TERRORISM


Terrorism comes is many forms. Over the past few years, terrorists come up with all sorts of plans, have gone out of their way just to prove their point. The Bali bombings, September 11, 2001 attacks and rebellions are just a couple of examples.

I never really cared much about terrorism. Of course, I heard about it, read about it all the time, was taught in school and knew of the extreme precautions being taken. But I had always been ignorant. I’d always thought that the initial ‘hoo-ha’ on terrorists would die down after a while. I vividly recall going to America around two years ago. All I did was whine, groan and grumble at the airport. No, not because the queues were long but because we had to go past millions of checks. The security there is extremely tight naturally, being a popular terrorist target. But I found the various scans, the confiscation of food utterly ridiculous. The men parading around the airport in blue were mercilessly made fun of at by my sister and I.

Now, I have realized that Singapore was one inch away from being attacked. Our cosy and calm lifestyle was almost destroyed by one man’s plans to crash a plane into our renown airport. One can only imagine what would have happened if Mas Selamat bin Kastari had not been caught before he carried his plan out.


One cannot really say where he is or what he is doing at this very moment. Reports have been given of him being seen in the wilderness near Bukit Timah. Who knows what he’s doing or what other plot he is hatching now. We can only hope and pray that he is caught as soon as possible.But, my heart goes out to his family, his wife and 5 children. All this must be affecting them ten times as much as what it is doing to us.