SINGAPORE – The many years of peace and security in Singapore may result in people letting their guard down, but this is a form of complacency the Republic cannot afford, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Sept 23.
In a speech to mark SGSecure’s 10th anniversary, PM Wong said an ordinary day in Singapore is nothing dramatic, but this sense of safety should not be taken for granted.
He noted reports of close calls, with the authorities stopping potential lone-wolf attacks just weeks before they were due to be carried out.
The self-radicalised individuals include a 17-year-old whom the Internal Security Department (ISD) detained in 2024 while he was planning an attack at a neighbourhood centre near Tampines West Community Club.
“We managed to intervene in time before anyone was hurt. But things could have turned out very differently.
“So I ask myself: Can we keep catching every case in time? What if one day, despite our best efforts, something gets through? No security system can give us a 100 per cent guarantee.
“That is why we cannot become complacent about safety and security in Singapore,” said PM Wong, adding that the country has been fortunate so far.
He noted that the security agencies have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, detecting individuals who posed a danger, disrupting plots and intervening before anyone was harmed.
“As prime minister, whenever I am briefed about such a case, my first reaction is relief,” said PM Wong, at the event held at Our Tampines Hub.
He said Singaporeans go about their daily lives and attend religious services, take public transport, go for a walk at night in their neighbourhood and watch their children go to school without constantly worrying about danger.
They are used to their country being safe, he said, adding: “These things feel normal to us. But look around the world, and you realise that what we regard as normal in Singapore is actually quite exceptional.
“What we have today is possible only because we have all worked hard to keep Singapore safe – through our security agencies, and by building preparedness and trust across our society.”
He said SGSecure was launched 10 years ago to get Singaporeans to stay alert to threats and know what to do if something were to happen, and, in the event of an attack, to stay calm, help one another and not allow fear or hatred to divide society.
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