Date : 9 March 2011
Sypnosis:
During the Ministry of Home Affairs Committee of Supply (COS) debate on 9 Mar 2011, Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Home Affairs, in response to Members of Parliament's questions on terrorism, cautioned that terrorism is still a real threat in the region, and urged Singaporeans to continue to be vigilant against the threat. Below is an extract of Mr K Shanmugam's speech.
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Prevention of terrorism continues to be a key focus of our security forces. On the global front, we continue to face a serious threat posed by decentralised jihadist terrorist movements. Al-Qaeda’s (AQ) core leadership cadre may have been weakened considerably, but its brand of jihadist ideology continues to inspire new generations of extremists. The global landscape is therefore more fragmented, but no less dangerous.
Recent developments in North Africa and the Middle-East also bear watching, because of the importance of that region in the fight against terrorism.
Closer to home, there have been a number of successful counter-terrorism operations, by regional authorities, over the past year. These successes are positive developments. But, as Mr Alvin Yeo has rightly pointed out, they also show that the threat of terrorism in the region remains real, and that Singapore must remain vigilant.
Of particular concern are individuals who are radicalised by terrorist ideology without being members of, or even having physical contact with, any terrorist groups. Such seemingly well-adjusted individuals, embarking on terrorist attacks on their own, pose a particular challenge to intelligence operations.
Often, the path to radicalisation for such individuals is through the internet. Aside from dedicated extremist websites and online forums, terrorist groups are also increasingly making use of new media tools such as YouTube and MySpace, to propagate their radical ideologies and groom potential operatives across national boundaries.
Significantly, Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, such as the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (or AQAP), are reaching out to a larger audience of aspiring jihadists worldwide through the use of English and other languages and the publication of snazzy e-zines. We have also observed an increased sharing on the internet of technical know-how, including instructions on bomb-making, and detailed advice on how to launch terrorist attacks.
Threats to Singapore
Given this context, Mr Alvin Yeo, Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Hri Kumar are right to assert that we cannot afford to let down our guard even though we have been successful in preventing terrorist attacks in the past. In addition to the threat from foreign terrorist groups, Singapore has not been spared from the threat of individuals who are radicalised through exposure to online jihadist material. We have detained four such self-radicalised individuals so far.
Role of Community
Mr Yeo has rightly pointed out that tackling the threat of terrorism cannot be done by any government acting alone. A vigilant and cohesive community plays a crucial role in countering the spread and influence of jihadist ideology. Our community in Singapore must continue to play its part by standing together to reject both terrorist ideologies and activities, as well as remain vigilant against any suspicious happenings.
Engaging the community and encouraging public vigilance therefore continues to be a key component of our efforts to maintain national security. Let me outline how the Home Team is doing this, in response to Mr Alvin Yeo’s question.
Firstly, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Internal Security Department (ISD) conduct security briefings and conferences to reach out to the community to sensitise them to the threat of terrorism. To date, these security briefings have reached out to over 300,000 individuals.
The SPF and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also leveraged on new media platforms, such as YouTube and Facebook, to spread the message on the need for public vigilance against possible terrorist threats.
In addition, as suggested by Mr de Souza, we have also been conducting regular exercises to expose Singaporeans to emergency situations. For instance, the SCDF conducts scenario-based exercises at various housing estates throughout the year. Referred to as Emergency Preparedness (or EP) Days, these exercises may involve scenarios of a chemical agent attack or a bomb threat, and help to familiarise members of the community with emergency procedures under simulated conditions.
Another example is the exercise which the Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centre conducted with members of the surrounding business community in July 2010. The exercise was based on the scenario of a terrorist bomb attack happening in the heart of the commercial business district, and allowed the Home Team, as well as the Safety & Security Watch Group (SSWG) members, to test their level of readiness in responding to a crisis situation.
We will continue to organise such activities and exercises to raise public awareness and vigilance against terrorist threats.
Mr Arthur Fong asked about the specific public safety and security concerns of Singaporean residents, their security awareness and reactions in times of crisis. Past survey findings suggest that to the general public, crime is of greater concern than the terrorist threat. This is not surprising, given that we have been fortunate so far to have avoided a large scale terrorist incident. Past surveys also suggest that there is generally a high level of confidence in the government and security forces’ ability to respond effectively.
In terms of public preparedness for a terrorist incident, slightly more than half of the population indicated that they are prepared for an attack and know what to do in the event of an attack. This is encouraging, but there is room for improvement. Home Team agencies will continue their outreach and educational efforts on this front.
The SPF conducted a recent exercise modeled after the New York Times Square car bomb attempt to get a sense of how the public would react in a similar situation. About 7200 persons passed within 10 metres of the car. Of the 260 persons who spotted the tell-tale signs emanating from the car, such as smoke coming out from the boot, 52 persons reported the matter to the authorities, while 97 persons expressed their intention to report the matter to the authorities after moving further away from the area. Again, this suggests that more can still be done to enhance public vigilance and involvement. But we should not be discouraged. Given the crucial role of the community, the Home Team will continue its community engagement efforts and find new ways to better prepare Singaporeans against a crisis situation.
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