MalayMail/Straits Times-Sept 23
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has urged Singaporeans to remain vigilant and prepared, warning that years of peace and security could lead to complacency. Speaking at an event marking the 10th anniversary of SGSecure, Wong said the absence of dramatic incidents in everyday life should not lead people to assume that Singapore was immune to security threats, The Straits Times reported. He cited cases in which authorities had intervened before potential lone-wolf attacks could be carried out, including a 17-year-old detained by the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 2024 while planning an attack at a neighborhood center near Tampines West Community Club. He said security agencies had continued to detect people who posed a danger, disrupt plots and intervene before anyone was harmed, adding that his first reaction when briefed about such cases was relief. Wong said Singaporeans had become accustomed to attending religious services, using public transport, walking around their neighborhoods at night and sending their children to school without constantly worrying about danger. “These things feel normal to us. But look around the world, and you realize that what we regard as normal in Singapore is actually quite exceptional. “What we have today is possible only because we have all worked hard to keep Singapore safe — through our security agencies, and by building preparedness and trust across our society.” He said SGSecure was introduced 10 years ago to encourage Singaporeans to stay alert to threats, know how to respond if an attack occurred, help others and prevent fear or hatred from dividing society. “To be clear, we do not want Singaporeans to live in fear or be suspicious of everyone around them. We want to continue going about our lives with confidence and peace of mind. “But we can only do so if we are alert and prepared and take sensible action when something does not seem right,” he said, in neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, religious and community organizations, as well as greater awareness of how to respond during a crisis. Read more at:
