Once in a while, Singapore appears on the world's radar but most of the time, no news is good news for the tightly run city-state. The buzz last week was all about an unseemly feud involving Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his two siblings over their late father's house.
Yet, there is other big news from Singapore that is more worrying than the Lee family soap opera.
Earlier this month Mr Lee remarked that militant separatist groups in Southeast Asia pose "a clear and present danger" to Singapore. A chill ran down my spine. If Singapore is unsafe, where in the world can anyone be safe?
"We worry about extremist terrorism a lot. The Middle East seems a long way away but it is not," Mr Lee told Australia's ABC Radio National. Then he added the words no one wanted to hear, saying that "a potential attack in Singapore is a matter of when and not whether."
After all, Singapore has been perceived as a relatively peaceful country, thanks to serious policing and efficient border controls. It has been praised as a genuinely multicultural society thanks to the vision of founding father Lee Kuan Yew. That has taken some social engineering, including racial quotas in public housing, but for the most part it works.
Yet, Singapore -- like any open society -- faces challenges from extremism. A few Singaporeans reportedly are among the Malaysians, Indonesians and others from Southeast Asia that have gone to the Middle East to join jihadi networks.
Reports from the Philippines also say some Singaporeans were among the foreign fighters in the Maute group that has laid siege to Marawi, the southern town targeted by jihadis as a new caliphate. As the Islamic State movement is steadily losing ground in Iraq and Syria, its radical fighters are looking for new territory, and Southeast Asia with its large Muslim population is a candidate.
Mr Lee's interview reflects the harsh reality that Asean nations need to face collectively. Radical terrorism is a problem of all Asean countries. Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are major players in the region. They have advanced production bases and innovation and well established economies. The threat from terrorism will undermine the whole region.
Of course, leaders have been trying to find solutions, including better border controls, intelligence sharing and improved surveillance. The United States is currently assisting Philippine security forces in the Marawi crisis. Thailand is also tightening control of the border with Malaysia. From now on, we can expect to see more security as the region faces a new chapter which might not be pleasant.
Are new security measures enough to deal with jihadism? During the past decade, we have seen all kinds of attempts to combat terrorism in the Middle East, featuring the full military might of superpowers including the US, England and France. What we have learned is that weapons may win battles but not the war. Jihadi networks spread like cancer cells to new territories wherever conditions -- poverty and ignorance in particular -- are conducive.
And Southeast Asia is a conducive environment for extremism to flourish. The region is characterised by rising inequality, non-inclusive economies, poverty and brewing ethnic conflict, especially mistrust between Muslims and non-Muslims in parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar. Education systems and cultures in a few countries such as Thailand and Myanmar are not conducive to fostering interfaith relations and multicultural harmony.
Authoritarian governments also are keeping some people marginalised. The result is that resentful young men and women find solace in the false sense of security, plus financial and emotional support, that extremist ideologies promise.
So you might wonder what is the Singapore prime minister's solution. His answer is "preparation". For example, Singaporeans who join terror networks abroad will only be allowed home if they can prove that they will not be a danger to society. The aim, he says, is to "make sure Singapore's multicultural society does not come under catastrophic stress".
I think leaders should heed Prime Minister Lee's adherence to enshrine multiculturalism. After all, the war is not about breaking terrorist cells but winning the hearts of disillusioned young men and women who might be lured to join jihadi networks.
Our best weapons are an inclusive economy, an open society that embraces multiculturalism, education that fosters diversity and respect for differences. By deploying these positive forces, the region and the world can win the fight.