SINGAPORE has stepped up its counter-terrorism efforts a notch, with an SMS alert system enabling authorities to shoot immediate warnings to the public in the event of an attack, or any other emergencies.
According to Channel News Asia, the system will be ready by end-2017.
“This system will allow the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force to send one-way, text-based, localised SMS alerts to members of the public who are in the vicinity of an emergency, be it a terrorist attack or a major civil incident.
“The SMS alerts warn people of the danger near them and give them appropriate advice on how they can and should respond,” according to Home Team News, the official e-magazine for the Home Affairs Ministry.
Coordinating minister for National Security and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean reportedly announced the system during the fourth revamped Emergency Preparedness Day in Pasir Ris on Saturday.
The location-based SMS alert system is part of the raft of efforts launched by the island state government to combat terrorism, chiefly the SGSecure national movement, which aims to prepare the public to deal with incidents like terrorist attacks.
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Last month, the SGSecure mobile application was launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The app, which has shares the same purpose as the SMS alert system, enables local police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to send important alerts to the public during terrorist attacks.
The app is a “one-stop portal for members of the public to download useful informatioon on counter-terrorism and to receive alerts in the event of major emergencies in Singapore,“ Channel News Asia’s Sept 24 report said, quoting the Home Affairs Ministry.
But according to Teo when explaining the purpose of the SMS system on Saturday, Singapore cannot rely solely on a single mechanism as its mode of communications during an emergency.
“Not everyone may have downloaded the SGSecure app. Some might not have turned on the location function to receive location advisories on the SGSecure app. And some of us may still not be familiar with apps or we may have older 2G phones which don’t support apps,” he was quoted saying.
“We still want all of them to receive our alerts. So we will therefore have additional platforms to reach out to a wider group of people.”
The report added that StarHub is currently the only telecommunications service provider to have implemented the SMS system. Others will follow suit by end-2017.
Singapore’s security agencies have been on alert since August after six terror suspects were nabbed for allegedly trying to hit Marina Bay with rockets fired from Batam.
SEE ALSO: Indonesian cops arrest 6 men, thwart terror plot to attack Singapore’s Marina Bay
In his speech during the National Day Rally in August, PM Lee revealed that the police have been quietly acting on information suggesting “definitive” plots by terrorists targeting popular areas in the island state.
Earlier this month, Singapore’s defence minister issued a warning about the rising threat of terrorism in Southeast Asia, which is home to many homegrown militant groups and Islamist fighters linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror network.
SEE ALSO: Islamic State publishes Malay-language newsletter to attract more supporters in SEA
The post Singapore: SMS alert system for terrorist attacks ready by end-2017 appeared first on Asian Correspondent.
