My Newsradio Scripts

These are my old radio news scripts on Singapore's current affairs when I worked as a broadcast journalist.

Monday, October 31, 2005

OTGV #41 - Jurong Upgrade

Broadcast Date: 17/11/03

The new causeway checkpoint was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan this month.

The thirty million dollars complex is equipped with bomb blast curtains and facilities to repel chemical attacks.

Chong Ching Liang on what he had seen and heard at the official opening ceremony.


==============================

There used to be a time when peace is peace and war is war.

Such clear demarcation exists -- no longer.

Now in peace time, countries must prepare for war.

Hi Welcome to On the Grapevine with me Chong Ching Liang.

Jurong Island, the petrol-chemical hub of Singapore.

A juicy, high impact target for any would be terrorists.

But new security upgrades has reduced that possibility says JTC Corporation CEO Chong Lit Cheong.

"The checkpoint is able to clear a vehicle within one minute. During this one minute interval, the identity of the visitor is verified and the undercarriage of the vehicle is scanned for unusual objects. Container trucks are inspected in 2 minutes using advanced backscatter X-ray technology. Runaway vehicles will be stopped by our three tier anti-vehicle barrier, and this will easily withstand a 3-tonner."

"Soundbyte of Obstacle rising."

That's the sound of barriers rising to meet any vehicles that try to charge into the causeway connecting the Singapore mainland to Jurong Island.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Jurong Island Panoramic view
Peace-time vigilance is no longer the actions provoked by kiasuism.

Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan explains.

"Underlying our efforts to develop Singapore economically and improve the life of our people is the need for security and defence. The link between security and economic development is inextricable. Without a secure environment in which to live and work, a country cannot achieve economic progress."

Mr Chong concurs, saying that the increased security may well persuade more foreign companies to sink roots in Jurong Island.

"Well according to tenants, Exxon-Mobil and so on, told us that with this security put in place, firstly it helps them to reduce insurance costs for example. Because when they put up for insurance premium they can show that its a very safe location with all these security and when they benchmarked their location in Singapore with the rest of the world, Singapore stands up very highly in terms of security. I think that's a very good feedback that we got."

But protecting Jurong Island isn't that straightforward a process.

For a start, JTC didn't even possess a security unit until after September 11.

It had to develop a Risk and Security division and deal with Jurong Island being designated by the government as a protected area.

A protected area is easy to enforce if it is a military installation.

But Jurong Island is a viable and vibrant commercial hub.

Lorries, containers, buses, civilian cars pass in and out of the island each day.

Security can't be too stifling or the commercial operations will grind to an expensive halt.

Mr Chong on how JTC had sought the actions of its tenants in Jurong Island.

"When we were asked to protect Jurong Island as a protected area, we initiated various security measures and we were very mindful of the inconvenience caused. So we actually have a lot of dialogue sessions with the companies, the representatives to help us to ensure that the framework to put in place suits their needs. And that allowed them to understand what we are doing and compliment what they are doing within their own compound so that there are no duplication of security measures."

To minimize stoppage time in the security screenings of vehicles, Jurong Island causeway checkpoint boasts of under-vehicle cameras to search for bombs.

It also has a mobile back-scatter x-ray fixed in a truck to search for potential threats in bigger vehicles.

"The gentleman using the van really only started using the van this morning. Anybody can use the product. There's no radiation, there's no exclusion zone. It's very very safe. The analysis does take a little longer to learn."

That was the vendor explaining to reporters the pros and cons of the x-ray system that was also used by the US Customs to screen US-Bound containers in the Hong Kong ports.

The scanners that are mounted on trucks or on a soon-to-be-available fixed portal will allow security personnel to peep into a close truck or abandoned vehicle.

The signal from the scanners will be reflected in a screen.

Here, the vendor explains what the images mean.

"Anything that is white is organic. For example, tell you what these are: this is water. That is simulated C-4 explosives, that's a bag of rice. You see it start to appear the more dense it is the more organic it is. You can see the fuel level in the tank. So he's got about three quarter of a tank full so he can go on to Malaysia. [laughter]"

The checkpoint complex itself is impressively built.

The security control centre overlooking the checkpoint can be protected with massive cast-iron bomb-blast curtains.

JTC's Head of Risk and Security Loh Kim Hock says there are rooms prepared and ready for any tactical headquarters to be set up in the event of a crisis emerging in Jurong Island.

The new complex will also be able to withstand the impact of a terrorist attack or an industrial accident causing chemical spillage says Mr Loh.

"We will close all openings, we will allow entry exit from this side only. Now people come thru from there, they have to wash themselves, change their clothing before they go in. And anyone who goes out, they have to change into a protective suit, gas mask then they go out. So basically this area prevents the outside air from getting to the inside."

All thought out.

Jurong Island has the unfortunate initials J-I, but it is built to minimise the chance of any attacks by groups such as the more infamous J-I, Jemaah Islamiah.

By the end of the year, Jurong Island will have a full perimeter surveillance system in the form of infra-red camera and remote camera look-out posts.

Who would have thought a commercial centre will be guarded tighter than a military location?

A changed outlook for a much changed world.

This is Chong Ching Liang for Newsradio 938.


===============================

Related Links:

Newsradio 938 (now 938Live) Image hosted by Photobucket.com

http://www.938live.sg/

JTC Corporation Image hosted by Photobucket.com

http://www.jtc.gov.sg/Corporate/

Jurong Island website

http://www.jurongisland.com/

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home


View My Stats