S’pore religious organisations receive emergency response training to deal with unexpected incidents

SINGAPORE - A person taking photos of CCTV cameras at a place of worship could be a sign of trouble, and religious organisations here are trained to look out for such behaviour on their premises that appears abnormal, irregular or strange.

Representatives of religious organisations who attend the Advanced Tell-tale Indicator Detection Course will be able to recognise and report suspicious individuals, articles and activities, the Singapore Police Force told The Straits Times on March 6.

After a priest at St Joseph’s Church in Upper Bukit Timah was stabbed with a knife while conducting communion in November 2024 and a man was charged over it, other incidents have also occurred on the premises of religious organisations.

On Dec 21, 2025, another man was arrested under anti-terrorism laws at the same Catholic church after a suspicious item was found in a drain there. The item resembled an improvised explosive device, but contained no explosive elements.

On Feb 9, 2025, a man was arrested after allegedly punching a priest at Church of the Holy Spirit in Upper Thomson.

Last September, several mosques received packages of meat that appeared to contain pork.

A Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesman said religious organisations can improve their crisis readiness by completing security self-assessments, getting help to develop their contingency plans and attending counter-terrorism seminars.

These are covered under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s (MCCY) Crisis Preparedness for Religious Organisations (CPRO) programme.

Employees and volunteers at places of worship can also receive training in emergency response and psychological resilience.

In January, MCCY conducted a youth-focused CPRO seminar on online and offline safety and countering extremism.

A session to familiarise religious and community leaders with crisis preparedness for religious organisations will also be held in March.

Since the launch of CPRO in January 2020, MCCY has engaged more than 600 religious organisations through the programme.

Separately, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) engage religious organisations by conducting security audits and training them on safety and security awareness.

Exercises are conducted regularly to test the organisations’ response plans and ground readiness in the event of emergencies, said MHA.

“These efforts complement MHA’s broader public engagement under the SGSecure movement, which includes sharing advisories such as ‘Run-Hide-Tell’ and ‘Press-Tie-Tell’,” said the ministry spokesman, referring to advice in the event of a terror attack.

The police added that it regularly recalibrates its security measures according to the prevailing threat environment.

Measures from religious organisations

A spokesman for the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) said churches have been paying attention to security concerns for several years, with the assistance of the authorities.

Most churches have volunteers from their congregations who provide such services, but some use professional agencies for security, said the spokesman.

“Given that security remains an ongoing priority, church communities individually review and strengthen their safety protocols,” added NCCS.

The Catholic News reported in 2024 that the Archdiocesan Emergency Response Operations Council was formalised in 2017 to keep churchgoers safe from possible malicious intent and unlawful intrusions.

When contacted, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore declined to comment.

The Hindu Endowments Board has a range of security measures across its temples, such as CCTV surveillance systems and controlled access points where appropriate, said its chief executive Sarojini Padmanathan.

Security personnel are also deployed during major events and festivals. During the recent Thaipusam festival on Feb 1, organisers set up surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology to monitor crowd capacity, added Ms Sarojini.

Cornerstone Community Church executive pastor Kevin Koh said its security framework and protocols include closed-circuit monitors at strategic points and trained security teams stationed around the premises during worship services.

“Our approach is one of care and precaution but not fear. We want our members to know that they are covered and be able to focus on their worship experience without any unease,” he said.

The church is also part of the Safety and Security Watch Group, which was set up in 2006 and administered by the police and SCDF to enhance overall security in Singapore against terrorism.

Deacon Yong Chee Ram, council chairman of New Creation Church, said that bag checks and security screenings with handheld metal detectors are part of the church’s safety protocols during its worship services.

Professional security personnel and trained volunteers are also deployed at all the church’s service venues to look out for suspicious persons and potential security threats.

At special events such as Christmas celebrations, the church deploys X-ray machines to scan all wrapped gifts and items.

The terrorism threat in Singapore remains high. In 2025, six people were dealt with under the Internal Security Act.

One of them was a 17-year-old boy who had planned to kill at least 100 Muslims here, inspired by the 2019 shootings at two mosques in New Zealand, which killed 51 Muslims.

He had identified five mosques, in Jurong West, Clementi, Margaret Drive, Admiralty Road and Beach Road, as potential targets.

An Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) spokesperson said mosques have established security contingency plans that adhere to security advisories from SGSecure for religious and community organisations.

These plans incorporate threat detection, response protocols including lockdown and evacuation procedures, and linking up with the police, said MUIS.

It added that mosque leaders also attend counter-terrorism seminars and crisis response exercises.

Said MUIS: “We also encourage the community to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the authorities. These efforts reflect our commitment to ensuring mosques remain safe spaces for worship and community activities.”

The Singapore Taoist Federation said that in the light of incidents affecting places of worship here, it has strengthened its security and crisis preparedness measures.

“Our premises, located within Lorong Koo Chye Sheng Hong Temple, are equipped with CCTV coverage in public areas. First aid kits and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are made available, particularly during major or peak events,” said the federation spokesperson.

“Regular risk assessments are conducted, and internal protocols are in place to notify members of urgent situations efficiently.”

The federation’s staff and volunteers regularly attend training courses on crisis contingency planning, community mediation, first aid and the proper use of AEDs.

The spokesperson said: “These training opportunities, conducted by experienced personnel and the relevant authorities, strengthen the federation’s overall preparedness and response capabilities.”