REHABILITATION COUNTRY PROFILES
A diverse city-state
Singapore is a densely populated city-state located in Southeast Asia. It is a former British colony which has developed into a thriving cosmopolitan metropolis with a population of approximately 5.61 million as of June 2017, including about 1.6 million non-residents. According to the Pew Research Center, Singapore is the most religiously diverse country in the world. The Singaporean government emphasises the importance of multicultural harmony in maintaining political stability and driving economic growth.
Singapore’s religious diversity includes Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Taoists, Hindus, and atheists, whilst its ethnic diversity comprises Chinese, Malays, Indians, and others. Given Singapore’s history of communal violence, including riots and clashes in the 1960s, there is a recognition of the potential for conflict in a hyper-diverse multi-racial and multi-religious country. Racial and religious harmony is crucial for Singapore’s social stability, cohesion, and security. Hence extremism is a particular threat to Singapore’s existence, having the potential to create divisions between various ethnic and religious groupings.
Islamist extremism
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), an extremist group with links to Al-Qaeda, was responsible for carrying out several terrorist attacks in Singapore. JI plans to establish a pan-Islamic state in the region and intended to carry out suicide attacks using truck bombs but were apprehended by Singapore authorities before they could execute their plans. In 2001 and 2002, a total of 36 individuals were arrested in Singapore’s operations against them.
ISIS has emerged as a major threat globally in recent years, and a small number of Singaporean individuals have been arrested for their involvement with the group. In recent years, Singapore has faced incidents of extremism and terrorism, including a plot in 2016 by a group affiliated with ISIS to carry out attacks in the country. Since the severe defeat of the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, its affiliates have gained ground in Southeast Asia, with over 60 groups pledging loyalty to ISIS and planning to establish an East Asian wilayat (province). Other terrorist groups that Singapore has had to confront are Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf Group and al Qaeda. Singaporeans have been numbered amongst those travelling to fight in conflict zones in South Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
New risks identified
The region has experienced a recent increase in terrorist attacks, partly due to the return of battle-hardened foreign fighters from Iraq and Syria. Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) continues to track radicalisation in the region: since 2015, 54 individuals have been identified under the Internal Security Act for terrorism-related conduct. Forty-four of them were self-radicalized. Fourteen of that cohort have been identified since 2019.
Most recently, Singapore has had to confront the existence of radicalisation outside of Islamist movements. The Internal Security arrested a young man, aged 16 at the time, who had planned to kill Muslims at two mosques. He had intended to carry out these crimes in imitation of Brenton Tarrant, marking the anniversary of the Christchurch atrocities. The youth had self-radicalised on social media, including viewing ISIS and other violent Islamist materials which vitiated his Islamophobia.
This incident forced Singapore to address the issue of self-radicalisation on the internet. Efforts are needed to harden internet users resilience to extremist messaging, creating a sophisticated online presence to counter extremist messaging, and to challenge misinformation and share content reflective of diversity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
A delicate harmony
Given Singapore’s history of communal violence, including riots and clashes in the 1960s, there is a historic recognition of the potential for conflict in a multi-racial and multi-religious country which features multiple lines of potential inter-communal friction and spirals of co-radicalisation. To prevent such communal discord and maintain racial and religious harmony, Singapore has implemented a comprehensive set of CVE measures, encompassing counter-ideology, terrorist rehabilitation, reintegration, and community engagement. These measures aim to ensure that in the event of a terrorist attack, different communities remain calm, united, and refrain from emotional reactions or reprisals. The government emphasizes the long-lasting damage that terrorism in the name of religion can cause to Singapore’s social fabric and the difficulty of restoring harmony after an attack.
Singapore’s CVE strategy focuses on strengthening social resilience to prevent racial and religious tension and conflict. The government follows a secular policy which promotes the right to freedom of belief. However, citizens are expected to be mindful of the sensitivities of living in a multi-religious society in order to maintain societal harmony. The goal is to create a common space where people from different racial and religious backgrounds can coexist peacefully.
The role of religious initiatives
A group of Muslim religious teachers in Singapore, known as asatizah, formed the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) in 2003 following the arrest of Singaporean Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members. The RRG aimed to counter extremist ideologies by providing religious counselling. Initially consisting of 16 male and five female asatizah, the RRG expanded its scope to include counselling self-radicalised individuals and those supportive of ISIS. Mentors from the RRG have supported detainees to facilitate reintegration and reduce the risk of re-radicalisation.
During its early stages, the RRG faced criticism and suspicion from detainees and some members of the Muslim community. Despite these challenges, the RRG persisted in correcting the distortion of Islamic teachings and assisting in the reintegration of JI detainees. Their efforts paid off: more than two-thirds of the detained JI members since 2001 have been released.
The RRG works with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) to engage and rehabilitate hardcore terrorists. These initiatives have led to conferences and symposiums, providing insights for counter and de-radicalization programs and developing domestic and international partnerships to better understand and respond to terrorism and extremism.
Holistic rehabilitation
To ensure a holistic rehabilitation approach, the RRG partnered with the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group (ACG), a voluntary community effort established in 2002. The ACG provides emotional, social and financial support to the families of detainees. Together, the RRG and ACG have organised youth forums to raise awareness about the threat of terrorist ideology and to increase resilience amongst young people. The RRG received an award in 2014 recognising their service to the community and their commitment to rehabilitation. In the same year, they founded the Resource and Counselling Centre which archives the work of RRG and increases its capacity to address the evolving challenges of radicalisation. They have also produced a helpline, and developed a social media presence and a mobile app.
RRG has made continuous efforts to challenge political positions advocating segregation, hatred and violence, and to foster messages of peace, tolerance and mutual understanding and respect with references from Islamic teachings. Beyond counselling, RRG also conduct seminars and public talks to the community to spread anti-extremist messaging.
Aftercare
Social rehabilitation is an important aspect of Singapore’s overall approach. Detainees are assigned a psychologist and a religious counsellor. The ACG comprises voluntary organisations from the Muslim community and attempt to address the needs of detainees’ families and children. Case workers from the ACG have even informally acted as mentors for children of detainees who lacked father figures to deter them from following a relative into extremism. The ACG provides counselling, financial support and assistance with employment for families. After release, ACG case workers maintain contact with the former detainees and their families, facilitating social reintegration.
Singapore’s rehabilitation approach goes beyond simple deradicalisation and encompasses a holistic approach that aligns with the country’s efforts to strengthen social cohesion, resilience, and interfaith dialogue in its diverse society. Long-term engagement both provides ongoing psychosocial support, and can also flag potential risks.
Extending to meet diverse needs
Singapore’s efforts to counter violent extremism and maintain racial and religious harmony reflect the government’s commitment to social stability, cohesion and security. Singapore strives to ensure the coexistence of diverse communities in a peaceful and harmonious manner. The government’s secular position contribute to Singapore’s ongoing efforts to create an inclusive society where individuals can express their views whilst respecting the sensitivities of living in a multi-religious country.
Given Singapore’s tremendous diversity, and the emerging issue of radicalisation of non-Muslim demographics, the question is now how its deradicalisation programmes can be expanded and diversified to reflect the diversity of Singapore’s whole population, given that to date, these have been based largely upon the pioneering efforts of Muslim NGOs. This creates a valuable paradigm for the development of similar projects for other citizens at risk of radicalisation. By leveraging this model, Singapore can enhance its efforts to promote inclusivity across all its communities.