Those Naughty People

I experienced something funny yesterday upon entering City Hall MRT* (train) station. There was a station officer doing random bag checks. The checks he did were rather stringent because this is the train station located closest to SUNTEC City Convention Centre - the place where the 2006 IMF** convention is to be held.

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This officer brought me to a tiny make shift table and started checking the bags. In the midst of it all, he started to explain the reasons for doing so. But instead of offering the information (not like I asked for it... but anyway), he started to give me clues and expected me to guess what he was trying to say. Very bizzare, very very bizzare, feels like a semi-charade game.

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Officer: We are doing random bag checks now for ... (at this point his body language suggested that he wanted me to give him an answer)

FD: Um... bombs?

Officer: Yes correct, we want to show the public that we have heightened security and also because....

FD: Um... because the IMF convention is about to commence?

Officer: Yes correct, and also because there is... (at this point he overlapped 2 of his fore-fingers making a cross).

FD: Um... there is a hospital nearby? (it was a long shot).

Officer: No, because there is a Church nearby. (He said this with glee, like he was glad I got it wrong)

FD: ok.

Officer: Please help me to spread the message to 5 other people, tell them to be cautious and ask them to report anything suspicious. Just yesterday, I caught a group of naughty people with unauthorized items. (I think the unauthorized items are probably just some sort of swiss army knife or perhaps a stick of gum)

FD: ok.

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Seriously, how weird was that? I said 'ok' to everything because I just wanted to stop the semi-charade. This is so bloody wayang***, I know that the government is trying to project the image that they have stepped up efforts to counter terrorist activities in Singapore, especially now that the IMF convention is around the corner but I do not think placing a make shift table beside the MRT control room is sufficient to gain or increase the people's confidence concerning counter-terrorist measures taken and I also do not think calling terrorist "naughty people" will help the people to realize the seriousness of the matter.

President George W. Bush: Osama...come here you naughty naughty boy, no more bombs for you.

*MRT: Mass Rapid Transit

**IMF: International Monetary Fund

***Wayang: Originally a Malay word meaning "theatre performance", it now means an act of pretence.