What would happen if terrorists descended on Jurong Island, our energy and chemical hub?
To ensure that Singapore stays prepared for all kinds of emergencies, a multi-agency counter-terrorism exercise involving more than 300 personnel from SCDF, various government agencies and industry partners was conducted at Jurong Island on Wednesday afternoon (Mar 22).
Into its 11th edition, Exercise Northstar allowed us to test our assets, drills, and coordination to deal with terror attacks, said Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong, who was present to witness the event.
Terrorism is a threat we live with
As a country that is so peaceful that a fight between drunken uncles in a Kopitiam makes the news, one might wonder why Singapore conducts these mock exercises in the first place.
But as PM Lee shared, there are activities in the region around us, the Middle East and other parts of the world. And unfortunately, we are on their radar.
And in addition to threats from organised groups, lone-wolf attacks from self-radicalised and misguided individuals are also a distinct possibility.
While intelligence in Singapore has managed to stay one step ahead, PM Lee noted that is because we have been lucky enough to catch them early before they do any harm.
“But one day, we may not be lucky. Therefore we have to take these exercises very seriously to be able to deal with a range of different kinds of terrorist threats.”
Staying united as one
Without question, our Government will continue to work hard to safeguard our national security.
However, all of us can also play a part in keeping Singapore safe.
We must remain alert, watch what is happening around us, and know how to respond should incidents happen, said PM Lee.
All of which ties in with the theme of our Total Defence campaign this year and the little things we can do.
But most importantly, we need to stay united as one people, added PM Lee.
“That is because the threat of terrorism isn’t just the person who is hurt or the storage tank, which is blown up, or the pipeline, but the fracture in our society which takes a very, very long time to heal.”
Picture Source: SCDF via Facebook
