Desmond Lee: Singapore businesses to apply measures to guard against security threats

Businesses will be required to apply certain measures to guard against security threats in an effort to boost public safety, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Lee said in his ministry’s Committee of Supply session in Parliament on Friday (3 Mar).
He said the Public Order Act will be amended to require certain events to implement security measures. Also, the Government will introduce a Bill to enact a new Infrastructure Protection Act.
Mr Lee acknowledged that in putting together the new requirements, the Government is mindful of the potential impact on businesses. “It will take a practical approach in order to keep the cost of such measures reasonable,” he said.
“This is a cost which terrorism has imposed on society as a whole, the Government has borne a significant share of this cost and communities have been roped in to play their part through SGSecure.”
“And we seek the business community’s understanding that these measures are necessary as a shared effort to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe,” Mr Lee said.
Mr Lee also said that the private security industry is another important partner in ensuring Singapore’s safety and security.
“MHA will work with tripartite partners to develop an Industry Transformation Map for the industry, with a strong focus on innovation and technology, as well as upgrading of jobs and skills,” he said.
Mr Lee reminded that ensuring Singapore’s safety and security continues to be a shared responsibility between the Home Team and the public. The Home Team includes the Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Prisons Service and the Central Narcotics Bureau.
MHA has increased efforts to strengthen partnerships between the Home Team and the community, Mr Lee said. In one of the efforts, SCDF’s Save-a-Life, members of the public have been trained to provide an initial response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases.
Currently about 2,000 residents have been trained in CPR-AED skills under the initiative. The aim is to train more than 24,000 residents, or 300 per constituency.
Mr Lee also urged more people to download and use the SCDF’s myResponder mobile app, an app to alert its users if there is a report of somebody having a cardiac arrest nearby. It also will highlight the locations of nearby Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).