The Bali nightclub bombing may have blown a hole in
Indonesia’s economy and could affect those of its neighbors, but business
is booming for companies that provide security from armed guards to
full-scale corporate evacuations.
Demand for security services has risen steeply in parts
of Asia, executives say.
After the deadly attacks on the Indonesian resort island,
requests for new or enhanced security systems jumped by 30 percent to 40
percent at Apro Technology in Singapore.
“Those who responded immediately were from high-profile
companies or they were companies from high-profile countries like Australia
and the United States,” said Ignatius Kahn, Apro’s marketing manager at
Apro.
Asian security companies have been doing well since the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington. And, while the Bali
tragedy hasn’t triggered the same massive demand, many businesses now
wonder where the next terror target might be.
“Those who have not done anything since Sept. 11
because they had this perception that nothing would happen here - well, I
think they are reconsidering,” Kahn said.
Business is also up at other security consultancies and
companies in Asia.
“Our Indonesian office has already been busy,” said
Aaron Leung, a security consultant with Pinkerton (Hong Kong) Ltd. “It is
a volatile country. After the bombing - something like this will keep them
extra busy.”
Pinkerton, which handles security for 80 percent of the
Fortune 1,000 corporations, has evacuation plans for employees and families
when trouble breaks out in countries where they are working and living,
Leung said.
The plan unfolds in stages, with dependents and
nonessential workers leaving before things get too dangerous. In a
full-blown crisis, such as the turmoil in Indonesia during the fall of
Suharto, remaining essential employees are sometimes flown out in chartered
Lear jets.
At Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. in Hong
Kong, analyst Bob Broadfoot had just been working on an island-by-island
assessment of the risks that companies face in the Indonesian archipelago.
“Bali we would have rated as a low risk,” Broadfoot said.
However, Broadfoot warned the quick assessments of who
was responsible, with many blaming the al-Qaida terror network or Jemaah
Islamiyah, which wants to establish a pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia,
could be detrimental.
Such conclusions can feed on themselves, when in reality
the risks following the Bali bombing are quite different depending on
whether the perpetrators were foreigners who might strike elsewhere, or
homegrown groups seeking to make a political point specifically in
Indonesia, he said.
“It’s really discouraging to see people jump to
conclusions,” Broadfoot said. “Some people were immediately saying
it’s al-Qaida. If that’s the case, then it’s significant for other
countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. If they can pick a Bali,
they can pick an anyplace.”
Leung said tougher security measures taken across Asia
over the past year have varied from country to country, based on perceived
threats in different locations.
In Hong Kong, which is not seen as a high-risk area,
companies have been more likely to make it harder for outsiders to enter
their places of business, by installing keypad door locks or giving
employees cards that must be swiped to gain access.
One five-star hotel in Hong Kong has installed an X-ray
machine and a device that detects minute particles of explosives, and
workers now check all mail and parcels going in, Leung said. He declined to
identify the hotel.
Kahn said while much can be done to protect private
businesses or homes it can be difficult to protect restaurants and bars like
the ones targeted in Bali.
Because they are by nature open to the public, bars and
restaurants should try installing cameras in plain view as a deterrent and
make sure that parking lots are not too close - so terrorists would find it
harder to carry out car bombings, Kahn said.
