SINGAPORE – News about a planned terror attack in Tampines prompted participants of a crisis response exercise in Tampines on Oct 19 to take it more seriously, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said.
By “sheer coincidence”, the community exercise that discusses appropriate responses to various scenarios took place just a day after the Internal Security Department revealed that a 17-year-old had plotted to stab and kill non-Muslims in Tampines.
The Singaporean teen, a supporter of terror group ISIS, was arrested just weeks before his planned attack at an open area in Tampines Street 81, near supermarkets, provision shops and coffee shops.
“It’s just one day after the announcement, and I understand from the participants how they are more motivated to take this even more seriously,” Mr Masagos, an MP for Tampines GRC, told reporters at Tampines Changkat Community Club on the sidelines of the exercise.
The exercise was undertaken by members of the Tampines Community Response Roundtable, which comprises representatives from schools, businesses, and grassroots, community and religious organisations in the neighbourhood.
In a crisis, the group can be mobilised to provide assurance and support for the community on the ground.
In peacetime, its efforts include raising awareness of terror threats, and strengthening crisis preparedness and social cohesion.
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There are 34 such groups across Singapore.
The Oct 19 table-top exercise focused on how participants would respond in various scenarios, including a terrorist attack in the area. They also evaluated how they would react to scenarios that might unfold in the aftermath, such as if places of worship were defaced with hate messages.
The session was attended by about 100 participants, including members of the Tampines N2 Merchants Association and social service agencies based in the town.
Among them was Ustaz Shafaat Syonan, assistant head for youth and community development at the Darul Ghufran mosque in Tampines Avenue 5, who said his role in the event of a terror attack would be to calm the public and to work with other religious organisations in reaching out to the community.
The 43-year-old said he was shocked and saddened when he heard the news about the planned attack in Tampines by the youth, who had become self-radicalised by online materials.
He said radicalisation was a topic that was discussed at the roundtable event, including the signs to look out for.
“I think it’s not just schools, but parents should also step up if this situation happens,” he said.
Mr Masagos said it was reassuring that the grassroots and the community have worked together to build bonds and trust among different communities through activities. They also work to ensure that should an “inevitable event” happen, Tampines and Singapore are prepared to respond appropriately.
He added that it was crucial for religious leaders to be the first to step up and condemn any violence perpetrated by their members, “to give the assurance that we do not condone extreme violence by our own community”.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling, who was also at the event, noted that perpetrators of violence seek to create tensions, anxiety, uncertainty and chaos in society in the aftermath of an incident.
“So when key stakeholders in the community come together and strengthen relationships in peacetime, they are better able to ensure that they’re able to defuse tensions, re-establish trust, restore normalcy in the community after terror-related incidents,” she added.
Mr Benedict Koh, chairman of the Tampines East Community Emergency and Engagement Committee, said that while the likes of the police would be at the front line in the event of a terror attack, those in the community have a part to play in dealing with the aftermath.
He added: “We will try to calm the community, go down to the ground and make sure that false news is not being spread.”