Latest news with #SGSecure
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
MHA to conduct social experiments in June to test public's response to terror threats
MHA said the authorities will be around to ensure public safety. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH MHA to conduct social experiments in June to test public's response to terror threats SINGAPORE – Several social experiments will be conducted in the heartland from early to mid-June to test how the public responds to terror incidents. These planned scenarios will involve actors and realistic props, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 29. Declining to publicise details about the experiments, it said precautions will be taken to ensure that they cause minimal disruption to the public. MHA said the authorities will be around to ensure public safety. Reactions from members of the public will be recorded, and the footage will be used to create an educational web series to raise awareness about key SGSecure advisories, such as 'Run, Hide, Tell' and 'Press, Tie, Tell'. The first episode will premiere on July 30. SGSecure is a national movement launched in 2016 to prepare Singaporeans to deal with terrorist attacks and equip them with skills to handle a crisis. Run, Hide, Tell involves moving away from danger, staying out of sight, and informing the authorities. When dealing with casualties during emergency situations, members of the public can stop a victim from bleeding by applying pressure to the wound (press), securing it with a strip of cloth (tie), and calling 995 for help (tell). In its statement, MHA advised members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities. During an SGSecure roadshow at Suntec City in July 2024, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam had said: 'We have kept Singapore safe and secure so far. So as a result, people don't think that there will be a terror attack. 'It's not in people's minds. But that doesn't mean an attack won't happen here.' In 2024, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said in its annual report that terrorism threats here have increased since the Gaza war began. Said ISD: 'While there is no indication of an imminent attack, the terrorism threat to Singapore remains high. Global developments and conflicts have generated emotive responses worldwide, including acts of violence, and terrorist elements have leveraged such conflicts to call for attacks. These developments have impacted Singapore's internal security.' A 2023 report by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) found that lone wolves were the main terror threat to Singapore. In October 2024, a 17-year-old boy was arrested before he could carry out an attack on non-Muslims in Tampines during the September school holidays. Lone wolves have also been responsible for violent incidents abroad, using everyday objects as weapons. On May 23, a German woman was arrested after stabbing 18 people at a train station in Hamburg. In October 2023, a 14-year-old boy with a handgun opened fire at Siam Paragon in Bangkok, killing a Chinese tourist and a Myanmar national. Five others were injured. And in the latest incident involving a public security threat on May 26, a 53-year-old British man drove his vehicle into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating the football club's Premier League title, injuring around 50 people. Claudia Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times covering the crime and court beat. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
MHA to conduct social experiments in June to gauge public vigilance, response to terror threats, Singapore News
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be conducting a series of social experiments to understand the level of public vigilance and response to terror threats. In a press statement on Thursday (May 29), MHA said that the experiments are part of the SGSecure movement and will be conducted between early to mid-June in the heartlands. The experiments are controlled, and will involve planned scenarios with actors and realistic props. MHA said that the experiments will be "executed with careful oversight to ensure that they are carried out safely, with minimal inconvenience to members of the public". Authorities will also be on standby to safeguard the public during the exercise. The social experiments will also be recorded, and footage will subsequently be used to create an educational web series to raise awareness on key SGSecure advisories on how to respond to terror attacks — like "Run, Hide, Tell" and "Press, Tie, Tell". The first episode of the web series is slated for release on July 30, along with more details on the results of the experiments. MHA also reminded members of the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities promptly. SGSecure movement The SGSecure movement was officially launched in September 2016 by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, with the goal of training and mobilising Singaporeans to handle crises like terrorist attacks. The SGSecure mobile application launched at that time allows users to make mobile reports on emergencies and has various features like maps for locating emergency facilities, and social media sharing options for SGSecure alerts. It also allows the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force to send emergency alerts to the public, and enables the public to report suspicious activities. SGSecure entered its current phase with the tagline 'What's Your Role?' in July 2023 to inspire Singaporeans and leverage their individual strengths to help counter terrorism. In April, the SGSecure Programme Office launched a SGSecure-themed storybook for young children, in an effort to educate the new generation of youths on the importance of safety and security. [[nid:715151]]
CNA
3 days ago
- General
- CNA
MHA to conduct SGSecure 'controlled social experiments' to test public response to terror threats
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be conducting a series of "controlled social experiments" in the heartlands from early to mid-June to understand the public's level of vigilance and response to terror threats. These experiments, which fall under the SGSecure movement, will involve planned scenarios with actors and realistic props, and will be executed with "careful oversight" to ensure that they are carried out safely, MHA said in a press release on Thursday (May 29). It added that there will be "minimal inconvenience" caused, and authorities will also be on standby to safeguard the public during the experiments. Footage of public reactions to the social experiments will be used to create an educational web series to raise awareness on key SGSecure advisories such as "run, hide and tell" and "press, tie and tell". The first advises the public on the immediate response in the event of an attack, while the second is a first aid skills advisory that educates the public on commonly available items that can be used to help those injured during an attack. Consent from members of the public will be sought or appropriate measures will be taken, such as masking of identity, before footage of public reactions is used, MHA said. The first episode of the web series will be released on Jul 30, along with more information on the results of the social experiments. Members of the public are encouraged to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities promptly. The SGSecure movement was introduced in 2016 to sensitise, train, and mobilise Singaporeans to play a part in preventing and dealing with a terrorist attack. Since its launch, "significant progress" has been made in raising public awareness of terror threats, as well as institutional and individual preparedness against such attacks, the Home Affairs ministry said. The were launched in July 2023. This phase focuses on the importance of social cohesion in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation.
