19 May 2003. The Straits Times.
DPM Tony Tan says the bug has wreaked havoc on the economy, taken people by surprise and changed their lives for good.
By Helmi Yusof
THE Sars virus has wreaked so much havoc on Singapore and its economy that it could be called 'Singapore's Sept 11'.
Just as the sudden terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept 11, 2001, shocked the American public and changed the course of US history, so has the Sars crisis hit Singapore without warning, jolted awake its people and changed their lives for good.
Just as Sept 11 opened the eyes of many ordinary Americans to how vulnerable their country could be to developments outside it, so has the Sars emergency taught Singaporeans not to take anything for granted.
These grim comparisons were made by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tony Tan at a forum on Sars organised by the Sembawang GRC for 600 grassroots leaders and residents.
Also present at the Orchid Country Club ballroom were the five other Members of Parliament for the group representation constituency - Mr Hawazi Daipi, Dr Warren Lee, Mr K. Shanmugam, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman and Associate Professor Chin Tet Yung.
But although Singaporeans should be very concerned about the fight against Sars, they must not ignore another menace - that of terrorism, the minister said.
Last week's suicide bomb attacks in the biggest cities of Saudi Arabia and Morocco - Riyadh and Casablanca respectively - highlighted the continuing threat of terrorist organisations and the importance of staying vigilant.
Citing US intelligence alerts that South-east Asia may be next on the terrorists' hit list, Dr Tan said terrorism and Sars are similar because they 'respect no borders'.
'Just as the fight to root out terrorism will have to be long and sustained, so too will the fight against the Sars virus.'
Sars could be with Singaporeans for many more months, if not years.
Likening the Sars virus to a biological attack carried out by terrorists, Dr Tan quoted the mantra of Mr Andy Grove, the former head of computer company Intel, that 'only the paranoid survive'.
Following his speech, several audience members took the microphone to ask the panel of MPs questions on a variety of Sars-related issues.
One resident asked if the Government would try to help Sars patients pay their medical bills, which could be especially high if they had been in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Dr Tan assured her that the Government would do all it could to help the patients financially, but its priority was to treat them first and make sure they recovered.
Another worried resident asked if cats and dogs ran the risk of getting infected. Dr Lee pointed out that there had been no cases of these animals getting infected, and that the Sars coronavirus was not known to cross species.
Dr Tan drew laughter when he added, however, that the Government's message of 'good personal hygiene applies not only to human beings, but to pets as well'.
