Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Follow-up Efforts and Strategies in Identifying Radicalised Activities or Groups by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the recent discovery of radicalised Bangladeshis in Singapore, what are our follow-up efforts and strategies in identifying more of such activities or groups with high potential or likelihood of such ideologies within our midst.

Answer:

1. Madam Speaker, our security authorities will continue to monitor and investigate into signs of radicalisation in Singapore. These threats can come from within Singapore or from foreigners in Singapore.  As part of the overall counter-terrorism effort, we also share intelligence with foreign security partners to deal with the transnational nature of the threats.  But it cannot just be the security agencies.

2. The larger Singaporean society must also play a part in protecting us against these threats. Singaporeans need to help to safeguard family and friends from becoming radicalised.  Employers need to pay attention to goings-on in workers' dormitories.  Workers too, can play a part in reporting suspicious activities that they may come across.

3. In short, everyone has a part to play, to enhance our collective security.