Singapore Home Affairs minister: Nine youths dealt with under ISA since 2015 making 'good progress' in rehab

Published date02 February 2023
Publication titleMalay Mail Online

Of a total of nine youths who have been dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA) since 2015, most have made 'good progress' in their rehabilitation, with four reintegrated into society.

One of them went on to top his Institute of Technical Education (ITE) course, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Wednesday (Feb 1).

He stressed the importance of education in the rehabilitation of such young people, each of whom was aged 20 or younger at the time the authorities intervened.

Mr Shanmugam was taking questions from reporters after announcing that an 18-year-old post-secondary student Muhammad Irfan Danyal Mohamad Nor had been detained last December after becoming self-radicalised by online terrorist propaganda.

He added that the Internal Security Department (ISD) and its partners have made 'tremendous efforts' to integrate these young individuals back into society.

They are supported in their education and are also given religious counselling as well as social and psychological support.

Mr Shanmugam said that of the nine detained under ISA since 2015, one was released from detention in January last year.

During his detention, he received tutoring and was able to sit for his GCE N-Level examinations, where he scored distinctions in some subjects.

'After he was released, he was able to go to a school of his choice, and he continues to make good progress in his rehabilitation.'

Another four dealt with under the ISA are no longer under any kind of internal security order and have reintegrated into society. They are all either employed or carrying on with further studies.

Two of them enrolled in ITE and one was the top performer in his course there. Both also went on to study at polytechnics here and one of them is now an engineer.

Mr Shanmugam said that they would consider all the examples as lives saved.

'So we save them from destroying their lives and other lives, and at the same time, make something of their lives.'

Nine persons under age of 21 detained or had restriction orders from 2015

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam announced on Wednesday (Feb 1) that 18-year-old post-secondary student Muhammad Irfan Danyal Mohamad Nor had been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for self-radicalisation.

Apart from him, eight other young persons have been dealt with under the Act since 2015. The Internal Security Department said that six were detained under the law and three were issued Restriction Orders.

For now, four are still in detention...

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