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| Executive Travel: Singapore |
Traveling Wisely
Daniel DelRe
09/01/2005
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Singapore’s government is so security-conscious that karate schools must
register with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Firearms are illegal, and minor
public indiscretions can land a traveler in jail overnight. Policies like these
keep crime to a minimum; Singapore endured only 763 acts of street violence per 100,000 residents in 2002,
compared with 4,409 per 100,000 residents in U.S. metropolitan areas.
But
this tranquility contrasts with the dangers lurking just offshore. Al Qaeda
affiliates have sprung up in neighboring Indonesia and the Philippines.
Singapore’s Internal Security Department has linked these groups to threats
against public infrastructure and Western targets in the region. Modern day
pirates have also turned the international waters around Singapore into some of
the world’s most lawless maritime trade routes, with the number of recent
incidents surpassing levels seen in the waters of South America, Africa or the
Caribbean.
Authorities have responded vigorously to security threats by
cracking down on local groups suspected of terrorist affiliations, beefing up
internal security and coordinating efforts between the navy and coast guard to
protect ports and trade routes.
“The government is very security-minded, and
has in place a number of highly efficient programs to keep citizens, tourists
and commercial interests safe,” says Alex Morrison of Kroll Security
International, a subsidiary of the global risk consultancy. The security
precautions executives take in the U.S. should be adequate for their travels
within Singapore.
Singaporean police have removed wastebaskets and dustbins
from the subway and public transportation depots to eliminate hiding places for
bombs and incendiary devices. They have also installed closed-circuit television
in subway stations and on trains.
“The threat of a terrorist attack within
Singapore’s borders has been neutralized very effectively,” says Rohan
Gunaratna, a terrorism expert at the country’s Institute of Defense and
Strategic Studies. Since 9/11, the Internal Security Department has thwarted
attacks on U.S. military installations, water pipelines and Changi Airport.
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