Lone wolves most worrisome in Singapore’s fight against terror

SINGAPORE — With activists from the region — including a few from Singapore — having gone to the Middle East and southern Philippines to link up with separatists and extremists, terrorism is “a clear and present danger” for the Republic, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

In an interview with Australia’s ABC Radio National’s Saturday Extra, a programme that centres on international politics and global affairs, he singled out lone-wolf attacks as the most worrisome, and reiterated the utmost importance of keeping Singapore’s multiracial society intact in the aftermath of an attack. 

“If you have a lone wolf … mounting something and people do not know about it, it is very difficult to pre-empt and prevent,” he said in the pre-recorded interview on Saturday (June 3).

“If you have a group, then there will be signs … we may pick something up, and we have a better chance of breaking it up beforehand. But even then, it is not certain.”

In addition to casualties, such attacks will shatter the trust and confidence between people of different races and religions here, particularly between the Muslims and non-Muslims, Mr Lee said.

Acknowledging that Singaporeans are among the activists from South-east Asia who have gone to the Middle East, he said: “We worry about extremist terrorism a lot. The Middle East seems a long way away, but it is not. This is a problem which is amidst us … It is a clear and present danger.”

This is why the Republic is doing its best to prepare for an attack.

“For us, we assume that (an attack) is a matter of when and not whether … We assume that one day, something will happen in Singapore … If it does happen, we are psychologically prepared and our multiracial society will not be under catastrophic stress.”

Asked if extremists who return will be allowed back into the country, Mr Lee stressed that the authorities will first ensure that they are not likely to do any harm here. 

“If we know of anybody who is there and he gets apprehended, we will take him back, but we will take a very close look at him to make sure that he has not brought back any dangerous ideas,” he said.