FOLLOWING a tragic week filled with deadly suicide bombings across Belgium, Iraq, and Pakistan, Singaporeans have become increasingly wary, with most believing that their country could be next.
Three out of four Singaporeans think it is “only a matter of time” before the small island republic falls victim to a terrorist attack, according to a poll conducted by Singapore’s The Sunday Times recently.
An overwhelming 75.2 percent of those polled out of a total of 500 respondents answered “Yes” to whether they felt Singapore would ever face a terrorist attack.
While most respondents (54.2 percent) also believe that Singaporean authorities are prepared in the event of such an attack, 34.6 percent of them still have doubts.
Of those polled, the majority see Changi International Airport, also ranked as the world’s best airport in the 2016 World Airport Awards, as the likeliest target.
Private tutor Fred Tan, 57, told The Sunday Times: “We are a center for air travel, and people can go in and out of the airport easily. You can’t tell who’s a terrorist by how they look.”
The city-state’s bustling Central Business District and popular shopping destination Orchard Road are also considered probable targets.
The survey was carried out last week following the shocking suicide bombings in the Belgian capital of Brussels on Tuesday, which led to the deaths of up to 31 people and left more than 300 injured. Two bombers had blown themselves up at Brussels Airport, while a third had hit the city’s subway.
Many are concerned that a similar event could take place in Singapore due to the fact that it is a regional travel and business hub, as well as the Singaporean government’s support of countries actively fighting against the Islamic State militant group.
Singapore’s neighbors have also come under attack, most recently Indonesia, which saw its capital Jakarta struck by bombings in January this year that killed at least four civilians, further increasing the locals’ sense of unease. The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attacks.
An increasing number of arrests in the region involving those with connections to the terrorist group have also been made recently.
SEE ALSO: Malaysia arrests 15 for alleged links to Islamic State terror group
Due to increased security risks, Singaporean authorities have upped security checks, particularly at customs and immigration checkpoints and MRT stations.
The Straits Times reported Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam saying that Singapore was facing its highest terror threat level yet, following an announcement of the formation of a new quick-response police team and an increase of CCTV camera coverage in public areas across the island.
“It is no longer a question of whether an attack will take place, but really, when is an attack going to take place in Singapore, and we have to be prepared for that,” said Shanmugam.
The post Terrorist attacks: Singaporeans fear they could be next appeared first on Asian Correspondent.
