TERRORIST TARGETS (Strengthening of security measures)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what steps have been taken or will be taken to strengthen security at possible terrorist targets such as major hotels, tourist and other public areas; and (b) whether security and other allied personnel will be given more training to enhance their capabilities to identify and prevent possible terrorist attacks.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, we have increased our security measures since September 11th. These have been further raised following the Bali bombing incident in October 2002. We now conduct 100% security checks on all arriving persons and their belongings at our land and sea checkpoints. All vehicles passing our land checkpoints are checked. Our vital installations and high-risk establishments are guarded round the clock. These include Changi Airport, Jurong Island and foreign embassies assessed to be under threat.

We have also hardened the so-called "soft" targets such as hotels, pubs, large entertainment outlets frequented by foreigners and locals, as well as key commercial and shopping areas. Besides increasing Police patrols and deploying guards, road engineering and infrastructure works have also been carried out to enhance security. While the public may suffer some inconvenience, these works are necessary to enhance security.

The community's partnership is important in our fight against terrorism. The Government cannot do it alone. While the Government would do all it can to safeguard the level of security in Singapore, business and building owners also have to safeguard the security of their own buildings. Each building's management has a part to play.

My Ministry has been proactively engaging specific groups, such as hotel operators and owners of large commercial buildings to brief them on the current threat assessment and measures that they should take to guard against a terrorist attack. For example, following the Jakarta's Marriott Hotel bombing on 5th August, hotel operators and owners of large commercial buildings were briefed by the Ministry of Home Affairs the very next day on security measures to take. This had a positive impact. I am sure Members would have read the newspaper reports of a visible increase in the security measures of hotels and other public places.

However, much more can be done. The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, Dr Tony Tan and myself, will be meeting the top management of hotel operators, shopping centres, property holding and management companies, to impress upon them the need to work in partnership with the security agencies to further enhance security measures for their buildings. The briefing will be held on 2nd September.

Dealing with the current security situation requires the collective efforts of the community, the private sector and the security guard agencies. The Police has put in place the National Skills Recognition Scheme (NSRS), an accreditation scheme where private security agencies will be rated based on the training and capabilities of their security guards. This grading exercise should motivate security guard agencies to enhance the training of their guards beyond the minimal level imposed by the Police. The grading system will also provide the customers with better information in their selection of security guard agencies.

Besides encouraging private security agencies to upgrade their skills, the training provided would also upgrade the skills and competency level of the private security agencies. One of the core competencies identified under the scheme is the handling of bomb threats. This will ensure that security guards deployed at commercial buildings are equipped with the necessary skills to deal with the terrorist threat.

Security is now everyone's responsibility. Only through working together can we weather this period of uncertainty to ensure better security in Singapore.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (Hong Kah): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how many security agencies have actually come forward to subscribe to the NSRS for security guards, and if there are any plans to incentivise these security agencies to come forward to submit themselves to the NSRS training.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: For any security guard agency to continue to hold a licence, they will need to certify their guards. A grading system will be given to the guard agencies according to the percentage of guards that they have trained under the skills certification programme. The information will be available to all users who want to hire security guards from such agencies. They will then have a better idea on who, among them, have better-trained or more trained staff to deal with the issues that they have in hand.