GIMMIE SHELTER

My house isn't equipped with anything like this, and I'm a bit surprised such regulations actually exist here. But now that I've read this report I'm tempted to move into a newer building.

High-rise bomb shelter rule eased

NEW high-rise apartments no longer need a bomb shelter built into each unit. These emergency refuges can now be located in fire-escape staircases instead.

The decision to ease the much-criticised rule follows discussions between developers, who felt it restricted their project designs, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Under new guidelines, the entire fire-escape staircase can be used as a bomb shelter. The change was welcomed by private developers, who see this as an opportunity to improve on the designs of their apartments.

Previously, the bomb shelter had to be either within each home or in a communal space for each level of a building.

Curiously, this regulation is neither a Cold-War relic nor a reaction to 9-11. The report notes that all private homes had to be equipped with bomb shelters from 1998 and all HDB (housing development board) apartments needed them from 1995.

Personally I feel that building a bomb shelter should be a private decision. However, while it may seem rather paranoid, the policy does indicate something about the mindset of the Singapore government. Given that it is a majority-Chinese nation surrounded by two larger predominantly Muslim nations, it has always been more concerned about security than most of its neighbors (even though relations have generally been good, or at least never approaching war).

This is also why Singapore has been more supportive of the war on terror than any other regional government. When Jemaah Islamiah talk of establishing a caliphate that spans from Thailand to the Southern Philippines (and includes Northern Australia) most nations consider it a bit of a joke. Singapore, however, considers itself the number-one target.