2 self-radicalised S'poreans, aged 19 & 30, issued ISA orders, 1 willing to conduct attacks in S'pore if instructed by Hamas

Two self-radicalised Singaporean men have been issued orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Internal Security Department (ISD) said in a press release on Jun. 24.

Tarmizi bin Mohd Taha, 30, a customer service officer, was issued an Order of Detention (OD), while Cyrus Dzulqarnain Al-Shahriar, 19, a student, was issued a Restriction Order (RO).

Their radicalisation was triggered by the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Both orders were issued in March 2026.

Aspired to join Hamas

Tarmizi's interest in the conflict began after Hamas' attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, after which he joined social media channels discussing the conflict and was exposed to Hamas propaganda.

By 2024, he had come to view Hamas as defenders of the Palestinians and believed armed violence against those deemed responsible for their oppression was justified.

He also frequently posted pro-Hamas content online to garner support for the group.

Tarmizi had also discussed Hamas' Gaza operations with an online foreign contact who claimed to be a Hamas member.

In late 2024, the contact had offered to help him travel to the Palestinian territories to join Hamas.

But Tarmizi only took up the offer after watching a video in August 2025 of a Palestinian being killed, which sparked a strong sense of outrage and re-triggered his earlier intent to join Hamas.

However, he lacked the funds to proceed.

He also indicated he would be willing to carry out armed violence against Israel or attacks in Singapore on Hamas' instruction.

He also intended to use his skills from his previous work experience in administrative and logistic roles, including as a logistics assistant during his National Service in the Singapore Police Force (SPF), to contribute to Hamas, believing that such actions would ultimately lead him to achieving martyrdom.

ISD ultimately assessed Tarmizi to pose an imminent security threat warranting detention.

Online postings inciting violence against others

Cyrus' radicalisation involved Composite Violent Extremism (CoVE), which ISD previously termed "salad bar" extremism, referring to a form of violent extremism in which individuals subscribe to multiple, sometimes conflicting, extremist ideologies.

In 2022, he joined online groups to learn more about Islam, but was also exposed to anti-Western and anti-LGBTQ content.

He subsequently made online posts inciting violence against the LGBTQ community.

After the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, he was exposed to pro-Hamas narratives and came to support the group's violent actions, including the killing of civilians, which he saw as a form of jihad.

He also considered travelling to Gaza to join Hamas, but did not act on it.

In mid-2024, Cyrus encountered a niche online Islamist extremist group that subscribed to violent accelerationist thinking, and was invited into its private chat group the following year.

The group believed in creating “chaos” through the use of violence if necessary, to establish a future with Islam as the leading global civilisation.

They believed that they needed to destroy the current “world order”, where first world countries, including Singapore, were considered an extension of the United States, and under the control of Zionists.

He went on to support Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and his support for Hamas deepened.

He also became supportive of attacks targeting Westerners, such as Al-Qaeda's 9/11 attacks and the 2002 Bali Bombings, and glorified them online.

At a group member's request, Cyrus visited the Esplanade area twice to photograph an extremist e-publication against the backdrop of Marina Bay Sands, then posted the photos publicly in November 2025 as a pledge of allegiance to the group.

He subsequently considered himself a member, going on to harass users he saw as anti-Islam, spread fake news to defame them, and incite violence against them.

In early 2025, Cyrus encountered online content about school shooter Elliot Rodger and grew intrigued by his incel views.

After exploring incel forums, he began identifying as one himself, posting online threats to kill or rape women and fantasising about violence against LGBTQ individuals and couples in school settings.

However, these thoughts did not progress beyond ideation.

While Cyrus took no preparatory steps toward violence, his support for terrorist and extremist groups and his online incitement were deemed to be of security concern.

He has been placed on a RO so ISD can monitor him and put him through rehabilitation to address his radical beliefs.

Conflicts abroad continue to drive radicalisation

Tarmizi and Cyrus are the seventh and eighth Singaporeans dealt with under the ISA, whose radicalisation was triggered or accelerated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since it re-escalated.

While Singaporeans remain deeply concerned about the conflict's humanitarian toll, ISD stressed that extremist narratives exploiting foreign conflicts must not be allowed to take root locally, and that it will act firmly against anyone who supports, promotes or prepares for armed violence.

Cyrus is also the second person dealt with under the ISA to have been radicalised through CoVE, highlighting the growing diversity of violent extremist ideologies driving self-radicalisation in Singapore, particularly among youths.

Public urged to stay alert

ISD reiterated that anyone is susceptible to radicalisation, and urged the public to stay alert to warning signs and report concerns early.

Possible signs of radicalisation include:

• Displaying symbols of extremist or terrorist groups (eg. using a Hamas flag as a social media photo);
• Frequently visiting radical websites;
• Posting or sharing extremist views online, including support for terrorists or the use of violence;
• Sharing extremist views with friends and family;
• Making remarks that stoke hatred toward other races, religions or communities;
• Expressing intent to take part in violence, locally or abroad; and/or
• Inciting others to violence.

Anyone who knows or suspects a person has been radicalised, or is involved in terrorism-related activities, should contact ISD at 1800-2626-473.

Restriction order

Individuals issued with a restriction order are not permitted to change their residence or employment, or travel out of Singapore without approval from the director of ISD.

They also cannot access the internet or social media, issue public statements, address public meetings or print, distribute or contribute to any publication.

They are not allowed to hold office in, or be a member of, any organisation, association or group without approval from the ISD director.

ISD also announced that 33-year-old Radjev Lal Madan Lal, who was detained in April 2022 after he was self-radicalised and made preparations to engage in armed conflicts overseas, has been released from detention on a RO in April 2026.

Restriction orders for three individuals were also allowed to lapse upon their expiry due to good progress in rehabilitation.

They are Abd Rahim bin Abdul Rahman, 57, Mohamed Faishal bin Mohd Razali, 35, and Husaini bin Ismail, 67.