Singapore
In its threat assessment report, Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) stated that the threat of terrorism to Singapore “remains high”.[1] Although there are no suggestions of an impending attack, Singapore continues to be viewed by extremist groups such as the Islamic State (IS) as a prized target for attacks. There also remains a persistent stream of self-radicalised cases. In 2023, youth radicalisation, lone-actor plots and “radicalisation and recruitment through social media and gaming platforms” were among the threat concerns identified.[2]
Threat From Islamist Extremism
Islamist extremism continues to pose the biggest ideological and internal security threat to Singapore. Terror groups such as the Islamic State (IS), Al-Qaeda (AQ) and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) continue to spread extremist propaganda, raise funds and plot attacks, including online, which has radicalised some fringe and vulnerable groups.[3] For example, while IS has been defeated on the physical battlefield, its messaging of defending oppressed Muslims continues to retain traction online. In June 2023, regional IS supporters called for retaliatory attacks to avenge the death of then IS East Asia Province leader Abu Zacariah. Posters were also circulated identifying regional government leaders, including former Singapore president Halimah Yacob, as targets.[4]
Highlighting the global nature of the terrorist threat, in October 2022, the authorities arrested a Ministry of Education (MOE) teacher who had planned to travel to and engage in armed jihad in Palestine.[5] Mohamed Khairul Riduan Mohamed Sarip, 38, was the first public servant to be arrested for a terrorism-related offence. He had been radicalised by teachings of foreign preachers and extremist videos online. Khairul intended to join Hamas and participate in armed combat against the Israel Defence Forces, having been motivated by a misguided sense of religious obligation.[6]
Youth Radicalisation
Terror groups have also been increasingly targeting youth, who are more vulnerable and impressionable and thus more easily influenced. In 2023, three youths who self-radicalised primarily online were detained by the ISD. Among them was also the youngest detainee to date, a 15-year-old self-radicalised boy who harboured intentions to carry out attacks in Singapore targeted at non-Muslims. He was influenced by the online sermons of a foreign “segregationist” preacher, Ismail Menk, and IS propaganda online.[7]
Besides traditional social media channels, terror groups have started to exploit online gaming and music streaming sites popular among youth. A second youth detained in 2023 was a 16-year-old student who had earlier been drawn to far right extremist content, such as anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism, and subsequently became an IS supporter. The youth was also found to have been engaged in online gaming platforms such as Roblox, which likely further contributed to his radicalisation. The boy joined several IS-themed games on Roblox which simulated role-playing as an IS fighter.[8] He also created videos by superimposing images of IS flags on and adding other symbols such as nasheeds (Islamic vocal music) and IS factions to the Roblox game footage.[9] The youth also promoted IS propaganda on social media.[10]
A third youth, 18-year-old Muhammad Irfan Danyal bin Mohamad Nor, who was detained in December 2022, was known to the two earlier mentioned youths. Although all three radicalised separately, they shared their extremist beliefs and ways to conceal their activities in online conversations. These cases of teen extremism, particularly the very young age of some affected, have resulted in renewed focus from relevant local stakeholders on understanding and addressing youth radicalisation in Singapore.[11]
Potential Non-Islamist Extremism Concerns Facing Singapore
While Islamist terrorism remains the most potent threat for now, other security developments, particularly extreme right-wing ideology or strands of it, also pose some potential security concerns to Singapore. Singapore is among the most diverse societies in the world in terms of religious, ethnic and national affiliations; in addition, it is highly globalised and digitally connected. In an era where ideas and images can go viral in seconds, there remains the possibility of such extreme ideologies, or associated strands, which have grown in influence in other parts of the world, becoming more prominent and appealing to fringe groups and individuals in Singapore. Islamophobia[12] and anti-Semitism,[13] for instance, are ideas that resonated with a few self-radicalised individuals in Singapore in recent years.
In addition, conflicts in Southeast Asia such as in Myanmar, the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East tensions have also spotlighted concerns that state-linked or other proxies may choose to engage in terrorism against their adversaries.[14] This raises the spectre that third-party countries like Singapore could be mired in the crossfire, or that such conflicts or extremist rhetoric from those conflicts could spill over into Singapore’s society. While at present the nature of such threats and how they would land in Singapore remain unclear, they warrant continued monitoring.
Responses
Singapore has developed and implemented a range of policies and programmes, to mitigate security threats posed by extremist actors and enhance community resilience to prevent radical ideas from taking root in society.
Maintaining the stance of “not if, but when” regarding terrorist attacks, the different arms of Singapore’s security apparatus regularly run joint attack simulation exercises to test emergency response mobilisation and evaluate inter-agency coordination as part of ongoing crisis preparedness efforts.[15] Such response plans were tested when a few bomb threats were reported in 2023. In August 2023, bomb threats were made at 18 locations around the island, including government buildings, foreign embassies and other places of interest.[16] There were also two other unrelated incidents involving false bomb threats – one on a Scoot flight on transit to Australia and another on a cruise ship berthed at Marina Bay Cruise Centre.[17] Although they all turned out to be hoaxes, the incidents highlighted the importance of continued vigilance and affirmed the responsiveness of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and other agencies in critical situations.
Singapore also updated its legal framework to better address a range of terror threats. In September 2023, the parliament passed a series of amendments to the Immigration Act to strengthen border controls and give the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) enhanced legal powers to effectively manage evolving security threats.[18] The provisions will allow the ICA to collect advance passenger and crew information across all modes of entry for screening and assessment purposes, issue no-boarding directives (NBDs) to transport operators to deny the embarkation of undesirable individuals, and detain persons or vehicles involved in non-immigration offences.[19]
The Developers (Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act passed in parliament in 2018 also came into operation in June 2023. Targeted at strengthening regulatory levers in the real estate sector, the Act lays out several key requirements that all housing developers in Singapore are mandated to observe concerning property sales and purchases to deny terrorist financiers and money launderers the space to operate in the country.[20]
The slew of recent cases involving self-radicalised youths has also highlighted the important role played by relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, schools and families, in understanding the needs and concerns of the younger generation, as well as engaging with and guiding them so that they do not fall prey to misguided and radical teachings.[21] To that end, the Ministry of Education announced in September 2023 the introduction of counter-radicalisation workshops, facilitated by the ISD, for student ambassadors in all junior colleges. The objectives are to raise awareness of the terrorism threat and to teach students and educators how to identify and respond to signs of radicalisation in an individual.[22] Similar workshops for younger students at the upper secondary level are also in the pipeline.
The government has also actively engaged the wider community through outreach, education and partnerships, with the aim of not only mobilising society in the fight against terrorism but also building community resilience and fostering social cohesion as a bulwark against divisive and extremist ideologies. One such key initiative is SGSecure, a national movement launched in 2016 to equip the community with the necessary tools to prevent and deal with a terrorist attack.
A survey in late 2022 revealed that only half of Singaporeans believed the country to be a terrorist target,[23] while only about a third would contact the authorities if someone they knew was exhibiting signs of radicalisation.[24] In light of this, in July 2023, the next phase of SGSecure was introduced to raise greater awareness of the gravity of the terrorism threat and to encourage community members to play a more active role, individually and collectively, in countering extremism and terrorism.[25] Carrying the tagline of “What’s Your Role?”, the new campaign outlines six primary roles that an individual can play.[26] Aside from an online quiz to help individuals find their appropriate role, the campaign incorporates interactive roadshows, grassroots projects and community roundtables.
The Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) has also persevered in its efforts to counsel and deradicalise persons detained under the ISA, and cultivate religious moderation and tolerance in society. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, the RRG marked the occasion by opening the new Majulah Gallery at the Khadijah Mosque, featuring exhibits and videos highlighting the organisation’s continuing work in rehabilitation and community outreach.[27] Cognisant of the increasing spread of radical ideologies on social media, the RRG also launched a TikTok account in 2023 to reach a younger audience in order to correct misinterpretations and promote a proper understanding of religious texts and concepts. Videos posted by the group on TikTok have covered topics such as jihad and hijrah.[28]
Outlook
Self-radicalisation through online means remains the primary driver of the terrorist threat in Singapore.[29] Extremist actors across the ideological spectrum have proven adept at manipulating social media to propagate radical ideologies, reach out to potential recruits and plot attacks. Loopholes in big tech’s content moderation processes, the availability of encrypted and alternative social media platforms, and the high level of internet penetration in a developed country like Singapore only exacerbate the issue.
Youth radicalisation can be expected to persist in the foreseeable future, owing to a multiplicity of factors as highlighted above. Self-radicalised youth should not be underestimated simply because of their age. Lone-actor attacks using low-tech weapons such as knives remain a possibility due to the relative ease of procuring such weapons and carrying out stabbing attacks in public places.[30] Several youths detained under the ISA in recent years had planned to conduct knife attacks in tourist areas and places of worship, using weapons available on e-commerce platforms and in convenience stores.[31] Developing age-appropriate interventions and engaging with families and community partners to address the younger generation’s needs, concerns and vulnerabilities is necessary to prevent them from turning to extremism for answers.
Issues around race and religion also remain potential fault lines that radical elements of all ideological stripes could exploit to erode social cohesion and sow intercommunal discord, opening up space for extremist influence to germinate and grow. It is thus important to cultivate tolerance and harmony among the various races, religions and groups to deny extremist actors any opportunity to foment and exploit division.
The worsening conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas from October 2023 onwards, which has significantly impacted communities worldwide[32] including in Singapore, has reinforced the importance of buttressing the country’s racial and religious harmony against external events. While Singapore supports a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict, it unequivocally maintains that terrorist violence for any cause, however rationalised, should not be tolerated.[33] Authorities may also need to guard against regional terrorists seeking to emulate Hamas’ surprise terror attack, which demonstrated terrorists’ evolving ability to effectively combine high- and low-tech forms of warfare to devastating effect.[34]
Overall, the threat picture in Singapore can be described as diverse and evolving. Islamist extremism has traditionally been of greatest concern and will likely continue to demand concerted counter-terrorism efforts. However, other types of extremism – religiously or politically motivated, ideologically defined or unstable, or otherwise – should also be monitored and guarded against.
About the Authors
Kalicharan Veera Singam is a Senior Analyst and Abigail Leong is a Research Analyst with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively.
Citations
[1] Internal Security Department (ISD), Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2023, (Singapore: Ministry of Home Affairs, 2023),
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Hariz Baharudin, “Terror Threats in Region Continue, With Singapore Seen As Prized Target: ISD,” The Straits Times, July 25, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/terror-threats-in-region-continue-with-singapore-seen-as-prized-target-isd.
[5] Goh Yan Han, “Teacher Arrested Under ISA; First Public Servant Detained for Terror-Related Offences in Singapore,” The Straits Times, January 11, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/teacher-arrested-under-isa-first-public-servant-detained-for-terror-related-offences-in-singapore.
[6] Ibid.
[7] ISD, Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2023.
[8] “Two Self-Radicalised Singaporean Boys Given ISA Orders; 15-Year-Old Youngest to Be Detained,” Channel News Asia, February 21, 2023, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/internal-security-act-isa-self-radicalised-singaporeans-students-detained-islamic-state-al-qaeda-roblox-3292691.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Jean Iau, “2 Teens Dealt With Under ISA; 15-Year-Old Student Is Youngest-Ever Detainee,” The Straits Times, February 22, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/two-teenagers-dealt-with-under-isa-including-15-year-old-who-is-youngest-ever-detainee.
[11] Kalicharan Veera Singam and Ahmad Helmi Hasbi, “Commentary: How Singapore Can Tackle the Growing Spectre of Teen Terrorism,” TODAY, March 2, 2023, https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/commentary-how-singapore-can-tackle-growing-spectre-teen-terrorism-2119616.
[12] Aqil Haziq Mahmud, “16-Year-Old Singaporean Detained Under ISA After Planning to Attack Muslims at 2 Mosques,” Channel News Asia, January 27, 2023, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/16-year-old-singaporean-detained-isa-planned-attack-2-mosques-435241.
[13] Hariz Baharudin, “Singaporean Youth Detained Under ISA for Planning Knife Attack on Jews Leaving Synagogue,” The Straits Times, March 10, 2021, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singaporean-youth-detained-under-isa-for-planning-knife-attack-on-jews-leaving-synagogue.
[14] Baharudin, “Terror Threats in Region Continue.”
[15] Nadine Chua, “Anti-Terror Exercises Must Be Taken Seriously As ‘One Day, We May Not Be Lucky’: PM Lee,” The Straits Times, March 23, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/anti-terror-exercises-must-be-taken-seriously-as-one-day-we-may-not-be-lucky-says-pm-lee.
[16] “Bomb Threats at 18 Locations Including Government Buildings; Police Found No Items of Security Concern,” Channel News Asia, August 23, 2023, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/police-bomb-threats-18-locations-government-building-mse-environment-lockdown-scotts-road-3718856.
[17] Singapore Police Force, “Two Men to Be Charged for Two Separate Incidents of Making a False Bomb Threat and Communicating False Information of Harmful Thing,” press release, October 14, 2023, https://www.police.gov.sg/media-room/news/20231014_two_men_to_be_charged_for_communicating_false_information_of_harmful_thing.
[18] Ministry of Home Affairs, “Amendments to the Immigration Act to Support ICA’s Digitalisation Initiatives and to Enhance Border Security,” press release, August 2, 2023, https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/press-releases/amendments-to-the-immigration-act-to-support-ica-digitalisation-initiatives-and-to-enhance-border-security.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Developers (Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act 2018, No. 54 of 2018, Republic of Singapore Government Gazette, https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Acts-Supp/54-2018.
[21] Jonathan Sim, “Commentary: Amid Fears of Radicalisation Via Gaming, Parents Need to Step Up and Listen to Their Children,” Channel News Asia, March 22, 2023, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/youth-radicalisation-gaming-roblox-discord-technology-parenting-3362441.
[22] Wong Shiying, “All JCs to Hold Counter-Radicalisation Workshops by 2024: Chan Chun Sing,” The Straits Times, September 29, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/all-jcs-to-have-counter-radicalisation-workshops-by-2024-chan-chun-sing.
[23] David Sun, “‘What’s Your Role?’ SGSecure Shifts Focus to Mobilising Community and Increasing Vigilance,” The Straits Times, August 2, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/what-s-your-role-sgsecure-shifts-focus-to-mobilising-community-and-increasing-vigilance.
[24] Joy Iau, “2 in 5 Would Report If Loved Ones Show Radicalisation Signs; S’pore Remains Terrorism Target: ISD,” The Straits Times, July 24, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/2-in-5-would-report-if-loved-ones-show-radicalisation-signs-s-pore-remains-terrorism-target-isd.
[25] Ministry of Home Affairs, “Next Phase in the SGSecure Movement,” press release, July 28, 2023, https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/press-releases/next-phase-in-the-sgsecure-movement/.
[26] Ibid. The six roles consist of the uniter, the true friend, the fact-checker, the lifesaver, the guardian and the lookout.
[27] Syarafana Shafeeq, “Threat of Terrorism Still Exists, Singapore Cannot Let Its Guard Down: PM Lee,” The Straits Times, May 3, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/threat-of-terrorism-still-exists-singapore-cannot-let-its-guard-down-pm-lee.
[28] Religious Rehabilitation Group (@rrg_sg), TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@rrg_sg.
[29] “Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2023,” Internal Security Department, Singapore, July 24, 2023.
[30] Kumar Ramakrishna, “Commentary: Understanding and Countering the Challenge of Youth Radicalisation in Singapore,” TODAY, August 10, 2023, https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/commentary-understanding-and-countering-challenge-youth-radicalisation-singapore-2230191.
[31] “Updates on Cases Under the Internal Security Act,” MHA press release, February 1, 2023, https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/press-releases/detention-of-singaporean-youth; “Issuance of Orders Under the Internal Security Act Against Two Self-Radicalised Singaporean Youths,” MHA press release, February 21, 2023, https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/press-releases/issuance-of-orders-under-the-internal-security-act-against-two-self-radicalised-singaporean-youths.
[32] David Sun, “Singapore must never let external events affect ‘precious peace’: Shanmugam on Israel-Hamas war,” The Straits Times, October 13, 2023, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-must-never-let-external-events-affect-precious-peace-shanmugam-on-israel-hamas-war.
[33] Ibid.
[34] Ibid.
