Commentary on SGSecure Social Experiments

The road traffic accident along Braddell Road on 27 May'25 [Photo by Nur Zanna] tells us much about the public spiritedness of people on this island, without the distressing and potentially deadly results of foisting a mock terror attack upon unsuspecting citizens.

Two lorries collided, with one spilling cooking gas cylinders around a burning lorry. As rescue services were activated, motorists who saw the crash did not wait.

Acting spontaneously, courageously and with no rehearsal, people like Ms Nur Zanna and her colleague Mr Addy Izwan formed a human chain to move the highly flammable cargo away from the flames. Others tried rescuing a trapped driver, who died later in hospital.

“I remember thinking, ‘If I die, I die doing a good deed and trying to help people’. It was a no-brainer,” Mr Addy told The Straits Times.

In a kill-or-be-killed terror attack scenario, not all will run, hide, and tell authorities what they saw.

Some people, like Mr Addy, will stand their ground.

I pity the unwise who opt to challenge, underestimate or dismiss the resolve of ordinary Singaporeans. Those who disrupt the peace in Singapore may find themselves in a FAFO situation - F*ck Around and Find Out.

Our city-state, the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, has over one million men who have been through National Service. Some served elite units like the Commandos, Guards, Naval Diving Unit, Police Special Operations Command and are highly trained to defend themselves or to cause hurt. There are thousands of retired Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team regulars out there, amongst us.

A not-small number of civilians pay good money to keep fit and get knocked about via contact sports. Kick boxing, Muay Thai, even Krav Maga are not as exotic as they were 41 years ago when Total Defence was launched.

In addition, from 11-year-old Primary Fivers who attend the National Education Show every year and millions more who have heard of Total Defence, we know security should never be taken for granted. To be honest, even after 41 years of TD, you will fight a losing battle trying to find anyone on the street who can name the six elements of TD. It doesn't matter. What we know from COVID, from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami relief ops, from SARS and from assorted household fires and road traffic accidents, like Tuesday's fatal one at Braddell Road, is the fact that Singaporeans can be counted on when the occasion demands.

Do not let the bitchin', complainin' and hard-to-please sense of entitlement fool you.

It is, therefore, somewhat worrying to learn about the "social experiments" planned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to test the public's response to terror threats.

An MHA press release titled "SGSecure Social Experiments" said: "The Ministry of Home Affairs will be conducting a series of controlled social experiments in our heartlands from early to mid-June 2025 to understand the level of public vigilance and response to terror threats.

"These experiments will involve planned scenarios with actors and realistic props, and will be executed with careful oversight to ensure that they are carried out safely, with minimal inconvenience to members of the public. Authorities will be on standby to safeguard the public during the exercise."

While we are a robust society for reasons outlined above, always remember we are also a fragile nation: An ageing society, a nation with a high suicide rate averaging one a day. Who knows what unseen troubles and social anxiety issues strangers around you struggle with. On top of all that, we are told to expect a no-notice "terror threat" as we are minding our own business in daily life?

If shocked bystanders go into cardiac arrest or have a panic attack, who will take responsibility? If citizens think the attack is real and disable or kill the "terrorists", are they wrong to neutralise the threat?

I sure hope the paid actors or whoever will stage the mock terror threat is adequately insured.

Cross that Red Line with a mock knife attack, active shooter or bomb threat scenario and you may find out the hard way not everyone will run, hide, tell.

Some WILL fight back.