The current situation in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of United States-led international troops is deeply worrying (Taleban enters Kabul; President makes exit, Aug 16).
Besides the humanitarian crisis resulting from this development, it could lead to spillover effects in the area of terrorism.
Already, Britain has assessed that a Taleban-controlled Afghanistan would become a breeding ground for terror groups such as Al-Qaeda, which would again become security threats to nations.
Singapore has so far been able to detect and foil terrorist attacks, not by sheer luck, but due to the hard work of our security agencies.
The outstanding performance of our security agencies could have an unintended effect of fostering complacency among Singaporeans, and such complacency could be as dangerous as the risks posed by terror activities.
As it is not possible for Singapore to detect and prevent every planned attack, what can ordinary citizens do in the fight against terrorism?
We should participate in the SGSecure movement and download the SGSecure mobile app. We need to familiarise ourselves with the "Run, Hide, Tell" and "Press, Tie, Tell" response models for when a terror attack happens.
I am currently serving in the Community Emergency and Engagement Committees for my constituency and I urge more people to join the Community Emergency Response Team, which is a group of volunteers trained to respond to an emergency and assist the community in the recovery process.
I also hope more Singaporeans will spend some time learning first aid, firefighting, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED (automated external defibrillator) skills.
These skills are free to pick up through the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP) conducted by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
I also propose that SCDF add psychological first aid training to its CEPP syllabus.
As the threat of self-radicalisation arising from online propaganda is increasing, we need to be alert in picking up and reporting any signs of radicalisation if it happens to our family members, friends or colleagues.
We should also be alert to suspicious people and articles.
If possible, we can also join the Citizens on Patrol scheme to patrol our neighbourhood, and report to the police about suspicious people or crimes in progress.
Together, we can fight the evolving terror threats as a nation with citizens who are prepared and alert.
Benjamin Ng C.K.
