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Growing ISIS threat in the region

The ISIS threat is a global problem and looms large. For a long time, it seemed like a problem in a faraway land. But last year, the terror group shook the world when videos of people getting beheaded surfaced.

Militant Islamist fighters take part in a military parade along the streets of Northern Raqqa province in Syria, June 30, 2014. Photo: Reuters

Militant Islamist fighters take part in a military parade along the streets of Northern Raqqa province in Syria, June 30, 2014. Photo: Reuters

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The ISIS threat is a global problem and looms large. For a long time, it seemed like a problem in a faraway land. But last year, the terror group shook the world when videos of people getting beheaded surfaced.

The ISIS threat has sparked security concerns around the world, and it is creeping closer to our shores. The threat is serious and growing.

Malaysian police confirmed earlier this year the presence of two Malaysians in a video of a Syrian man getting beheaded. In a report by The Star, the country’s counter-terrorism division’s principal assistant director, Senior Assistant Commissioner Ayob Khan said: “If they can slaughter captives, who’s to say that they wouldn’t do that when they come back?”

Since February 2013, Malaysia has arrested 107 people suspected to have terror links. Among them are civil servants – including navy and air force personnel – businessmen and students.

Back home, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement yesterday (May 27), one young Singaporean was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and another was arrested. They were just 17 and 19

Arifil Azim Putra Norja’I is the first known self-radicalised Singaporean to have intentions of carrying out violent attacks in Singapore. He had hoped to travel to Syria to join ISIS. Failing which, he’d planned to carry out attacks in public places in Singapore. The 19-year-old was detained in April.

The other is a 17-year-old boy who had been arrested earlier this month under the ISA for further investigations into his radicalisation, the MHA statement revealed.

Terrorism remains a pressing global threat and Singapore too faces real threats from radicalisation. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a statement: “The two self-radicalised young Singaporeans show that our youths are also vulnerable.”

Growing threat

Across the causeway, a 14-year-old girl was arrested in February for trying to join ISIS. She was planning to marry a 22-year-old Malaysian student in Cairo and they were intending to make their way to Syria. The girl from Muar had been in touch with two Malaysian militants based in Syria, The Star reported.

Earlier this month, 63 more people in Malaysia – nine of whom are women – were identified by police to be linked to ISIS and police are now on the hunt for them.

This follows from the 12 Malaysians who were arrested just last month for their links to the terror group. Their plans to attack several locations around Kuala Lumpur were foiled and explosives were seized. Within the same month, another group of 17 militants planning to launch attacks were nabbed – two were air force personnel – in Kedah and the Klang Valley.

Malaysians in Syria

In an interview with Malaysia’s New Sunday Times published in January, a Malaysian man who gave his name as “Salman Rahim” told the reporter that there was a sustained campaign to lure Malaysians to Syria and the number of Malaysians who were willing to join their cause is larger than the 80 that authorities have said.

Salman who went to Syria last year also revealed to the New Sunday Times that many of those Malaysians who’ve gone to Syria joined the terror group’s suicide bomber squad.

He said: “…more and more of my Muslim brothers and sisters back home are interested in hearing about us and the cause we are pursuing… Many more are keen on joining us here and I salute them.”

“As it is, there are hundreds of Malaysians in Syria and Iraq and I am confident that the number will grow.”

The involvement of Malaysians in IS is “very serious”, Mr Ayob told the New Straits Times.

“The number is growing not only in Malaysia but in the region and all over the world,” he noted.

On top of the 107 people in Malaysia who have been arrested since February 2013 for terror links, it is believed that more than 80 Malaysians are fighting in Syria, Mr Ayob said, with more expected – at least double – to leave for Syria this year.

Singapore’s fight against terror

In Singapore, it was revealed in parliament last year that there have also been Singaporeans who have travelled to Syria.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean disclosed that there were a “handful” of Singaporeans, including parents who had brought their children with them, to join some 12,000 foreigners in the armed conflict in Syria.

There were several other Singaporeans who were detained before they made the trip, DPM Teo said.

Yesterday’s announcement of the arrest and detention of two Singaporean youths, comes as a reminder that Singapore in not immune to the terror threats and attacks that could happen.

DPM Teo said: “Our security agencies will do their utmost to detect and prevent any terrorist attack. However, as we have seen in other countries, an attack can still happen even in countries that are already on high security alert.”

In this global fight against ISIS, Singapore has also joined a multinational coalition to combat the militant group. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced this in parliament last November. He said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) would participate in multinational coalition efforts against religious extremists who pose a terrorist threat to Singapore and Singaporeans, as it did in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

SAF’s contribution included liaison and planning officers – about 50 to 60 – to the United States Central Command and the Combined Joint Task Force HQ, a KC-135R tanker aircraft for air-to-air refueling, and an imagery analysis team.

In an update to parliament in January this year, Dr Ng said that SAF would be deploying more planners to support the coalition.

There have also been repeated calls for Singaporeans to work together to overcome this problem. 

As the ISIS continues to propagate their extremist messages over the Internet, there is mounting concern over the increasing numbers of self-radicalised individuals.

Second Minister for Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli recently cited this rising threat of terrorism and policing in the cyber domain to be among key safety and security issues facing the region today.

Mr Masagos was speaking at the INTERPOL-Asian Regional Conference last month where he said radical Islamic movements have emerged due to globalisation. Various groups are cooperating with larger terrorist groups outside the region for funding and training while the Internet is being used to spread fear, religious extremism and ideological propaganda.

He said that the presence of an estimated 6,000 extremist websites make the threat of terror attacks of “significant concern”.

He said: “Cybercrime has the potential to inflict damage at all levels of society and is a major concern for the region and globally.”

To this end, Mr Masagos noted in his speech that “forging strong partnerships is essential to enable the flow of information and intelligence to facilitate collaboration across countries”.

Following news of the two Singaporean youths' arrest and detention under the ISA yesterday, DPM Teo urged all Singaporeans to work together to overcome this threat. He said: “If you know or suspect anyone who is becoming radicalised, please notify the authorities early. You would be helping to save that person from harming himself and others.”

And as Mr Masagos also said recently: “At the end of the day, we have to take responsibility to watch over our children, our community, so they do not take up arms… Indeed, we should prevent them and look out for all these tell-tale signs as early as possible.”

 

Sources: The Star, New Sunday Times, New Straits Times

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