Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on how the Public can be Equipped to Pick Up Indicators that an Individual May be Getting Self-radicalised, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Home Affairs how can the public be equipped to pick up indicators that an individual may be getting self-radicalised, as part of a community network to prevent terror attacks.

Answer:

1. It is important to report suspected radicalised individuals early, so that interventions can be taken before any harm is done. Family members, colleagues or friends play an important role. They are in a good position to pick up tell-tale signs. Some of these signs include avid consumption of radical material, posting of terrorism-related material on social media, becoming withdrawn, or espousing intolerant “us versus them” viewpoints.

2. We have been leveraging the SGSecure movement to reach out to different groups in the community, including in neighbourhoods, schools, religious organisations and workplaces, to raise awareness on the threat of terrorism, and educate them on detecting early signs of radicalisation.

3. ISD has also been working with schools, institutes of higher learning, and community organisations to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation outreach activities. These include workshops, talks and seminars, which aim to sensitise them to the threat of radicalisation and the need to report suspected radicalised individuals early.

4. ISD has also worked with the Ministry of Manpower and MUIS to reach out to migrant workers. For example, advisories have been disseminated to migrant workers to urge them to watch out for signs of radicalisation. A terrorism module has been incorporated in the Settling-In Programme for foreign domestic workers, which teaches them what they should and should not do, how they can look out for tell-tale signs of radicalised individuals, and the Police hotline to call.

5. We will continue to find ways to educate the public on radicalisation. Members of the public can report suspicious behavior by contacting the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline (1800 – 2626473), calling 999, SMS to 71999, or use the “Report” function in the SGSecure app. The identity of the informer will be protected.