800 grassroot leaders, community partners take part in PA’s emergency exercise

SINGAPORE — A day after Singapore carried out its biggest counter-terrorism exercise, the People’s Association (PA) followed up by holding its own nationwide emergency preparedness exercise, simulating a breakdown in communal ties and activating community resources to manage potential tension in the aftermath of a terrorist attack.

Some 600 grassroots leaders and 200 community partners took part in the exercise held in 17 locations islandwide on Tuesday (Oct 18) — at the PA headquarters and 16 group representation constituency (GRC) operation centres.

The aim: To test the participants’ cohesion and ability to disseminate accurate information quickly, ease tension and restore normalcy in the community after an attack.

Grassroots leaders had to show how they would work with community partners such as businesses to assure residents, squelch rumours and rally people to continue their daily lives with confidence.

At Buona Vista Community Club, which served as the Tanjong Pagar GRC operations centre, grassroots leaders and their community partners discussed what they could do in the three hours, three days and three weeks after an attack. They considered potential developments such as negative comments on social media, news reports on racial tensions or the vandalism of temples or mosques, and lingering suspicion of certain communities here. They also discussed what they could do should any constituents be among the injured or affected.

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, fellow Members of Parliament from Tanjong Pagar GRC, and grassroots organisations’ advisors including Dr Chia Shi-lu and Ms Joan Pereira attended the exercise.

From the experience of other countries, the most powerful weapon in counter-terrorism is the ability to mobilise the community, Mr Chan said. In the aftermath of any incident, society must not be divided and should strive to live life normally, he added. Everyone in the community, from merchants’ associations to the average citizen, can play a role.

“As I always say, terrorists need to get it right one time, anytime. We need to get it right first time, every time, all the time. So we must not be complacent, yet at the same time we must be realistic,” Mr Chan said, adding that future exercises could involve the execution of ideas from these discussions on a simulated emergency situation.

“It’s very hard for us to maintain a heightened sense of vigilance throughout,” he said. “So having regularly exercised our constituents, it’ll allow us to build up that knowledge progressively. It cannot be rushed but it must be done systematically, consistently over time.”

A participant, Mr Jalaludin Peer Mohammed, secretary of the Radin Mas Inter-racial and Religious Confidence Circle (IRCC), said that IRCC members could reach out to representatives of other religions they already know well, to reduce potential tension in the wake of any terror attacks.

Less than 24 hours before the PA’s exercise, the Home Team and Singapore Armed Forces had conducted the biggest counter-terrorism exercise to validate their operational response in the event of a large-scale terror attack or when there is a heightened security threat to Singapore.