Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng told local newspaper Today that there will be no immediate warning of the exercises, which will take place in November or December in the MRT subway and overhead rail network.

"Please cooperate with us, please carry on as normal, but at the same time please play a part. But as to when it will happen, we will not say," said Wong, who was recently appointed deputy prime minister in addition to his home affairs post.

"There is no warning by terrorists before they bomb a station," he said.

Wong expressed admiration for the generally calm way Londoners reacted to the July 7 subway and bus attacks that left 56 people dead, including four presumed suicide bombers, and expressed hope that Singaporeans would behave in similar fashion.

He said that when he heard about the London attacks, "I thought, despite all the preparations they've made, it has happened to them."

"Which means, despite all the preparations that we're making, or have made, it can happen to us," he said.

Singapore police officers visited the British capital soon after the attacks to see what lessons could be learned, but Wong declined to give details.

"The last thing you want to do is to let the enemy know what you're doing," he said.

"We've learned a lot. And in time, we'll share that with others. But looking at how Londoners reacted to the bombing, and how they went about their normal lives, I think that is something Singaporeans should learn," he said.

Singapore has regularly warned its citizens that the country remains a prime target for militant groups because of its close association with the US government and tough stance against Islamic radicals.

French anti-terrorist expert Jean-Louis Bruguiere said recently that financial capitals such as Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney could be attacked by Al-Qaeda to undermine investor confidence in the region.

Singapore officials said they were taking the warning seriously even though no specific threats to the city-state were mentioned.

More than 30 Muslim Singaporeans suspected of belonging to the allegedly Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah movement are being held under the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial.

Some analysts say Singapore might be a tempting target not only because of its US links but also because of its reputation for having a sophisticated internal security system.

As a result, any extremist attack in Singapore would have a more dramatic impact than a similar incident in a less secure country, they say.

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