S’poreans must use hearts and minds to counter terror: DPM

SINGAPORE — Short of locking down society and preventing people from living as normally as possible, it is impossible to stop every possible way of executing a terror attack, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Sunday (July 17), three days after a terrorist struck Nice in France.

Rather, the solution to countering extremism must come from the hearts and minds of Singaporeans, deciding that “we want to live together in peace and harmony and that we’ll make sure that our society, our neighbourhoods remain that way”, added Mr Teo.

Speaking at an annual street parade and carnival to celebrate racial and religious harmony in Punggol North, he urged people who know of anyone who may be going astray, whether it be a family member, friend or co-worker, to notify the authorities.

“We’ll work together to help to save him from doing damage to himself and doing damage to his family, to society and our country,” said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security. He also pointed to how terrorists led astray by misguided teachings have mounted attacks in the name of religion.

Citing recent attacks in cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Medina and Nice, he said the intention of any attack was not only to take lives but to strike fear and divide societies.

Singaporeans must know how to react to an attack here, as being prepared could mean saving lives, “and if we’re ... ready, we know that we’ll never allow such attacks to divide us and then we’ll remain strong and resilient”, Mr Teo said.

Meanwhile, Acting Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng, who also spoke at the event, said the community must always be mindful of the “delicate balance” needed to maintain racial and multicultural harmony.

“This is something we mustn’t take for granted, and we should build on the many years of friendships and solidarity,” he said. “We must constantly remind ourselves of the need always to be tactful and respectful of each other’s race, culture and religion.”

While the different races have lived together in harmony for decades, Mr Teo noted this was not always the case. He pointed to the lives lost, people wounded and property damaged in the racial strife and religious riots of the 1960s. “We don’t want ever to have that again,” he said. Only through the resolve of the founding generation of leaders and Singaporeans did a “cohesive and resilient” society, whose people are united as one, develop, he added.

At a separate community event, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said racial and religious harmony was still a “work in progress” and that ongoing community efforts were of utmost importance in the light of the recent terror attacks.

“We don’t have to wait for an event to happen, before we jump into action,” he said. “We’ll continue to reach out to the wider population because Singapore’s population is changing and becoming more diverse.”

Residents TODAY interviewed at the Punggol North event said every citizen has to play a part in the fight against extremism.

Punggol Field resident Vinu Rajesh, 36, said building relationships with neighbours “goes a long way” and that the community must show its “strength in unity” against terrorism.

“If we stand alone, it’s easy for a lot of problems to be created ... but when we stand together as a group, it’s hard to divide,” said the energy consultant.