Latest news with #WhatWouldYouDoWhenTerrorStrikes
Straits Times
30-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Fewer than 1 in 5 people noticed suspicious items during MHA's social experiments
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Over a few hours in the afternoon and evening, the car was left in a public place to test the public's response to terror incidents. SINGAPORE – More than 2,500 people in Tampines and Bishan walked past a black suitcase and a black car with a concealed number plate, but fewer than 500 of them noticed the suspicious objects. Even fewer of them either intended to or actually did alert the authorities to the items – just 26. Over a few hours during lunch and dinner, the suitcase and car were left in public places to test the public's response to terror incidents. The social experiments were conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on June 10 and 13, respectively. Noting the results of the social experiments, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said: 'How do we explain this reaction? The reality is, Singapore is a safe place, probably one of the safest cities of our size. 'For decades it has been like that, so very few people think in terms of crime or terror. That explains the awareness of threats. 'The level of safety we have is good, but it brings huge challenges when we want to educate the public to say 'it's not a question of if, but when'. It will happen at some point, and we need to be prepared.' He was speaking on July 30 at the launch of MHA's web series, What Would You Do When Terror Strikes, which features footage from the social experiments. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Business S'pore's economic resilience will face headwinds in second half of 2025 from tariffs, trade conflicts: MAS Business S'pore's Q2 total employment rises, but infocomm and professional services sectors see more job cuts Asia Powerful 8.8-magnitude quake in Russia's far east causes tsunami; Japan, Hawaii order evacuations Singapore Migrant workers who gave kickbacks to renew work passes were conservancy workers at AMK Town Council Asia Japan, Vietnam, EU contest terms of US tariff deals behind the scenes Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made The suitcase contained a dummy improvised explosive device and was left next to a potted plant at Our Tampines Hub. A red blinking light was later attached to the suitcase before it was placed by a pillar in front of a convenience store. In the car-bomb simulation, the car, containing multiple gas cylinders, was parked near Bishan Community Club in the afternoon. In the evening, more gas cylinders were added to the car boot, and the vehicle emitted smoke periodically. Despite the escalation in both experiments, only 438 out of 2,530 passers-by noticed the suspicious items, and 26 of them either intended to, or did, inform the authorities. MHA said the results of the social experiments differed from those of the 2024 SGSecure public perception survey, where 77 per cent of participants claimed they were generally alert and kept a lookout for suspicious activity and behaviour in public. Telltale signs included oily stains near the zippers, bulges to indicate a high payload of explosives, and an actor who dropped the suitcase off before hurriedly moving away. PHOTO: MHA In the same survey, 88 per cent of respondents said they would alert the authorities if they spotted suspicious behaviour or items. Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann, who also attended the launch event at The Projector at Cineleisure, said: 'This shows that we still have some way to go in raising the public's alertness and awareness and their readiness to combat terrorism.' Mr Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said the web series is an effort to increase public awareness about SGSecure messages like 'Run, Hide, Tell' and 'Press, Tie, Tell'. 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. The first of the three-episode series, which was released on MHA's YouTube channel on July 30, features eight local influencers responding to a simulated terror attack. The other two episodes will be released on Aug 13 and 27, and will feature footage from the social experiments conducted in June.
AsiaOne
30-07-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Gas cylinders in car, unattended luggage: Only around 17% of bystanders noticed them in SGSecure experiments, Singapore News
Two social experiments conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in June gave a glimpse about how members of the public might respond to potential threats. The experiments, which fall under the SGSecure movement, were conducted on June 10 and 13 during peak lunch and dinner hours. They featured situations mimicking bomb threats meant to provide observations on how the public responds to potential threats that could be easily overlooked in today's fast-paced environment. The first experiment involved a dummy Improvised Explosive Device (IED) hidden in a luggage that was left in a high traffic area of Our Tampines Hub, while the second involved a car loaded with empty gas cylinders that was parked at Bishan Community Club. Based on MHA's observations, just 17.3 per cent of the 2,530 people who walked past the suspicious objects in both experiments noticed them. However, of those who noticed the suspicious object, only about 5.9 per cent intended or took steps to inform the authorities, while the majority (90 per cent) walked away without taking any action. Public's alertness low: Sim Ann The results were a stark contrast to those of the SGSecure Public Perception Survey 2024, where 88 per cent of respondents said that they would contact the relevant authorities if they spotted suspicious behaviours or items. The recent social experiments underscored "a significant gap between the public's perceived and actual level of vigilance", said MHA. "This shows that we still have some way to go in raising the public's alertness and awareness and their readiness to combat terrorism," said Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs. She was at a media event on Wednesday (July 30) where MHA launched a three-episode web series titled What Would You Do When Terror Strikes, featuring the two controlled social experiments conducted in the heartlands in mid-June. MHA said the findings point to clear opportunities to strengthen the community's vigilance and response to potential security threats. "MHA will continue to partner the community closely to deepen outreach efforts under the SGSecure movement," said the ministry. "At the same time, we encourage members of the public to stay alert to their surroundings and play an active role in keeping our shared spaces safe. Everyone has a part to play in building a strong, vigilant and prepared community." What Would You Do When Terror Strikes The three-episode web series, which premieres on the MHA YouTube channel on Wednesday (July 31), aims to educate viewers on how to respond effectively and safely during a terror incident and reinforce the importance of community vigilance. The first episode features eight local social media influencers who are put through a series of events within a simulated armed intruder attack, testing their ability and knowledge of how to react in such situations. The subsequent episodes will feature footage from the social experiments accompanied by commentary by a panel of experts — comprising representatives from the SGSecure Programme Office, Home Team Psychology Division, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. On a whole, the series is meant to provide practical advice grounded in SGSecure advisories, such as how to assess threats, evacuate safely, administer basic first aid, or notify the authorities promptly, so that viewers will be equipped with the relevant knowledge to navigate similar situations if necessary, said MHA. [[nid:720394]]
