Suspected S’porean militants to be dealt with according to S’pore law

The Government will deal with any Singaporean who assists, supports, promotes or joins violent organisations such as the Islamic State (IS) in accordance with the laws here, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament yesterday.

Such a person “would have demonstrated a dangerous tendency to support the use of violence” and “poses a real threat to Singapore’s national security”, Mr Teo said, in response to a question by Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC) on whether the Republic is facing an increased security threat in the light of recent beheadings carried out by IS militants in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Teo, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said Singapore had co-sponsored the United Nations Security Council resolution that requires all nations to adopt laws that would make it a serious crime for their nationals to join extremist groups such as the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. The resolution was unanimously passed last month. “Our approach will be carefully calibrated to the specifics of each case” said Mr Teo, adding that, where necessary, the Internal Security Act will be used.

He noted that a handful of Singaporeans have gone to Syria to take part in the fight and are last known to still be there.