'Radicalised' 27-year-old Singaporean detained under ISA: MHA
A 27-year-old Singaporean was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in April after investigations showed he was radicalised, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Friday (11 May).
Investigations showed that Mohamed Faishal Mohd Razali, a parking warden, wanted to undertake armed violence overseas in various conflict zones, including Syria, said the ministry.
Faishal, who had not been known to be a religious person, had turned to the Internet to try to improve his religious knowledge sometime in mid-2016, according to the MHA.
“He began to imbibe the religious teachings of foreign preachers, including Ismail Menk and Yusuf Estes, who are known to preach segregationist and divisive teachings. He was also exposed to the online radical teachings of Al-Qaeda ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki (deceased),” added the statement.
He later became convinced that waging armed violence was legitimate and saw that as a means of redeeming his sins. From early 2017 onwards, the Singaporean started “making preparations to undertake armed violence overseas”, noted the ministry.
He also searched online for a “religious authority” who would support his decision and sounded out two of his friends on his plan to participate in armed violence overseas, said the authority.
The friends had, in turn, disagreed with him and tried to dissuade him. His family members who came to know of his intentions tried to dissuade him too.
Despite these efforts, he continued to believe that he was “duty-bound to engage in armed violence in an overseas conflict”.
The authorities were alerted to Faishal’s plans by someone who was aware of them and wanted to prevent him from continuing down a “radical path”.
Separately, the authority added that Restriction Orders (RO) issued against three Singaporeans under the ISA were allowed to lapse upon their expiry between February 2018 and March 2018.
The three Singaporeans are Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members Sahrudin Mohd Sapian, 62, and Mohamed Rafee Abdul Rahman, 54; and Wang Yuandongyi, 25, who had attempted to join Kurdish militia group People’s Protection Units to fight against terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Sahrudin and Rafee had fled Singapore in December 2001 in the wake of security operations against the JI. The duo was later arrested overseas with the co-operation of regional authorities and detained under the ISA following their deportation to Singapore in January the next year, said the ministry.
They were later released and placed on ROs in February 2014, which were allowed to lapse in February.
Wang, on the other hand, was placed on RO in March 2016, which was allowed to lapse in March.
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