An attack on a Johor police station prompts Singapore to increase security

SINGAPORE: According to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Singapore has increased security following an attack on a police station in neighbouring Malaysia by a man who may have had connections to an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The assailant with a parang murdered two police officers and injured another police on Friday in Johor, close to the narrow strait dividing the nation from Singapore.

The attacker was shot and killed by the injured policeman. His father is a member of the terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which is situated in Southeast Asia.

The recently appointed prime minister of Singapore, Wong, stated, “Such an attack, just across our borders, is a grim reminder that the threat of terrorism remains high.”

He posted on Facebook, saying, “We have stepped up security measures, including at our checkpoints,” and he urged everyone to report “any suspicious persons or activities” right away.

“Our security agencies will keep a careful eye on developments in regional and global security.”

202 people, including 88 Australians, were killed in explosions on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali in 2002. JI has been held accountable for a number of other deadly bomb attacks in the area.

Despite his father’s connections to JI, the suspect seemed to have acted alone, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.