SGSecure, keep Singapore Safe

SGSecure (Singapore Secure) should not be new to Singapore. We see the logos on media, apps and campaigns. Outreach effort to reach school, communities and society. Our ministers are reminding us “Not If but When”.

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SGSecure app

We cannot only rely on security forces to protect us, everyone must be vigilant. SGSecure App allows us to report suspicious incidences and it can warn us to avoid incident areas too.

On one of our breakfast trips, we witnessed some SGSecure activities at Teck Ghee during Emergency Preparedness Day (EP), communities would get to witness how security forces handle disasters and incidences (especially terrorists related).

Community must trust and support each other, otherwise the perpetrators would have achieve their objectives. You might be surprised but some actually believe that Singapore’s racial-harmony happens by chance. With new immigrants in our melting pot, it will only get more challenging to gel everyone towards a common objective, that is

Keeping Singapore Safe.

Emergency Preparedness Day

The breakfast crowd witnessed how terrorists “kill” indiscriminately and took some hostages. Police and Protection forces were subsequently activated to subdue the bad guys.

Some of the take home message from our EP episode.

It might look a bit drama (staged), but we hope Singapore would be able to react to a real situation and stand strong in the aftermath.

Kids understand more about SGsecure’s take home message. One of it is “Run, Hide, Tell“. When it is not safe to call 999, we can sms 71999 to alert Police.

Everyone can apply “Press, Tie and Tell” to help another person.
In an emergency, ambulance might not reach us in time, and we need to alleviate a casualty’s condition and prolong his life. You need not be a first aider to apply some basic first aid skills.

Image credit SGSecure

Once situation under control, SCDF can evacuate the casualties and MP shake hands 🙂

Teaser 1. How many of you know about the nearest bomb shelter? I know Sengkang and Punggol MRT are not shelters, nearest one is at Buangkok MRT (refer SCDF website) .

I hesitate to mention HDB’s shelter storeroom, my family got six members, how to squeeze in?

Teaser 2.
In an earlier posts about 15th Feb, fall of Singapore during World War 2, I was not surprised that kids might not have any impression. Schools might let them prepare some sweet potatoes and social studies refresh the importance of history.

What was surprising was parents were not aware of significance of 15th Feb!

(but we all know 14th Feb Valentine’s)

 

Are Singaporeans really too complacent and naive when it comes to security matters?

Teaser 3.
How many kids were born when United States WTC (World Trade Centres) went down during event 911 (in 2001)? Till today, we still cannot fathom why terrorists would ram jets into buildings! Or do the kids even remember the riots in Little India?

 

Image credit SGSecure

War need not longer be conventional, other countries and ideologies might just need to engage in cyber attacks (fake news) to sow mistrust and break our social fabric and turn communities against one another.

Marawi is not exactly far from Singapore. We hear about radicals and extremists in Malaysia and Indonesia. Even Singaporeans are being radicalised!

Even if the terrorists are not on our shore yet, Singaporeans love to travel. We better know how to respond and evacuate during an emergency.

Video (YouTube link): Drilling the kids on fire evacuation

 

Do pop by other security related posts on our blog -> https://sengkangbabies.com/tag/sgsecure  (Some topics include First aid kits and extinguishers at home, HDB evacuation)

Look out for the next Emergency Preparedness Day scheduled from MHA link (Ministry of Home Affairs). We would recommend these three venues for the next family outing.

EPC (SCDF)
Harmony in Diversity gallery)
– Fire stations open house

Fire station open house

More about SGSecure and Police Repsonses on YouTube:
SGSecure
Run Hide Tell

ps..

(I am not talking about all the fake news online yet, it will be challenging for us to identify what is true and false in an emergency) 

Visit to Harmony In Diversity Gallery

[ Media Invite ]

What does SG Secure means to you?
The kids were not even born when 911 terrorism striked World Trade Centers. 15 years later, I still cannot fathom why anyone would want to drive Boeing 747s into buildings!

2016 National Day Rally, PM Lee mentioned that terrorism is getting nearer to our shores. Not a matter of IF but WHEN.

Chilling thought, but this is the World which our kids will inherit.
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Protecting Singapore is not just the job of our security agencies or armed forces. It requires every citizen to be vigilant and if the unthinkable should happen, we must carry on with our way of life.

Go to school or work place, do your grocery shopping and commute as per normal.
If we allowed terrorists to disrupt our lifestyles, to allow fanatics to tear our communities apart, we would have been defeated, Singapore would cease to exist.

In that context, I thought it was timely to orientate the kids with Singapore’s multi-ethnic society at Harmony In Diversity Gallery (HDG).
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There are four sections within Harmony In Diversity Gallery.
– Gallery One: Journey of Faith
– Gallery Two: Seeking what is Common
– Gallery Three: Many Faiths, One People
– Gallery Four: WE, THE PEOPLE OF SINGAPORE

Ten religions from Singapore are featured in the gallery, I admit I only know the main religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christians etc) from the main races makeup in Singapore.
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Q&A, no right or wrong answer, follow your heart. We are tested on our understanding of inter-faith relationships in Singapore.
Sample question “Are all Indians Hindus?
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Viewing a running commentary of how the Maria Hertogh riots happened in Singapore. There are plenty of interactions within the different sections.
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Harmony In Diversity Gallery

Fortunately for us, we do not have to read about terrorists attacks on our soil yet. But these newspaper clippings proved our forefathers’ lived through the turmoils in the 50s and 60s.
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Two generations have grown up in stable Singapore, it is always a challenge to remind my kids to treasure Singapore’s peace and not take our religious harmony for granted.
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Singapore’s policies aim to be secular, so that everyone can practice their faiths with freedom. However, there are laws to protect Singapore’s state of religious harmony (just in case some fanatics, not necessary Muslim, decide to preach hate rhetorics which pits races and religions against each other).

In my own view, people who claim “freedom of speech” to blemish other faiths is all bullshit. I hope my kids will be accountable and responsible (sensitive too!) for words coming from their own mouth.
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Looking for common grounds among the inter-faiths. It is always easier and more effective to work together based on our common strengths.

I truly believe that all Religions teach us to do good, it is only humans who distort teachings to suit their own agenda.
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Meditation and Fasting across religions, and I thought only Muslims Fast during Ramadan 🙂
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We learned that beads are used by many Faiths.
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Golden Rules among the religions in Singapore, common traits like charities and giving back to societies, helping the weak.
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Contributing and improving the standard of Health, Education and Charities.
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Different areas of worship and their significance. Example of Chinese and Indian temples (Waterloo’s Sri Krishnan and Kwan Im ) devotees visiting both temples to seek blessings.
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Shared experiences and memories among Singapore’s different ethnic and religious makeup. Interactions along common areas like coffeeshops, void decks and letter boxes.
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We have seen so many weddings and funerals in nearby vicinity, which is unique in Singapore. What is remarkable is everyone is accommodating and understanding.
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Coffee shops where everyone mingles regardless of our faiths and believes.
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Kids will have some clue books and tasks to complete during their tour. This might help them to understand Singapore’s unique diversity and better appreciate our differences.
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In the last gallery, we each pledge to make Singapore better. I wish to expose my kids to more of Singapore’s various cultures.
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To quote from HDG “Will we let our differences divide us or our commonalities unite us?“. Embrace each other’s differences 🙂

More info about Harmony in Diversity Gallery :
– Website – https://www.harmonyindiversitygallery.sg
Facebook
– Ministry of National Development (MND) Building Annexe B, 7 Maxwell Road, #04-05/06, Singapore 069111
– Entrance is free and open to public, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
– Nearest MRT is Tanjong Pagar (5 min walk)

* Singapore SG Secure initiative (link)
** Harmony in Diversity Gallery should not be confused with The Harmony Centre (An-Nahdhah Mosque) in Bishan

You might be interested to know how SengkangBabies prepare for emergency or our thoughts on racism in Singapore :
https://sengkangbabies.com/family-2/trip-emergency-preparedness-centre
https://sengkangbabies.com/parenting/stay-prepared-in-an-emergency
https://sengkangbabies.com/campaign/total-defence
https://sengkangbabies.com/parenting/what-can-we-learn-from-the-riot
https://sengkangbabies.com/parenting/are-you-a-racist