SINGAPORE - When the Little India riot broke out on Dec 8, 2013, this reporter was a blissfully unaware 16-year-old on an overseas school trip.

I read about it only when I came home two days later.

The images of rage and chaos in the newspapers seemed unreal.

It was startling to know that 62 people were injured, and see police cars and ambulances flipped over and burned.

All I could think of was: How could this have happened in Singapore?

Ten years later, I experienced first-hand how our riot police would respond should a similar incident break out.

On Nov 23, the Special Operations Command’s (SOC) Police Tactical Unit (PTU) invited the media to witness their capabilities at the Home Team Tactical Centre in Mandai.

The PTU, which consists of around 500 officers, is part of Singapore’s elite police force.

Its officers are trained to respond to public order incidents such as riots, and public security incidents like terrorist attacks.

Reporters from different media outlets were taught how to wear the officers’ gear, which can weigh up to 20kg.

We had six minutes to don the full outfit, including armour on our arms and legs, a padded vest, belt and helmet.

Then, the eight of us joined 18 troopers to face an angry “mob”, who were made up of police officers playing the role of rioters.

The reporters stood in the front row, and we were told to hold the heavy riot shields firmly and to stand our ground.

Amid a cacophony of jeers and shouts, around 20 “rioters” pelted us with plastic chairs and wooden blocks.

This was only a simulation. Yet, I felt frightened as they taunted and challenged us, while I struggled to hold up my shield.

I recalled the news images of the Little India riot a decade ago. If I felt such trepidation during a five-minute demonstration, how scared would police and Singapore Civil Defence Force officers have been during the two hours Little India was plunged into chaos that night?

It was the first time those officers had experienced a riot.

During the demonstration, the real riot police behind us shot their P4 rifles, which can fire pepper spray and paint to mark out rioters, causing the rioters to flee.

Then, they broke through a row of barricades and charged at the rioters with a synchronised shout of “Charge!”

Cameras affixed on their helmets, a new technology known as the Helmet Mounted Camera System, recorded the incident. This can help in post-event investigations.

In another demonstration, PTU officers from the Armed Strike Teams eliminated four “gunmen” in a shooting incident. They came in their iconic red tactical vehicles, armed with assault rifles, bullet-resistant vests and shields.

In groups of four, the troopers threw stun grenades into rooms where the “gunmen” were hiding and took them down.

Civilians, who were held hostage, were rescued.

A Belgian Malinois police dog sniffed out a “gunman” hiding in a riser, leading to his arrest.

The commanding officer of the PTU, Superintendent of Police Roy Shafiq Aw, said: “Over the years, PTU has adapted to the changing security landscape and has prepared our officers to deal with a host of public order and public security threats.”

At the SOC’s 70th anniversary celebrations on Nov 10, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said Singapore needed to be prepared for serious public order incidents.

He cited the 2019 Hong Kong protests and the Christchurch shooting that same year, which left 51 people dead.

On Nov 23, riots erupted in Dublin, Ireland, after three children were injured in a knife attack.

Mr Shanmugam said Singapore will continue to invest heavily in troops like the SOC.

This includes providing intensive training to equip them with tactical capabilities needed to take firm and decisive action, he said.

Having experienced some aspect of this training, I am grateful for the peace and security we have, and hope the SOC will not be activated any time soon.