Govt ‘will protect all, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation’

SINGAPORE — The Government’s duty is to protect Singaporeans from the threat of violence, regardless of a person’s race, religion or sexual orientation, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam on Tuesday (June 14).

While the motives of the Orlando gunman in Sunday’s mass shooting are not yet clear, it appeared that the gay community was targeted, said Mr Shanmugam, who spoke to the media before he attended the annual breaking of fast session organised by the Religious Rehabilitation Group and the Khadijah Mosque Management Board at Khadijah Mosque.  

“This is unacceptable. Violence against any group in any form is not acceptable. Here, the government will act decisively if there is threat of violence against anyone or any group,” he said. “The Government’s duty … is to protect everyone. Their race, their religion, their sexual orientation, they are not relevant in terms of the Government’s duty to protect.”

In the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history, gunman Omar Mateen’s attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday left 49 dead and wounded 53. 

Although the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the shooting, and it appeared that Mateen had, at the last minute, pledged allegiance to IS, US President Barack Obama has said that there is no clear evidence that Mateen was directed by a foreign group or was part of a larger plot. 

Mr Shanmugam on Tuesday reiterated that there is a “significant risk” of self-radicalised attacks happening here, and one of the ways to overcome that is through education — to inoculate the population against the threat of radicalisation. 

Communities have to come together, families have to look out for evidence of radicalisation, while Singapore’s security agencies will have to be extremely alert as well. “But that’s not to say all of these measures will completely ensure that we will not be attacked,” said Mr Shanmugam.

“In fact, there is quite a famous quote by one of the IS propagandists saying — look, blend into the community, don’t stand out, and do what you can. Use your car to run down somebody, throw somebody down from a building, use a rock to hit somebody, knife someone,” he pointed out. 

Noting that SG Secure — launched to enhance Singaporeans’ ability to respond to a terrorist attack — is an important movement, Mr Shanmugam added: “It’s not something the Government can do by itself. It’s a call for the entire nation to come together, everyone to be prepared.” 

An app will be launched this year for Singaporeans to easily notify the police of any incident, while the authorities will go door to door to try to train people in emergency response. The Government will train the population and at the same time, substantially upgrade the capabilities of the emergency response teams, Mr Shanmugam added.

On Tuesday, a candlelight vigil organised by Facebook group GLBT Voices Singapore was held at Hong Lim Park in memory of the Orlando shooting victims. “We hope that in the light of this tragedy, those who have hardened hearts against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, would soften and realise we are more alike than different,” the group said in a statement on their website. 

In a joint statement posted on the Pink Dot SG website on Tuesday, various groups supporting the LGBT community, including Pink Dot, applauded Mr Shanmugam’s comments, noting the LGBT community here remains vulnerable to discrimination and hate. Section 377A of the Penal Code — which criminalises sex between men — “empowers hateful ideologies and individuals”, they said.

On Monday, several police reports were lodged here over a Facebook user who said in a comment on June 4 that he wanted to “open fire” at the LGBT community. The user, Mr Bryan Lim on Tuesday apologised for his “strong words” and called it a misunderstanding.  Calling for dialogue and engagement, the groups said: “At the end of the day, we want the same thing — a safe, peaceful and united Singapore for all Singaporeans.”