Solution to terrorism threat is rehabilitating & reintegrating detainees: Josephine Teo

Teo also highlighted an increased threat from foreign interference in domestic politics.

Matthias Ang | March 01, 2021, 06:37 PM

The best solution in addressing the threat of terrorist detainees is to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society, Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo said in Parliament, at the Committee of Supply Debate on Mar. 1.

In addition, the rehabilitation process will also be continuously refined, based on the country's own experiences, and in response to the changing profiles of the detainees, with lessons from the "best practices" globally.

Local threats are more difficult to detect

Teo acknowledged that local threats were more difficult to detect however as individuals could be self-radicalised.

As such, the government encourages the public to report suspicious activities or individuals, she added.

She also highlighted that as part of the SGSecure movement, the Home Team and its partners are educating the community on both responding to and preventing terror attacks, such as spotting signs of radicalisation.

With regard to foreign threats, Teo added that Singapore had strong working relationships with foreign security agencies, to share intelligence and disrupt plots.

Here, she highlighted the example of the collaboration between the Internal Security Department (ISD) and Indonesian authorities to disrupt a plot by a Batam-based pro-ISIS cell targeting Marina Bay Sands.

Important to guard against foreign interference in domestic politics

Teo also spoke at length about the need to safeguard against foreign interference in domestic politics.

On this point, she said that the potential and severity of such a threat had risen as a result of the increased capabilities of states to carry out such operations.

Such interference can now take on various forms, such as hostile information campaigns, and subversion operations to influence people and organisations of political significance within the country, and affect political discourse.

As a case in point, Teo noted that in 2018 and 2019, amidst bilateral issues with Malaysia, there was a "curious spike" in online comments critical of Singapore.

Teo noted:

"Many of these comments came from anonymous accounts, which sought to give an artificial impression to Singaporeans that there were significant and fundamental objections to Singapore's position."

Additional "legislative levers" are needed

Additional "legislative levers" may therefore be needed, Teo added, in addressing the matter.

Such levers will help to:

  • To obtain necessary information for investigating hostile information campaigns, so as to determine if they are of foreign or artificial origin,
  • To stem the virality of such campaigns if they are indeed conducted by foreign actors to subvert domestic politics,
  • To carry counter-messaging to alert Singaporeans to these ongoing hostile information campaigns.

In citing the experience of other countries, such as Australia, with foreign powers attempting to buy off their political parties and individual politicians, Teo said the following points should be noted:

"For example, what levels of transparency in funding, support, and leadership is appropriate, for whom?"

She added that the public's feedback would be sought on the proposals for such measures, so to give the eventual safeguards their strongest support.

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

Top image screenshot from MCI YouTube