Trust among S'poreans is armour against radicalisation: Masagos

The trust that Singaporeans have in one another should be built up and not taken for granted, to ensure that extremists seeking to divide the country do not succeed, said Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.

- Natasha Ann Zachariah

He said that over the years, much has been invested to foster mutual trust and understanding within and between communities. That trust that Singaporeans share is the country's "armour", said Mr Masagos.

Speaking at the inaugural Tampines Unite Gathering on Oct 27, he said that it has been a particularly difficult time for the community in the area, given the recent news of a planned terror attack by a 17-year-old Singaporean that was foiled by the authorities.

The gathering was held at the open plaza between Block 826 and Block 828 in Tampines Street 81 - the site where the teen had planned to carry out his plan to stab non-Muslim men.

In a press statement on Oct 18, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said the self-radicalised teen, who was a supporter of terror group ISIS, was arrested in August under the Internal Security Act (ISA). He was issued a two-year order of detention in September.

Mr Masagos, an MP for Tampines GRC, said that while no lives were lost, some residents may worry about their safety, or question if they could trust others in the community, especially those who are of a different race, language or religion.