National Safety and Security Watch Group (NSSWG) Award Ceremony – Speech by Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development

Members of the Safety and Security Watch Group (SSWG),

Business and community partners,

Home Team colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Thank you for inviting me to this afternoon’s National Safety and Security Watch Group (NSSWG) Award Ceremony.

2. SSWG started in 2003 as an initiative for the Police to work with building owners to secure their premises against potential terrorist attacks. Twenty-one years later, the SSWG initiative is still going strong. What started as an initiative with 520 members more than 20 years ago is now a community with more than 1,800 members.

3. Today, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of our SSWG members in keeping Singapore safe and secure. 191 members will be receiving the NSSWG award.

Terrorism Threat Remains Real

4. Our safety and security should not be taken for granted as the terror threat remains real. The Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report published in July this year highlighted that online self-radicalisation continues to be the primary threat driver locally. The arrest of a 17-year-old self-radicalised Singaporean youth in August served as a stark reminder of the ever-present threat which can happen anytime, anywhere.

5. Our law enforcement agencies cannot be everywhere all the time. This is why the community and private sector also have important roles to play in protecting our society. By being vigilant and prepared, possible threats can be detected early, allowing for pre-emptive actions to be taken before an incident occurs.

6. Last month, a 37-year-old Singaporean man stabbed a priest at St. Joseph’s Church. He was arrested. While there is currently no evidence to suggest that this was an act of terror, the incident demonstrated the importance of being prepared for an emergency. The swift response by the members of the congregation helped prevent further harm to the priest, and possibly others. It is a reminder that we all play a part in building the resilience of our society to emergencies by staying alert, responding to threats appropriately and picking up life-saving skills.

Importance of Community Partnership

7. Through regular engagements with the Police and SCDF, our SSWG members are updated on the latest threats and protective measures. This strong community partnership is vital as it strengthens our collective ability to respond to crises confidently and effectively.

8. Besides participating in SCDF’s Responders Plus Programme, which covers basic firefighting, first aid and CPR-AED, our SSWG members have also been enhancing their preparedness and readiness by participating in table-top exercises. During these exercises, stakeholders of premises such as business owners, security officers and tenants are involved in discussions to review their security measures, validate their contingency plans and procedures. Since 2022, more than 100 table-top exercises have been conducted.

Recognising the Efforts of SSWG members

9. I would like to share the measures implemented by two of our SSWG members to enhance the safety and security of their premises and stakeholders.

10. 313@Somerset has implemented a dual security approach, combining trained security officers with patrol robots to ensure comprehensive coverage of their own premises. This dual security approach is supported by a Base Command Centre equipped with an extensive CCTV network for sensemaking and quick response to contingencies. First aid training is provided for all security officers and staff members to handle medical emergencies.

11. The second example is DHL Express’ implementation of a Security & Safety Awareness Module to enhance the security awareness of their staff and cultivate a culture of vigilance. The mandatory module trains all DHL staff to challenge any personnel seen on the premises without a staff identity card, and to look out for suspicious parcels. This is significant given the volume of parcels that DHL Express handles daily.

12. These examples are not exhaustive; there are many others that have put in place measures to enhance the security of their premises. In today’s ceremony, I think there will be opportunities for us where we can learn from each other, share good practices, and I think together come up with even more creative and innovative solutions where we can better enhance our safety and security.

TOPSIS Organisation Awards

13. This year marks the second time that we are presenting the TOPSIS Awards as part of the NSSWG Award Ceremony. TOPSIS, which stands for Threat-Oriented Person Screening Integrated System, is a security enhancement programme where high-risk persons are identified by trained personnel and subjected to enhanced checks.

14. The TOPSIS Awards recognise the exceptional efforts by our partners in sustaining their TOPSIS programmes by regularly training existing and new staff in TOPSIS, and conducting red-teaming to validate their reporting and response framework. These are important in maintaining a strong defence against terrorism.

15. I would like to highlight an example of how TOPSIS was applied successfully by a Transit Security Officer, Mr Lee Kok Meng. In November last year, Mr Lee, who was on duty at Gardens by the Bay MRT station, had noticed a commuter struggling with an unusually heavy bag. He proceeded to conduct enhanced checks on him and discovered electric cables in his bag. Mr Lee promptly reported the unusual situation to his supervisors, which eventually led to the commuter’s arrest for theft.

16. While this incident was not terror-related, it is yet another example of how everyone can play a part in keeping Singapore safe and secure. One can promptly reporting suspicious persons, objects or activities.

Conclusion

17. Keeping Singapore safe and secure is a collective effort. I hope that each and every one of us can help to spread the word, and continue to work with the Home Team to innovate and strengthen our efforts to address challenges posed by the evolving security landscape.

18. Once again, I would like to thank everyone and all members for your contributions and commitment to Singapore’s safety and security. Lastly, congratulations to all award recipients on your well-deserved awards!