In light of news in our neighbouring countries of terror attacks and violence, it’s no surprise our authorities are scrambling to tighten security.
This also comes after three female domestic workers were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and were investigated for terrorism financing.
Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam Quells Our Worries
No fear because Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam is here, though. He quells some of our worries in a written Parliamentary answer.
On 7 October 2019, he revealed that the Singapore authorities do have a security screening for new foreign workers who enter Singapore.
“We have to stay vigilant, to identify and take actions against individuals who pose a threat to Singapore’s security,” he wrote.
“Members of the community, such as family, friends, employers and colleagues, should come forward if they suspect that someone they know might be involved in terrorism-related activities.”
Security Screenings Might Not Identify Those Radicalised After Working Here
Don’t rest on your laurels just yet though.
Apparently, these screenings can only identify individuals with past records and cannot identify those who are radicalised after they have already worked here.
Now that’s pretty worrying. Luckily, there are some other measures that the authorities have put into place.
Settling-in programme for FDWs To Include Counter-terrorism Module
Just like us Singaporeans, FDWs too have to go to “school” and take modules. For them though, their modules will be a part of the settling-in programme when they first arrive.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is working closely with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to carry out a counter-terrorism module.
So you must be wondering, what exactly is this Settling-In Programme, anyway?
To put it simply, it’s a way to introduce domestic workers to important information they should be aware of when they begin work in Singapore. The Settling-In Programme has been in place since way back in 2012.
These include conditions of employment, work safety and stress management.
This counter-terrorism module was added in 2017 and teaches them what they should and should not do, tell-tale signs of a person who has been radicalised and how to contact the police.
MOM also educates employers of foreign domestic workers on what traits to look out for in someone who may be radicalised or have participated in terrorism-related activities.
Of course, there is never a full-proof way, but as long as everyone remains vigilant, we may sleep another night at ease.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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