A new storybook aimed at teaching young children how to respond to suspicious persons or items was launched on October 5 at an event held at MOE Kindergarten @ West Spring in Bukit Panjang. Titled *Run, Hide And Tell: An SGSecure Story*, the book employs animal characters to convey simple yet vital safety messages to pre-schoolers, emphasizing vigilance, avoidance of danger, and seeking help from trusted adults.
Second Minister for Home Affairs Sim Ann introduced the book during the SGSecure Carnival, reading it to a class of Kindergarten 2 pupils and participating in emergency-themed activities alongside more than 200 pre-schoolers, teachers, and police officers. The storybook is part of the SGSecure Police Pal series, a collaborative effort by the Singapore Police Force and the SGSecure Programme Office, designed for children aged four to six. This latest release marks the final installment of the series for 2024.
Sim stressed the importance of early education in safety preparedness. “Through the SGSecure-themed Police Pal storybook, we hope to show our children how to respond when they see something or someone suspicious,” she said. She encouraged parents to reinforce these messages at home so that readiness becomes a habitual practice from a young age.
Rico Chan, centre head of the kindergarten, noted that children quickly grasped the concept of avoiding strangers with suspicious items and the importance of following teachers’ instructions during emergencies. He highlighted the role of educators in providing reassurance and maintaining order while ensuring children’s safety.
The launch coincides with heightened attention to security threats highlighted by recent statements from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. In a September 23 speech marking the 10th anniversary of SGSecure, Wong warned against complacency given Singapore’s prolonged period of peace and security. He referenced the arrest of a 17-year-old detained by the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 2024 for plotting an attack near Tampines West Community Club as an example of the ongoing risks posed by self-radicalised individuals.
“No security system can give us a 100 per cent guarantee,” Wong said, underscoring the need for vigilance and preparedness.
The ISD’s annual threat assessment report released on September 10 further highlighted the elevated terrorism threat in Singapore, exacerbated by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The report pointed to escalating hostilities among communities, noting a rise in both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia worldwide. Youth radicalisation was identified as a significant concern, with cases involving young people almost quadrupling from four between 2017 and 2022 to 15 since 2022. Since July 2025, six out of eight new Internal Security Act cases involved individuals under 21.
The report also cited regional incidents of school violence, including a mass shooting in Thailand on August 7 where a 14-year-old killed seven and injured 23, a high-school shooting in the southern Philippines on September 18 that left three students dead and eight injured, and a bombing at a school mosque in Jakarta on November 7, 2025, injuring more than 90 people.
At the carnival, parent Chua Mei Ling expressed appreciation for the storybook’s accessibility in addressing national security topics that can be difficult to discuss with young children. Her six-year-old daughter, Juel Lee, demonstrated her understanding of the book’s message by describing how the story’s “bad guy” tried to harm a school and the importance of learning self-protection for survival.