I2 self-radicalised young S’poreans dealt with under ISA since 2015

All radicalised online, says SM Teo, stressing that it is a trend of particular concern

- Wong Pei Ting

Since 2015, 12 self-radicalised Singaporeans aged 20 and below have been dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA), with one thing in common - they were all radicalised online.

This group, which includes a 16year-old who had planned attacks against two Muslims at two mosques in Singapore, makes up almost a third of the 38 people dealt with under the Act in that time.

In comparison, Singapore saw just one case involving a self-radicalised young person before 2015, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on May 29, stressing that this trend is of particular concern.

"Perhaps we will face younger youths being radicalised in future," he said.

He pointed out that the region continues to face a persistent threat from organised terrorist groups like Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), as seen in the May 17 Ulu Tiram attack in Malaysia.

SM Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, laid out these statistics in his speech at the annual retreat of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), a voluntary group of Islamic teachers who counsel radicalised people and their families. The event took place at Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa.

The statistics expand on a trend highlighted by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 21, when he noted in the wake of the Ulu Tiram attack that four self-radicalised young people under the age of 20 were dealt with under the ISA over the past two years.

The May 17 attack saw a 21-yearold man killing two police officers and injuring another at a police station in Ulu Tiram, Johor, before being shot dead. The suspect's family members did not mix with others as they believed only they were true Muslims while others were infidels, Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said on May 23.