Home Team Speeches
15 April 2009
The ISD Intelligence Service Promotion Ceremony - Speech By Mr Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister For Home Affairs, 15 April 2009
The Evolving Face of Terrorism
If there is one constant in security work, it is change. The security landscape is never static. New threats will arise, and old threats evolve and take new forms. Those responsible for the security of our country must always be ready to expect the unexpected. I had said two years ago that there are no boundaries to what the terrorists of today will not try, that they are limited only by their imagination and skills. We were reminded of this in November when they mounted a “swarm attack” by sea in Mumbai. Since then, we have witnessed similar fiyadeen-type attacks in Kabul and Lahore. It is clear from these incidents that terrorist modus operandi is not limited to suicide hijackers, vehicle bombs or improvised explosive devices. The range of targets has also expanded to include hospitals and sporting teams.
2 The terrorists’ aim is to impose their will by subjugating societies into submission, undermining existing political order and creating communal tensions. To achieve this, everything and everyone is fair game. They have no scruples killing women and children, the weak and the vulnerable. They will not stop at conventional explosives and small arms, but will try to procure chemical, biological and radiological weapons. Our water supplies, food supplies, info-communication systems, hotels and restaurants are all possible targets, not just government buildings and transport infrastructures.
3 If we allow ourselves to be lulled into complacency because there have been no major attacks in our region in the last few years, or dismiss lightly possible terrorist threats, we do so at our own peril. We have to sustain a high level of vigilance. For example, we have to work on the assumption that all the high profile events we are organising this year including sporting events such as the Asian Youth Games and Formula One race, are possible terrorist opportunities.
4 We know that the JI is still active in our region. There have been attempts by some members to regroup and rejuvenate their cause, including attempts to re-establish links with Al-Qaeda and militants in the Middle East. Other JI members are simply consolidating and biding their time because of the tough security actions by regional governments. We must be alert for signs that they and other radical groups are stepping up their recruitment efforts or militant activities. If they think that governments are preoccupied with elections and the global economic crisis, and would not pay attention to security issues, they may then try to capitalise on it to gain more ground.
2009: Other Security Challenges
5 In the year ahead, there are other security challenges we will face.
6 First, some local and foreign groups may use the APEC Summit in Singapore later this year to promote their agendas through unlawful means. They may try to instigate our citizens to break the law through acts of civil disobedience, like staging street protests and demonstrations. Some foreigners may themselves decide to come to Singapore to participate in such activities.
7 We have just seen the G20 protests in London. Thousands of protestors had taken to the streets, with the more violent among them damaging public property and business premises. In Thailand over the last one year, thousands of protestors have caused grave damage not just to physical property, but to livelihoods and the economy of the country as tourists are staying away. We have also seen on television street battles between protestors and authorities, causing injuries to many people and some have died as a result. I do not believe that Singaporeans would want such violence to happen here, and with what we have seen time and again in other countries, it would be naïve of us to believe that nothing untoward will happen during street demonstrations.
8 In Singapore, it is only a tiny group of irresponsible and selfish individuals who have been pushing this line of civil disobedience. They do not care for the interests and safety of other Singaporeans; they are only interested in themselves. There are avenues for them to express their views within the bounds of the law. Unlawful activities will not be tolerated. Parliament has just passed the Public Order Act to deal with those intent on disrupting public order. We will implement the law firmly. Similarly, while we welcome foreigners to Singapore, those who come here to subvert our laws will not be welcomed.
9 More critically, as many important heads of state and government will be here for the APEC Summit, we have to anticipate that it may attract terrorist interest. This is why we have to be very firm during that period with protestors and anarchists who may engage in acts of violence, or deliberately cause law and order problems. We cannot afford to be distracted from our graver mission of ensuring the security of the event, the delegates and Singaporeans against terrorists.
10 Secondly, during an economic downturn, it is natural for some people to turn to religion for comfort and support. The freedom of religion is guaranteed in our Constitution. Nevertheless, we must remember that Singapore is a secular, multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. It is only by keeping strictly to this most fundamental tenet that we will be able to hold together as a society, when each community is confident that they have an equal right to practise their faith, and that no one religion is above the others in the eyes of the state.
11 ISD has a critical responsibility in helping to ensure that individuals and incidents do not threaten our racial and religious harmony. ISD officers will have to continue to be on the alert for over-zealous elements or those who attempt to mix religion with politics. There is also a need to ensure that Singaporeans do not take actions or make irresponsible comments that could give rise to religious tensions. The media, on its part, must exercise responsibility and sensitivity when reporting on issues with racial and religious implications. Ethnic conflicts often start with small sparks.
12 The imperative to preserve social cohesion and communal harmony is non-negotiable in the best of times, but even greater in an economic downturn when the population is under stress.
Moving Ahead
13 I know that the past year has been a particularly difficult one for ISD. You had to face the reality that security lapses led to the escape of Mas Selamat Kastari. I know that ISD officers, more than any one else, were deeply pained over this. Years of hard, gruelling work that led to the successful disruption of terrorist plots and the capture of numerous terrorists were set back by that lapse. Years of quiet work in the background successfully dealing with potentially explosive race and religious incidents, espionage and other security threats, have been overshadowed.
14 It has been and continues to be a testing time for the Department. I understand that at one time or another, officers from all the various commands have been deployed to work on the case which for some, involved taking on an entirely new type of assignment for the first time in their career. I have been regularly updated on the Department’s efforts to track Mas Selamat Kastari down. I have no doubt of your determination. I have confidence that with patience – which has always been a virtue of the Department – we will recapture him. The keen sense of fellowship and camaraderie among ISD officers, of being one family through thick and thin, that I have seen particularly during this trying episode, will see you through this, and make all of you even stronger.
15 Most importantly, I am happy to see that ISD officers have not allowed the setback to dishearten or distract you from your mission of countering the multi-faceted security threats we face. Even as you continue to hunt for Mas Selamat Kastari, you have been equally unrelenting in monitoring and tackling other security threats, at times, I know, stretching yourselves beyond the limits.
16 These are challenging times as we navigate through uncharted economic storms. The security milieu is not spared. ISD officers must maintain a keen sense of the pulse of society, keep your eye on the ball, and meet the security challenges head on, staying resolute in your mission to maintain the internal security and stability of our country.
17 Let me end by congratulating the deserving officers who have been promoted. I would also like to commend all ISD officers for your contributions and sacrifices through a very challenging year. Thank you.
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