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Singapore laws capable of dealing with terrorism: Expert

Singapore’s Internal Security Act (ISA) is capable of managing terrorist threats, a leading anti-terrorism expert says.

Professor Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, hailed Singapore’s counter-terrorism capabilities as "robust", identifying the ISA as a key component in battling threats like the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda.

“Without preventive detention laws, no country in the world can fight terrorism,” he added.
Gunaratna was speaking to Yahoo Singapore on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit, a symposium on religious rehabilitation and social reintegration.

He said the threat to Singapore has always come in the form of Al Qaeda-centric groups, notably the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

“However, there is now a new threat to Singapore and the region from the Islamic State and Islamic State support groups.” he said, adding that the threat was significant despite the fact that the support for IS is from a 'tiny minority'.

Gunaratna said that unlike Malaysia, which recently disrupted terrorist plots against government, military and tourist targets, there have been no reports of threats to any buildings, people or events in Singapore.

However, when asked if there had been any terrorist-related arrests in Singapore, Gunaratna remained tight-lipped.
“I will speak to you only in terms of the region,” he said, adding that about 100 people have been arrested in Southeast Asia, mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Singapore antidote to extremism

Gunaratna also hailed the Muslim community in Singapore as a model community.

“Singaporean Muslims are one of the most educated Muslim communities in the region. They are totally opposed to IS.

“The Singapore character, the Singapore nature and the Singapore spirit of living together with other communities is the best antidote against extremism,” he said, adding that the Singapore model is a very important model in the fight against the Islamic State.

This mindset, he said, extended to the island nation’s large population of migrant Muslims.
“Most migrants, when they come to Singapore, embrace Singapore’s style,” he said.

Asked about the recent passing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) in Malaysia, Gunaratna said it, and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), has yet to be tested.

He said Malaysia had made a ‘huge mistake’ by repealing their Internal Security Act and that Malaysian politicians did not consider the advice that had been given to them.

He cited Australia as the country in Asia Pacific with the best terrorism-related legislation, which allows the Australian government to prosecute the support and facilitation of radical groups.

"Terrorism cannot be fought with ordinary legislation. There must be specialised terrorism legislation, especially for the Internet as the web has become the main form of dissemination,” he said.