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Jan 30, 2010
Don't take our role in national security for granted
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I WAS shopping at Ikea in Alexandra on Thursday night when I noticed an overstuffed laptop-size bag on the first floor. I asked shoppers nearby if the bag belonged to anyone, but received only negative responses and bewildered looks.
Being security-conscious, I took this as a potential bomb threat and hastily alerted an Ikea employee who was manning that section of the store, informing her that there was an unattended bulky bag lying nearby, and led her to it.
I expected her to contact a member of the security staff who should be well drilled to handle such situations. To my surprise, she simply walked to the bag, picked it up nonchalantly, and headed towards the 'lost and found' section.
I do not know if her behaviour or the lack of action from other shoppers nearby is indicative of the attitude of most Singaporeans towards potential hazards and bomb threats. If so, it is worrying that Singaporeans take national security for granted.
I do not believe we need a wake-up call in terms of a terrorism-related disaster in a neighbouring country or even our own before we change our attitude towards national security.
Yeo Jin Pheng
Don't take our role in national security for granted
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<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
I WAS shopping at Ikea in Alexandra on Thursday night when I noticed an overstuffed laptop-size bag on the first floor. I asked shoppers nearby if the bag belonged to anyone, but received only negative responses and bewildered looks.
Being security-conscious, I took this as a potential bomb threat and hastily alerted an Ikea employee who was manning that section of the store, informing her that there was an unattended bulky bag lying nearby, and led her to it.
I expected her to contact a member of the security staff who should be well drilled to handle such situations. To my surprise, she simply walked to the bag, picked it up nonchalantly, and headed towards the 'lost and found' section.
I do not know if her behaviour or the lack of action from other shoppers nearby is indicative of the attitude of most Singaporeans towards potential hazards and bomb threats. If so, it is worrying that Singaporeans take national security for granted.
I do not believe we need a wake-up call in terms of a terrorism-related disaster in a neighbouring country or even our own before we change our attitude towards national security.
Yeo Jin Pheng
