SINGAPORE, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Singaporeans should be psychologically prepared as more radicalized individuals have been identified, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam warned on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Thaipusam 2025 festival, Shanmugam said that recent cases point to a worrying trend.
His comments came after the Internal Security Department (ISD) announced on Monday that two self-radicalized Singaporeans had been issued an Order of Detention and a Restriction Order under the Internal Security Act (ISA), respectively. Additionally, a self-radicalized Malaysian, who was working as a cleaner in Singapore, had been arrested.
Among them was an 18-year-old student who, according to the ISD, was "radicalized by violent far-right extremist ideologies and aspired to conduct attacks against Malays and Muslims in Singapore."
Another ISD announcement on Sunday revealed that three self-radicalized Singaporeans were detained under the ISA in November 2024. The agency noted that all three had been separately radicalized online and were preparing to engage in armed violence overseas.
Shanmugam noted the rising number of cases showed Singapore was not immune to the threat and that the trend was worrying. While authorities have been proactive in tackling the issue, he advised Singaporeans to be prepared. ■
