SINGAPORE – Singapore has not had many serious public order incidents in recent decades, but needs to be prepared, said Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Friday.
Situations may turn negative very quickly, such as in the 2019 Hong Kong protests, the 2021 Capitol riots in the United States, and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting, he added.
He made these remarks at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the police’s Special Operations Command (SOC), held in the afternoon at the Home Team Tactical Centre in Mandai.
The SOC is an elite force of more than 900 officers who safeguard the nation against public disorder and security threats.
It includes the Special Tactics and Rescue Unit, the K-9 unit that trains police dogs, and the Police Tactical Unit (PTU) that responds to armed criminals and terrorist incidents.
In his speech, Mr Shanmugam said the Hong Kong police, which were once known as Asia’s finest police force, were well trained and highly respected. But in the 2019 protests, they were handicapped by their law and could not take action until the protests turned violent.
Said Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Law: “By the time the protests turn violent, police are in a very difficult situation. It is almost impossible to deal with it without resorting to force.”
He added: “Overnight, the situation in Hong Kong changed.”
The Government’s role is to deal with societal issues and fault lines upfront, and create policies that bring harmony and peace, to avoid reaching the point where SOC would need to be activated in the first place, said Mr Shanmugam.
But while Singapore continues with its policies, it will also invest heavily in troops like the SOC and strengthen their capabilities.
Currently, SOC’s officers go through intensive training to equip them with tactical capabilities needed to take firm and decisive action.
The training also builds their emotional resilience, so officers can remain calm and effective during severe stress, said Mr Shanmugam.
He said Singapore also invests in the latest technologies and equipment, such as tactical unmanned aerial vehicles and cameras mounted on police dogs.
The anniversary celebrations on Friday included a parade of more than 70 officers from various SOC units and other units it oversees, such as the Crisis Negotiation Unit, Special Women Task Team and United Nations Peacekeeping Force.
The parade showcased SOC’s iconic red Tactical Vehicles, complete with sirens blaring. The vehicles are usually used by the PTU in public order incidents.
Its black Tactical Strike Vehicles, which have an armoured body that can shield officers from bullets, also made an appearance, along with officers from the Rapid Deployment Troops, who rode black motorcycles.
The motorcycles were introduced after the 2013 Little India riots to ensure that officers can manoeuvre through traffic to reach incident sites quickly.
PTU officers clad in black riot gear from head to toe marched forward while striking their shields with batons as a sea of SOC officers in red berets observed the parade.
Mr Shanmugam, Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck, and SOC commander Arthur Law, who is also a senior assistant commissioner of police, launched a time capsule to be opened in 30 years at SOC’s 100th anniversary.
They placed three items in the capsule: a collage of patches, including a 70th anniversary patch and patches of different SOC units; an SOC Challenge Coin representing the bond between the officers; and a red beret worn by SOC officers, symbolising bravery and sacrifice.
The SOC began in 1953 as the Reserve Unit, formed following the Maria Hertogh racial riots.
The officers were trained to deal with public order incidents, and subsequently played a critical role in managing incidents such as the Hock Lee bus riots, Pulau Senang prison riot and racial riots.
The Reserve Unit was later renamed the Police Task Force in 1980, and merged with two other police units – the Police Tactical Team and Police Dog Unit – in 1992 to form SOC, as it is known today.
