Hardly a week passes without the government announcing one new measure or another to protect itself from terrorist attacks.

Since Sept 11, 2001, few countries outside America have felt as threatened or vulnerable as affluent Singapore.

Some observers call it paranoid, but for its 4 million residents, this extreme preoccupation is reassuring.

A small densely populated city, Singapore is a base for major Western corporations and an ally of the US in the war against terrorism.

Since independence, excessive worrying has been its national trait for several reasons, its size, lack of natural resources and dependence on others on almost everything for its survival.

It is turning to high technology, trained personnel and co-ordinated efforts with other friends to protect itself, particularly its entry points, strategic facilities and crowded public places.

One reason is, of course, the recent rise in terrorism worldwide. Singapore sees itself a prime target in South-East Asia.

Secondly, the island is emerging from its worst economic crisis and is lining up vibrant plans for future growth that include multi-billion dollar projects for tourism and entertainment.

Orchard Road is being revamped and the Bras Basah-Bugis area will be developed into a large entertainment centre. In fact, the city is about to grant approval to 240 nightspots – regarded as soft bombing targets – to operate 24 hours.

Billions will be invested to develop Sentosa Island into a resort for the rich and famous, a fun place with a casino. The terrorism threat is long-term, and security has become a way of life.

From June 1, unarmed guards have begun to patrol train and bus stations to check commuters at random.

The uniformed men have authority to investigate personal belongings and the power to arrest without a warrant. Commuters may be asked to empty their pockets, but there will be no body searches.

Announcers regularly appeal to passengers to be alert and report on any parcel lying around unattended.

Bins have been removed from platforms and concourses and from bus interchanges to prevent explosives being placed there.

The authorities may decide to put armed marshals on board MRT trains, which carry a million passengers a day.

Soldiers patrol the airport, border crossings and strategic chemical businesses. Armed guards are already operating on some SIA flights and seaports are aggressively patrolled.

Recently Singapore carried out its first joint exercise to fight off a terrorist attack on board a cargo ship in the world’s second-busiest port.

Coast guard commandos stormed the ship to locate and set off a bomb on board. Observers from the UN, the US Coast Guard and China’s maritime security agency watched the simulated attack.

Of late, Singapore’s worries about a maritime attack have increased, centred on the possible hijacking of a ship in the Strait of Malacca, loading it with explosives and ramming it into its busy port.

The city has offered the use of Changi Naval Base, with its state-of-the-art technology, to the navies of friendly countries to work together to combat terrorism.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean has warned that the measures taken by Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia were not enough to stop an attack in the strait.

If one were to take place, he said, some 50,000 ships would have to re-route, freight and insurance rates would skyrocket and world trade would be disrupted.

About 30% of the world’s trade and 80% of Japan’s crude oil is transported through the strait, a narrow corridor between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

In 2001, the government foiled a plot to bomb targets in Singapore, including an MRT station, Western embassies as well as military and government buildings. Thirty-seven suspected plotters from the Jemaah Islamiah militant group were arrested.

By year-end, immigration officials will be able to scan the passports of all travellers in a new S$9mil (M$20mil) system.

Photographs and personal details captured by the system will be automatically checked against a “blacklist” to keep out wanted criminals, terrorist suspects and other undesirables.

The Matrix system will be set up at all land, sea and air checkpoints and is more sophisticated than the existing system, which captures only the data on the machine-readable zone of a passport.

“There is no room for complacency as the terrorists can afford to fail many times but just need to succeed once,” said Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng. “We cannot afford to fail even once.”

Other security moves:

+PLANS are afoot to introduce biometric eye scans to clear motorcyclists at its checkpoints next year.

By year-end, Changi Airport will operate a new S$80mil (M$177.5mil) x-ray system to speed up the inspection of luggage, making obsolete the hand-held or mobile x-ray scanners now used.

+THE Navy has been supplied with new anti-missile missiles and quick-firing guns to boost ability to tackle fast-boats steered by terrorists on suicide missions.

+ A NEW anti-terrorism canine unit, Police K9, has been set up to house and train 160 dogs to detect explosives.

+A NEW uniformed group for students to learn to handle emergencies, firefighting, rescue and evacuation drills that are useful in a terrorist attack.

+MORE police reserves have been deployed to protect commercial buildings and places popular with expatriates. Car parks at tourist nightspots have been cleared.

An adverse effect, some observers believe, is that many citizens have become over-dependent on the government for security, a dangerous disinterest in the war against terrorism.

In a recent poll, 57% believed Singapore was a terrorist target, but an overwhelming 97% said they were confident the Government would prevent it.

Despite the tough security, nine out of 10 Singaporeans see no change in their lifestyles.

Obviously, the government is more worried about the threat of terrorist attacks more than declining economic fundamentals, but the people see the opposite.

“I have confidence in our security,” said one respondent, reflecting a general viewpoint.

“But I’m more worried about the survival of my family than I am about terrorism. With the economy so bad, I’m more worried about having enough money to pay the bills.”

o Seah Chiang Nee is a veteran journalist and editor of the information website littlespeck.com (e-mail: cnseah2000@ littlespeck.com )

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