Terrorism remains a major concern, Singapore to enter next phase of SGSecure movement: PM Wong

He noted that people are used to Singapore being safe, and go about their daily lives without constantly worrying about danger.

“Our children go to school and come back safely. We take public transport, go to work, attend religious services and community events without fear. We can walk around our neighbourhoods late at night and still feel secure,” he said.

“These things feel normal to us. But look around the world, and you realise that what we regard as normal in Singapore is really exceptional.”

This is possible only through the efforts of the country’s security agencies, and by building preparedness and trust across society, said Mr Wong.

Through SGSecure, more Singaporeans now know what to do in a crisis, with strengthened emergency preparedness in neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools, religious and community organisations, said Mr Wong.

Stronger bonds of trust have been built across Singapore’s society, he said.

“These bonds become especially important if an attack is motivated by race or religion,” he said.

Mr Wong cited the 2024 incident when the Internal Security Department detained a self-radicalised 17-year-old who was planning an attack at a neighbourhood centre in Tampines.

The Tampines GRC Community Response Roundtable quickly brought religious leaders together to denounce the plot.

“That is the resilience we need. If something does happen, our emergency and security services will of course respond quickly. But the people already at the scene will be ordinary Singaporeans.”

Noting that “an ordinary day in Singapore is nothing dramatic”, Mr Wong said it shows how people in Singapore have become accustomed to peace and security.

“We should cherish that. But we should never take that for granted,” he said.