Update on Case of Eight Deported Indonesian ISIS Suspects

Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he can provide an update on the case of eight Indonesians deported to Malaysia due to their suspected link to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and why they were subsequently released by the Indonesian police.

On 9 January 2017, a group of eight Indonesians tried to enter Singapore through the Woodlands Checkpoint. The Indonesians were referred for secondary checks by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers when they presented themselves for immigration clearance. One of them said that he was a religious teacher and that his travelling companions were his students. He was found to possess images of security concern, including that of a shoe-bomb and fighters from the terrorist group that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The group was denied entry into Singapore and turned back to Malaysia from where they last departed.

The Malaysian authorities repatriated the Indonesians back to their country of origin after they had completed their investigations. It is the prerogative of the Indonesian authorities to decide on the course of action to take with regard to their citizens.

On our part, we have shared our investigation findings on the case with our Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts. We will continue to watch our borders closely and work with our partners to counter the terrorism threat in the region.