Mobilising S’poreans against terrorism

SGSecure, a national movement launched in 2016 that calls on Singaporeans to be part of the country’s anti-terrorism efforts, is shifting its focus to mobilising the community, strengthening partnerships and engaging youth. The reason for this shift is that, even as the Government does its best to pre-empt terrorist attacks and manage the fallout when an attack does occur, the community would need to come together to help, with each person playing a role.

The problem is that not everyone believes that Singapore could come under threat in the first place. According to the Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2023, published by the Internal Security Department on July 24, the global threat from terrorism and radicalisation persists, and Singapore and Singaporeans are not immune to it. The country’s strongest defence lies in its collective vigilance and unity, along with a zero-tolerance approach to those who seek to conduct or finance terrorist acts, or propagate extremist rhetoric. However, according to a Ministry of Home Affairs survey conducted from October to December 2022, only 52 per cent of respondents believed that Singapore is a target for terrorist attacks. Also, while 70 per cent said that they were generally alert and would keep a lookout for suspicious behaviour or items when in a public place, only about 37 per cent would contact the authorities if they believed that one of their loved ones was displaying signs of radicalisation.