The authorities must ensure that Certis Cisco security officers stationed at MRT stations are well trained and conditioned to do their job well - to look out for people behaving suspiciously or carrying suspicious-looking items.

But often, I see these officers fiddling with their phones or glancing listlessly at nothing in particular.

Given the growing threat of extremism in the region, security officers have to be on the highest alert, even when things are calm and nothing untoward seems to be happening.

They have to be constantly scanning the surroundings and the people in the crowd for any suspicious behaviour, and not be on their phones, chatting with colleagues or staring into space and thinking about other things.

They must not let our relative peace lull them into letting their guard down. It is during such times that terrorists and other types of criminals will take the opportunity to strike.

Tan Mei Jun (Ms)