SINGAPORE: You’re tucking into a plate of fresh chee cheong fun at a hawker centre when shouts and loud popping noises ring through the air.
Chaos ensues as masked men armed with guns invade what was a peaceful lunch spot just minutes ago.
Fleeing, you see a man slumped against a pillar, blood gushing from his arm. An older man crouches next to him, improvising a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
You recognise the older man – he’s the uncle who made your chee cheong fun. When did he realise what was happening, and how does he know what to do?
Hawker Kevin Yong was one of more than 80 participants in Exercise Heartbeat held at Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre on Saturday (Feb 15).
For the first time, the Home Team’s counterterrorism and emergency preparedness drill simulated an attack at a hawker centre, perpetrated by self-radicalised individuals.
“I’m always prepared,” said Mr Yong, 62, who used to be a member of a community emergency response group.
