MHA said the incident showed the value of being prepared for emergencies, as such attacks can happen anytime and anywhere despite being relatively rare in Singapore.
“Like the two men who helped to deal with the attack, and members of the congregation who provided first aid to the priest, we can all play our part to build up the resilience of our society to emergencies by staying alert, responding to threats appropriately, and picking up life-saving skills such as first-aid, the use of AED devices and cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” the ministry said.
“These skills can make a difference between life and death, and are critical before the authorities arrive on scene, as in this incident.”
St Joseph’s Church had been represented last month at the most recent Bukit Panjang Town Community Response Roundtable (CRRT).
The CRRT initiative is part of the SGSecure national movement, which seeks to build relationships and strengthen crisis preparedness amongst key community stakeholders.
MHA said it and the People’s Association are currently working with the Bukit Panjang Town CRRT to disseminate information to their partners and stakeholders, and to surface any concerns that might arise within the community.
SPF will also continue to work with religious organisations to be vigilant and prepared for emergencies, the ministry added.
“WE ARE FORTUNATE”
In a statement, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that he was “encouraged to read about the outpouring of support from the other faiths in Singapore in the immediate aftermath of the attack”.
“We have seen in other countries that violent incidents in a religious setting or with religious undertones can sometimes spark distrust and suspicion between religious communities,” said Mr Shanmugam, who is also the minister for law.
“We are fortunate that in Singapore, our various faiths and their leaders have instead stood shoulder to shoulder in support of each other during trying times, including this incident. This will stand our society in good stead if and when other attacks, including terror attacks, take place.”
The suspect will be charged on Monday with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon and the police will be seeking a court order for the man to be remanded and undergo psychiatric evaluation.
MHA urged the public to refrain from speculation as investigations are ongoing.
“Instead, let us remain calm and united, and focus on supporting those who were affected by this incident,” it said.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong expressed a similar view, saying that he was deeply heartened and encouraged to see Singaporeans of different faiths coming together to condemn the attack.
“Almost immediately, overnight, there was a chorus of support from different faiths, condemning the violence and supporting Father Christopher and the Catholic community over this incident,” Mr Tong said in a Facebook post.
“This is testament to the deeply ingrained and unique religious harmony in Singapore, where we are diverse in faith but united in harmony. This is priceless, and we have to keep working hard to preserve this unique gift of harmony in our community,” he added.
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