Further Safeguards Following Investigation into Recent Detention of 16-year-old Self-radicalised Singaporean

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs what further measures can be undertaken to denounce terror attacks, whenever they take place around the globe, so as to prevent self-radicalised copy-cats from thinking they can replicate such horrific terror attacks in Singapore.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs what legal measures can be undertaken to tighten up the Arms and Explosives Act (Chapter 13), or other relevant legislation, so as to prevent self-radicalised members of the public from getting their hands on firearms or explosives to carry out terror attacks in Singapore.

Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent detention of a teenager who was preparing to conduct terrorist activities in Singapore (a) whether the investigations are conclusive that he was operating as a “lone wolf”; (b) what are the current efforts to promote a better understanding of race and racial issues amongst younger Singaporeans; and (c) what further efforts are needed within the schools and youth groups.

Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs what are the current safeguards on younger residents getting access to offensive weapons or components and materials on online e-commerce platforms.

Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs what are the facts and circumstances that led to the detention of a 16-year-old Singaporean on the grounds that he planned to use a machete to attack Muslims at two local mosques during the 2nd anniversary of the 2019 attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what actions will be taken to improve harmonious relationships between different religious groups; and (b) whether the different religious organisations can be equipped with knowledge to look out for members who may become self-radicalised.

Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs what steps have been identified by the Government to counter the trend of persons being self-radicalised through the Internet into inciting violence against persons from different religious groups.

Mr Murali asked for the facts and circumstances of the case and Mr Choo asked if investigations were conclusive that he had operated as a “lone wolf”.

The 16-year-old Singaporean was arrested in December 2020. He had made detailed plans and preparations to attack Muslims at two mosques using a machete. He is the first detainee to be inspired by far-right ideology and he is the youngest individual dealt with to-date under the ISA for terrorism-related activities. He was self-radicalised, motivated by a strong antipathy towards Islam and a fascination with violence. He was inspired by Brenton Tarrant, who attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019. The 16-year-old Singaporean watched the video of Tarrant’s attack against the two mosques and read Tarrant’s manifesto. He also watched propaganda videos produced by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, and came to the erroneous conclusion that ISIS represented Islam, and that Islam called on its followers to kill non-Muslims.

He had planned to carry out attacks on 15 March 2021, the second anniversary of the Christchurch attacks, at Assyafaah Mosque and Yusof Ishak Mosque, near his home. To prepare for this, he conducted online reconnaissance and research on both mosques; devised a plan to procure a vehicle to use during the attack; bought a tactical vest from an online platform which he intended to adorn with right-wing extremist symbols and strap on his mobile device to livestream the attack; watched videos to learn how to wield a machete to inflict fatal wounds; and intended to purchase one from an online marketplace. He also wrote two documents which he intended to disseminate prior to his attacks. Both documents expressed his misguided hatred towards Islam, as well as support for the Christchurch attacks and far-right ideology.

ISD’s investigations found that he was operating alone. There was no indication that he had tried to involve others in his plans.

This case shows clearly that violent impulses are not restricted to any particular racial or religious group. People who have been exposed to hate speech can become influenced by it. The 16-year-old youth will undergo psychological and religious counselling to correct his radical ideology and address his propensity for violence. We hope that he will respond positively and will be successfully rehabilitated, so that he can carry on with his life.

Mr de Souza, Mr Choo, Mr Lim and Mr Murali asked about our counter-extremism and counter-radicalisation efforts.

Singapore has been strengthening our laws and building resilience against terrorism. For example, the updated Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act came into force in April 2019. Key changes included expanding the prohibition on financing terrorism activities to include terrorism training, and increasing penalties for failing to disclose information relating to terrorism financing to the authorities.

The detection and arrest of the 16-year-old Singaporean underscores the continued importance of the Internal Security Act, to enable the authorities to act pre-emptively before attacks happen, thus preventing injury, loss of life and damage to our communal harmony.

With regard to offensive weapons and firearms, we exercise tight controls under our laws, and these apply regardless of the modality of sales, be it through physical retail stores or online e-commerce platforms. The Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act was passed by Parliament in January this year. It replaced the Arms and Explosives Act and strengthened our regulatory and enforcement regime.

We agree with Mr de Souza that it is important for Singapore to denounce terror attacks whenever they happen, to send a clear message about where we stand as a people on this.

The Government has publicly condemned overseas terrorist attacks. And we are also fortunate to have the support of our religious leaders, who have been proactive in publicly condemning terror attacks and reminding their followers to stay calm and not react to expressions of extreme sentiments and acts of violence in the name of religion.

For example, in the wake of the Christchurch shootings in March 2019, various faith groups issued statements to denounce the shooter’s actions and call for Singaporeans to remain united and reject extremist ideas. Various ground-up interfaith initiatives were also organised, including a youth forum and a remembrance ceremony.

More recently, following the arrest of the 16-year-old youth, our local Christian and Muslim religious leaders met to reaffirm the mutual trust between both communities and condemn the teenager’s plot to attack the two mosques. The leaders of other religious communities echoed the call for Singaporeans to rally together in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Mr Lim asked how we can improve relations between different religious groups. By showing their solidarity against violence and engaging in regular interactions, joint activities and community projects, our religious groups have maintained and strengthened harmonious relations, even in the wake of incidents that threaten to undermine our social cohesion.

Such efforts are also important in sending a clear signal that our local religious communities stand firmly against radical ideologies and that any copycat attacks will not find traction or support here.

Mr Lim, Mr Choo and Mr Murali asked about our efforts on educating religious groups, youths and the general public on countering radicalisation, and deepening students’ understanding of racial and religious issues.

The SGSecure movement is a call to action to Singaporeans to unite and prepare for the threat of a terrorist attack. We have been reaching out to different groups in the community, including religious organisations, to raise awareness of overseas and local threats of terrorism and radicalisation. We conduct programmes such as interfaith dialogues and activities and visits to the Harmony in Diversity Gallery to sensitise the public to cultural and religious nuances and sensitivities, as well as to deepen mutual respect and understanding among our different races and religions.

We have been sharing with the public how to detect early signs of radicalisation, such as displaying a keen interest in people with extremist views, supporting the use of violence as a solution to achieve one's agenda and expressing low tolerance and resentment towards multi-racial and multi-religious living. We urge the community to stay alert and to inform the authorities of suspected cases of radicalisation, so that we can intervene early and prevent such persons from harming themselves and others.

Mr Choo asked us what more we can do in schools. We have been working closely with MOE to engage younger Singaporeans on SGSecure. All schools have a framework to drive SGSecure initiatives, which is overseen by school leaders. Age-appropriate SGSecure content is incorporated into story books and card games for students, as well as assembly talks and mobile exhibitions by Home Team agencies.

ISD has also been working with schools, Institutes of Higher Learning and community organisations to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation outreach activities for students, youths and educators since 2007. These include workshops, talks and seminars. With the COVID-19 pandemic, ISD has leveraged online platforms for its outreach efforts. For example, ISD conducted webinars for educators in Institutes of Higher Learning last year.

Workshops for school counsellors have been conducted since 2016 to sensitise them to the terrorism and radicalisation threat. As of 2019, over 260 School Counsellors in Secondary schools, as well as a number of Student Welfare Officers, have attended the workshops. Each workshop includes a visit to the ISD Heritage Centre to sensitise them to security threats, as well as a one-day training session which provides them with a better understanding of the radicalisation process and the factors, especially among youths; the behavioural indicators to look out for; and the intervention measures they can take. Teachers are encouraged to watch out for early signs of possible radicalisation, such as the avid consumption of radical materials, or expressions of support for terrorist entities and causes.

Community partners such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) and the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group also conduct counter-ideology outreach activities targeted at students and youths. For example, the RRG has been working with schools to organise assembly talks, workshops, as well as learning journeys to the RRG Resource and Counselling Centre. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the RRG has intensified its digital outreach efforts. It produced over 60 online lectures, "live" postings, online engagements and videos for the community, including for youths.

The RRG has also reached out to various inter-faith and religious groups. For example, in February 2020, the RRG, together with the Geylang Serai Inter-Racial Religious Confidence Circle (IRCC) organised a forum entitled "Harmony Amidst Crisis" to show the solidarity of Singaporeans. Leaders from the various faiths came together to observe a minute of silence for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and also to start the campaign "#outbreak_never_break_us". The forum featured speakers who touched on the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, the threat of radicalisation and how extremists have been leveraging the pandemic in their recruitment efforts.

Within the classroom, topics on multiracialism and the importance of racial harmony are taught in subjects like Character and Citizenship Education (CCE), History and Social Studies. In Secondary schools' Social Studies, students examine the impact of social and racial and religious prejudice and misconceptions on people and society. They explore the roles played by individuals and groups in strengthening interactions between different races and they consider how they can play their part to promote social cohesion. As part of the refreshed CCE curriculum, Secondary school teachers will receive specialised training to facilitate discussions on contemporary issues, such as race and religion, to hone students' perspective-taking skills as well as engender a sense of empathy and respect. All schools will also establish a peer support structure by 2022, where students will learn to support each other and be taught upstanding behaviour, speaking up for their peers where necessary, including in instances of racism and hate speech. These social bonds are the strongest counter possible against the spread of exclusivist and extremist ideologies.

Outside the classroom, there have also been efforts to encourage interracial and interreligious dialogue. For example, the "Regardless of Race" dialogue series organised by OnePeople.sg and supported by MCCY, provides a platform for conversations on sentiments, issues and norms pertaining to race. Since 2019, five sessions have been organised, involving a total of more than 500 participants. Another community-driven initiative to provide more safe spaces for open conversations on religious issues is the "Ask Me Anything" series facilitated by a non-governmental organisation, the WhiteHatters Ltd.

MCCY organised a Hackathon for Social Cohesion in November and December 2020, where more than 200 youths were invited to pitch innovative ideas on strengthening social cohesion and implement projects that promote social, racial and religious harmony.

Mr Speaker, a cohesive and united society is the best defence against terrorism and radicalisation. We will continue to strengthen our efforts to build a resilient community that is prepared for a terrorist attack in Singapore and plays an active part to safeguard Singapore's unity in the face of this threat.

Sir, I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. On the one hand, a 16-year-old wielding a machete can cause serious harm, what more in a religious worship place. Therefore, taking this seriously and the detention was the correct thing to do.

On the other hand, he is just 16 years old and he has a 16-year-old mind. So, I would like to ask the Minister of State, as part of his rehabilitation, of his re-intergration and re-inclusion into multiracial, multicultural Singapore, what would ISD do and the stakeholders do to rehabilitate him, especially given the fact that the Minister of State has disclosed that he is the youngest detainee under the ISA to date. So, my question is really about the rehabilitation of this young man.

I thank the Member for the question. The rehabilitation approach adopted by ISD is a holistic, intensive and long-term one, comprising religious, psychological and social rehabilitation – these three factors together. It is also customised to the individual's context and the circumstances. So, let me elaborate on each of these factors.

First, on religious rehabilitation. All detainees, those released back to the community on Restriction Orders (RO), will have to attend religious counselling sessions at least once a month. The religious counselling sessions aim to provide them with the proper religious teachings and interpretation so as to counter the radical ideology they have imbibed from online and other sources.

Secondly, on psychological rehabilitation. Through their detention and even after their release on RO, detainees work closely with psychologists to address the propensity for hatred and violence, and vulnerability to radical influence. The psychologists will also help them to reframe the faulty reasoning that underlie their beliefs. As part of this process, the psychologists regularly assess behavioural and cognitive aspects of the detainees' progress in rehabilitation.

And third, and just as important, on social rehabilitation. Social rehabilitation is the form of social support that is provided to enable the detainees to re-integrate smoothly into society upon release and to stay on track in the long run. Family, in this regard, play a key role and key part in this process. Detainees are granted weekly family visits to preserve their connection to the family unit as much as possible. An aftercare officer is also assigned to each detainee family to provide social and other support where relevant. There is also support provided by the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group. Through the group's network of welfare organisations and regular interactions with ISD, case officers provide detainees with another source of social interaction and support. These regular interactions are also a platform for rehabilitation stakeholders to guide the detainees. Even after they are released, they receive continuous supervision through the RO regime, with ISD case officers providing guidance to them and to help them with a smooth re-integration into society.

Specifically for youth cases, priority continues to be given to address the ideological misconceptions that underpin the radical mindsets. Additional attention is also paid and in this case, to this 16-year-old youth, to address the non-ideological factors that led to their radicalisation, such as the sense of belonging and identity, critical thinking skills to discern radical rhetoric online, mental resilience, correlated stresses; and in particular, efforts are made to enable detainees to continue with their education where it is practicable. This was assessed to be critical in keeping these youths motivated and focused. ISD works with their families, the schools and other rehabilitation stakeholders to create a conducive environment to facilitate their studies.

A mentoring programme tailored to meet the rehabilitation needs of these youths was also introduced in 2016. The mentor-mentee relationship will continue after the release, to ensure that they stay focused on pro-social goals.

The rehabilitation for the 16-year-old youth as mentioned earlier on, will be largely guided by the approach that I have detailed above. We will also apply some of the best practices from the rehabilitation of previous youth cases. For example, in consultation with his parents and former school, ISD has made arrangements to facilitate his continuing education while in detention. This includes arranging for tutors to assist him in preparing for his national exams this year. A mentor has also been identified for him. In addition, ISD is working very closely with the National Council of Churches of Singapore, NCCS, which is keen to be involved in the youth's rehabilitation to identify a suitable Christian counsellor for him.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the hon Minister of State for his detailed answers. We owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women of ISD, who have been vigilant in thwarting this attack, which would otherwise have very serious consequences on Singapore and Singaporeans.

My supplementary question relates to this alarming trend of people outside Singapore trying to radicalise impressionable youths. What can we do in Singapore to sensitise our youths to this trend and what steps can they take to report upwards if their friends are actually engaged in such websites.

I thank the Member for the supplementary question. In my earlier reply, I have mentioned this is one of the key efforts that we are putting upstream to ensure that we educate our people. And that is the best line of defence – to ensure that they understand what are the right teachings and not be swayed by radical and extremist views. So, working with MOE, working with private organisations, MCCY, we want to reach out to our youths in various platforms, through various means, even in the areas that they are very keen and very interested and are very good at, through social media as well as through online platforms.

I think through these efforts we try our very best to inoculate our youths of today, to allow them to discern what are the right messages, what are the right doctrines and not be swayed by radical ideologies such as the case that has been said here.

There is no easy, fool-proof solution when it comes to online access, we all know that. It is a challenge that we all face. We have to constantly look at how we can educate our youths through the school system. But I think also in terms of family, the roles of family, friends and close ones, are very important to make sure that we support our young people and also supervise, to some extent, the access they have online as well.

May I ask the Minister of State, how often does ISD meet up with groups of religious leaders, brief them about what to look out for when reaching out to their members of their religious groups? My concern is really whether the ISD brief the pastors, brief the priests, brief the imams on what to look out for amongst their members who may be radicalised. Because if they do not even know what to look out for, then they can hardly report upwards.

Yes, Sir, ISD regularly engages the religious groups. I do not have the exact frequency. And in the engagements, besides sharing with them what is the current situation, one of the things that we always share with them is to look out for the signs. I have highlighted during my speech earlier on the signs that we have to look out for – one, the propensity for violence, a misguided understanding of certain religious beliefs and, of course, some signs about the individual's attitude towards multiculturalism and multiracialism. These are the tell-tale signs that, in terms of the religious leaders' understanding of their followers, they play a very key role because I think in their interactions with their followers, they will come across different expressions of their understanding of the religion as well as the situation in Singapore.

So, ISD does that very regularly, not just with the religious leaders' groups but also with educational institutions as well as community groups to spread this important message and also to allow them to understand what are the tell-tale signs to look out for.