MHA to conduct social experiments in June to test public’s response to terror threats

MHA said the authorities will be around to ensure public safety. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Claudia Tan

UPDATED May 29, 2025, 06:40 PM

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SINGAPORE – Several social experiments will be conducted in the heartland from early to mid-June to test how the public responds to terror incidents.

These planned scenarios will involve actors and realistic props, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 29.

Declining to publicise details about the experiments, it said precautions will be taken to ensure that they cause minimal disruption to the public.

MHA said the authorities will be around to ensure public safety.

Reactions from members of the public will be recorded, and the footage will be used to create an educational web series to raise awareness about key SGSecure advisories, such as “Run, Hide, Tell” and“Press, Tie, Tell”.

The first episode will premiere on July 30.

SGSecure is a national movement launched in 2016 to prepare Singaporeans to deal with terrorist attacks and equip them with skills to handle a crisis.

Run, Hide, Tell involves moving away from danger, staying out of sight, and informing the authorities.

When dealing with casualties during emergency situations, members of the public can stop a victim from bleeding by applying pressure to the wound (press), securing it with a strip of cloth (tie), and calling 995 for help (tell).

In its statement, MHA advised members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.

During an SGSecure roadshow at Suntec City in July 2024, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam had said: “We have kept Singapore safe and secure so far. So as a result, people don’t think that there will be a terror attack. It’s not in people’s minds. But that doesn’t mean an attack won’t happen here.”

In 2024, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said in its annual report that terrorism threats here have increased since the Gaza war.

Said ISD: “While there is no indication of an imminent attack, the terrorism threat to Singapore remains high. Global developments and conflicts have generated emotive responses worldwide, including acts of violence, and terrorist elements have leveraged such conflicts to call for attacks. These developments have impacted Singapore’s internal security.”

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A 2023 report by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) found that lone wolves were the main terror threat to Singapore.

In Oct 2024, a 17-year-old boy was arrested before he could carry out an attack on non-Muslims in Tampinesduring the September school holidays.

Lone wolves have also been responsible for violent incidents abroad, using everyday objects as weapons.

On May 27, a 53-year-old British man drove his vehicle into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating the football club’s Premier League title, injuring around 50.

On May 23, a German woman was arrested after stabbing 18 people at a train station in Hamburg.

And in October 2023, a 14-year-old boy with a handgun opened fire at Siam Paragon, killing a Chinese tourist and a Myanmar national. Five others were injured.

Claudia Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times covering the crime and court beat.

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