Shanmugam says youth have role in tackling terror threats
Photo: RVHS’ Photography Club
SINGAPORE — Young people in Singapore need to step up and play their part in being prepared for national threats, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said, in light of recent terrorist attacks overseas.
This could mean volunteering to be trained in key life-saving skills, such as learning how to use a defibrillator on someone having a heart attack before the rescuers arrive.
“Every Singaporean has to come forward,” he said yesterday at a seminar for youth leaders at River Valley High School. “We’re going to need people to take it seriously, learn and become an emergency service provider yourself … Every single one of you has a role (to play) ... Everyone, as much as possible, needs to be trained in emergency medical response.”
He also laid out several strategies by the Government to combat the rising threat of terror attacks, such as rolling out emergency response teams that can respond quickly, especially with terrorists now aiming at soft targets such as malls, cinemas and schools.
Everyone from all parts of society would need to get involved in the SG Secure movement, he added, to be “much more alert” in reporting anything suspicious straightaway, as well as remembering the “Run, Hide, and Tell” message put out by the police, on how best to respond in the event of a terrorist attack involving firearms or other weapons.
With terrorism threats happening almost every other day around the world — driven by persuasive videos, the availability of weapons and a growing “strain of radicalisation” in South-east Asia, Mr Shanmugam also warned about the threat of Islamophobia, or the hostility and prejudice against Muslims.
“People read about such attacks elsewhere and might take a different view of Muslims … But that is dangerous because it creates divisions, which is exactly what Islamic State wants,” he said.
And in the wrong hands, religion could be used as a “grab of power” and a “force for evil”, with radicals perverting religion, he added.
At the root of the cause, the authorities would need to tackle false ideologies, and strive to build unity across the various races and religions in Singapore, without allowing Islamophobia to take root.
He mentioned the Government’s “hands-on approach” in ensuring peaceful race relations, such as the multiculturalism model and ethnic integration policies in housing estates.
“The Government has a significant responsibility to counter (such threats) and make sure we deal with extremism in society ... It’s a constant fight, a tough task, but we can do it,” he said.
