GREATER DANGERS TO MUTUAL TRUST AND SOCIAL COHESION
Terrorist groups in these faraway places were serious threats to Singapore.
But for multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore, terrorism was not just a threat to our physical safety. The greater danger was to our mutual trust and social cohesion.
In the face of jihadist terrorism, and especially after several Singaporean members of the JI were detained, non-Muslims in Singapore could easily have become fearful and suspicious of their Muslim neighbours, colleagues and friends.
And Muslims in turn, feeling distrusted and threatened, could have closed in on themselves. We would have been divided by race and religion. And if an attack had actually taken place here, our society could have been torn apart.
But we drew on the trust built up over many years among our different communities and with the Government, overcoming sensitive issues together in an even-handed way for the collective good.
In an existential crisis, Singaporeans instinctively pulled together, and responded strongly and cohesively to keep ourselves safe.
Community and religious leaders from all groups and faiths came out to condemn the terrorist attacks, and stood in solidarity with one another. In particular, Muslim leaders were forthright in repudiating the terrorists, and they guided the community on the true teachings of Islam.
Non-Muslim leaders too spoke up in support of religious tolerance and to express confidence in their fellow Singaporeans.
The Government held open discussions with leaders of all groups, so that everyone understood the stakes, and that the public signal was clear and reassuring.
We gave closed door briefings to the key leaders, to take them into confidence and share with them sensitive intelligence and threat assessments.
At the grassroots, we organised Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles all over Singapore. These local networks of leaders who knew and trusted one another were meant to manage any racial and religious tensions after a terrorist attack.
REHABILITATION AND STRENGTHENED RACIAL HARMONY
We also sought to rehabilitate those led astray by the violent extremist ideology. This relied on close partnership between the Government and the Muslim community.
Respected Muslim leaders like Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed and Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi bin Hassan formed the Religious Rehabilitation Group.
They laboured patiently and unremittingly to persuade these individuals of the error of their ways, and guide them back to become good Muslims and citizens.
Several Muslim organisations came together to form the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group.
They helped these individuals put their lives back on track, and provided social, emotional and financial support to their families. Happily, in most cases, these efforts succeeded.
Because we did all this, our racial and religious harmony held, and indeed strengthened. This was vital, as the threat was real and continuing.
In the years since 9/11, we witnessed the Bali bombings, attacks in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, and the siege of Marawi in Southern Philippines.