Anti-terror exercises have to be taken seriously, says PM Lee

Exercise makes sure everything works: PM Lee

- Nadine Chua

Terror groups exist everywhere and Singapore is on their radar, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday.

That is why Singapore must be able to deal with a range of terror threats and know how to respond to them, he said.

The consequences can be quite disastrous if the country does not know how to react, and that can fracture society, he added.

PM Lee was speaking on Jurong Island following Exercise Northstar XI, a national-level exercise to test the readiness of agencies in the event of major crises ways wanted to find someone who is more like a friend to her 10-year-old son and can converse with him in Mandarin.

"I hope this allows him to know that the language is beautiful, and there are peers around him who speak this language well," added the 46-year-old part-time music teacher, who also homeschools her son.

While Ms Lim also teaches her son Chinese at home in skills such as spelling and writing, she said: "It is just rote learning, and there is not much enjoyment and motivation to do it other than to pass his tests.

That hardly helps a child to pick up the language." Some parents also find Xi En's method of teaching effective, with the inclusion of playtime.

Ms Josephine Kwok, who is in her 40s, said that instead of using a conventional classroom setting, Xi En sometimes teaches her six-yearold daughter while playing with dolls.

At times, they will even go to the playground and learn the related vocabulary.

"Although it is a one-hour journey to the class, my daughter does not dread going for it," said Ms Kwok, a housewife.

"Maybe, to her, she does not see it as tuition, but more like a play date, except that she is actually learning."

Wednesday's event involved more than 300 personnel from various organisations, including the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).