRT drill
06 June 2008
ANSLEY NG ansley@mediacorp.com.sg
IT WAS the first underground MRT emergency exercise since Exercise Northstar V was held more than two years ago, and this time round students instead of national agencies — spearheaded the drill.
Planned and organised by student volunteers from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Anderson Junior College, Raffles JC and Hwa Chong JC as part of the Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP) Challenge VI Camp, the exercise was carried out at City Hall MRT station just after midnight yesterday. About 300 students from 24 schools — including three madrasahs taking part for the first time — participated.
A train packed full with students came to a sudden halt at the station after a "bomb" exploded. Emergency exits at both ends of the train opened and the students poured out onto the tracks amid thick smoke before making their way to the safety of Connaught Drive seven storeys above.
The "overnight in-tunnel emergency" was one of the highlights of the camp. Students used items in their Ready Bag — such as torchlights — as they walked 250 metres in the tunnel to an escape shaft, then climbed seven storeys to ground level.
The theme for this year’s CSSP camp is "Vigilant Youth, Resilient Nation" and aims to "inspire and challenge youths to be vigilant in their community and take on an active role in responding to civil emergency situations". This is the sixth consecutive year that students have taken part in a MRT drill at the annual camp.
"As a public transport service provider, SMRT believes it is crucial for commuters to be equipped with the knowledge of what they can do to help themselves
and fellow commuters should there be an emergency situation in our trains," said Mr Choy Kin Chong, SMRT’s deputy director for security and emergency planning.
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The Straits Times - 300 students learn how to cope with a terrorist attack
07 June 2008
Dealing with bomb attack on train is part of 4-day camp on safety and security
By Sujin Thomas
A LOUD bang sounded inside a stationary MRT train at City Hall station yesterday morning. It was followed by a pungent white smoke that drove 300 passengers from the train into a south-bound tunnel.
They ambled 250m along the tracks before climbing up a seven-storey staircase, emerging safely in front of the Padang.
The 'evacuation' was part of a youth camp designed to teach students about matters like firstaid, fire-fighting and how to escape from a train attacked by terrorists.
The four-day Community Safety & Security Programme Challenge Camp, now in its sixth year, also aimed to make students more aware of their surroundings and prepare them for things like a bomb attack.
Themed 'Vigilant Youth, Resilient Nation', it included 300 secondary students from 24 schools and began on Tuesday.
Students from the Singapore Management University, as well as those from three madrasahs, also took part in the evacuation exercise.
Senior Minister of State for Education Lui Tuck Yew was the guest of honour.
Before the train evacuation, students were briefed on how to report suspicious persons and items they came across in the MRT. They also learnt to use safety features such as the emergency communication button, emergency-stop plungers and fire extinguishers.
Two SMRT staff members, dressed in black and carrying bags, even posed as terrorist suspects. The students tried to spot them and report them to the authorities.
The camp was organised by a committee of student volunteers with guidance from non-profit youth organisation Heartware Network.
'I believe the students are now more aware of their surroundings,' said organising committee president John Ang, 17, a Year 5 student from Anglo- Chinese School (Independent).
Riverside Secondary School student Arjun Sasangan, 14, found the exercise 'relatively realistic'.
'I feel that I have the skills and knowledge now to react in the event of a real emergency,' he said.
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TODAY - There's light at the end of the tunnel
07 June 2008
About 280 youths from 24 schools participating in the Community Safety and Security Programme Challenge Camp Vl. The camp aims to inspire and challenge youths to be vigilant in their community and take on an active role in responding to civil emergency situations in Singapore. The highlight of the four-day camp is the overnight simulated emergency drill in a SMRT tunnel and the evacuation of passengers to safety at Connaught Drive through an escape shaft.
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from TODAY.
Lianhe Zaobao - Racial Harmony to tackle Terrorist Threat
10 June 2008
Translation
280 students, including students from three Madrasahs took part in the Heartware CSSP Camp 2008. The involvement of Madrasahs for the first time gave both mainstream and madrasah students a chance to interact and help them understand the importance of racial harmony in times of crisis. Highlights of the camp included briefings by SPF and SCDF on counter-terrorism efforts and emergency preparedness. The students also took part in an evacuation exercise in the MRT tunnel where they could practice skills learned during the camp. Minister for Law and 2nd Minister for Home Affairs, Mr K Shanmugam and Senior Minister of State (Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts), RADM (NS) Lui Tuck Yew interacted with the students and shared their thoughts on racial harmony and counter-terrorism efforts during the camp.
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