Update on Cases Under the Internal Security Act - 9 June

Detention of Singaporean Ruqayyah binti Ramli

1.   Ruqayyah binti Ramli (Ruqayyah; aged 34), a housewife and former part-time freelance religious teacher, was issued an Order of Detention (OD) under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in April 2021.

2.   Ruqayyah was previously issued with a Restriction Order (RO) [1] under the ISA in August 2020, after she was found to have been radicalised by her husband, Malaysian Mohd Firdaus bin Kamal Intdzam (Firdaus; aged 33). [2] Investigations at the time established that she had supported Firdaus’ intention to join and fight for the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Syria. She was willing to accompany him to the conflict zone, where she intended to take care of the family and assist wounded ISIS fighters.

3.   Since being placed on RO however, there has been an escalation in Ruqayyah’s radical behaviour and involvement in activities prejudicial to Singapore’s security. Ruqayyah has refused to make any genuine effort to participate in the rehabilitation programme, and remains entrenched in her radical beliefs. She continues to support ISIS’s violent actions and believes in the use of violence against the perceived enemies of Islam. Further, in contravention of her RO condition, she persisted in communicating online with overseas ISIS supporters who were associates of Firdaus. She was thus detained to prevent her from progressing further down the violent radical path.

Release from Detention

4.   Two self-radicalised Singaporeans were released from detention under the ISA in May 2021. They had shown good progress in their rehabilitation and were assessed to no longer pose a security threat requiring preventive detention. They are:

a.   Mohamed Faishal bin Mohd Razali (Faishal; aged 30), who was detained under the ISA in April 2018 as he had aspirations of pursuing armed violence in overseas conflicts. Faishal was released on a Suspension Direction (SD) in May 2021; and

b.   Kuthubdeen Haja Najumudeen (Haja; aged 38), who was a follower of Sri Lankan radical preacher Zahran Hashim, the mastermind and one of the suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on 21 Apr 2019. Haja was released on a RO in May 2021.

Issuance of Restriction Order

5.   Singaporean Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir s/o Sheik Uduman (Hussein; aged 36) was issued with a RO in May 2021. He was previously issued with an OD in August 2018 for his support for ISIS. His OD was cancelled in October 2019 after he was sentenced to 30-month imprisonment for terrorism financing offences under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act. ISD continued to reach out to Hussein to rehabilitate him during his imprisonment.   He has since made good progress in his rehabilitation and is assessed to no longer pose a security threat requiring preventive detention. Hussein was thus issued with a RO after he completed his prison sentence for terrorism financing offences in May 2021.

INTERNAL SECURITY DEPARTMENT

9 JUNE 2021

[1] A person issued with a Restriction Order (RO) must abide by several conditions and restrictions.  For example, the individual is not permitted to change his or her residence or employment, or travel out of Singapore, without the approval of the Director ISD.  The individual also cannot access the Internet or social media, issue public statements, address public meetings or print, distribute, contribute to any publication, hold office in, or be a member of any organisation, association or group, without the approval of Director ISD.

[2] Firdaus was repatriated to Malaysia in August 2020.  On 15 Apr 2021, the Malaysian High Court sentenced him to three-year jail for possession of terrorism-related propaganda materials.