Singapore has been stepping up efforts to equip people to deal with terror incidents, through its Let’s Stand Together campaign and the SGSecure national movement. One of SGSecure’s goals is to have at least one person in every household trained to respond to a crisis.

Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said being prepared can also help when travelling abroad. It is important for people to be aware of the latest security situation, news updates and national security advisories, as this would help them react in an attack.

“The basic message of ‘run, hide, tell’ is already out there,” he said, citing the police advisory on what to do when caught in a terror attack. “The question is, when something happens, will we be able to respond?”

His advice for Singaporeans travelling abroad for the holidays is: “Have a plan, be aware of where the exits are, pay attention to the national advisories and be alert but not alarmed.”