SINGAPORE, Jan 10 — The son of Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari has been held on a two-year Order of Detention for his involvement with the organisation, while another two self-radicalised Singaporeans were placed on Restriction Orders (ROs) for attempting to undertake “violent jihad”.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said yesterday that Masyhadi Mas Selamat, 25, was placed on detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on November 21 last year. He was arrested in Indonesia on October 20 at his wedding reception and deported to Singapore later that month for investigations into whether he was involved in activities threatening Singapore’s security.
Masyhadi had been studying in JI religious schools in Indonesia from age 13 and had undergone paramilitary training there when he was older, the MHA statement said. He had gone to Indonesia in 2002 to join his father, who had fled Singapore in 2001 after the authorities launched investigations into the Singapore JI network.
He had remained in Indonesia when his family returned to Singapore after Mas Selamat was arrested in 2003 in Indonesia and jailed on immigration charges. He formally became a member of the JI terrorist organisation when he turned 21, the MHA said.
“He has, among other things, conducted JI surveillance activities and disseminated radical propaganda online in support of jihadist violence,” it added.
Mas Selamat sparked a massive manhunt in February 2008 when he escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre, where he had been detained. He was caught in Johor in April 2009 and is now detained under the ISA.
Separately, two Singaporeans, Zakaria Rosdan, 23, and Muhammad Khairul Sofri Osman, 29, were placed on ROs for two years from last month.
The MHA said Zakaria and Khairul were radicalised after looking up and viewing radical online videos and websites and “were inspired to undertake violent jihad in places of conflict like Syria”.
Zakaria had tried to establish contact with a number of foreign militant entities online in an attempt to join them and get to the conflict zones, while Khairul had encouraged Zakaria, abetting him in his plans.
A person under an RO cannot change his residence, employment or travel out of Singapore without official approval. He also cannot issue public statements or join organisations without approval.
Self-radicalisation has emerged as a recent trend, with Asyrani Hussaini detained last March after he was influenced by online radical ideology to engage in violence overseas.
Meanwhile, Mohd Azmi Ali, a JI member who managed to evade the Singapore authorities for eight years, was released from detention and placed on an RO on December 15.
Azmi was detained in December 2009. The MHA said he has been “cooperative in investigations and has been responsive to rehabilitation, including religious counselling” and that he “no longer posed a security threat”.
In addition, ROs against six JI members were allowed to lapse between December and this month. The six are Mohamad Anuar Margono, Ja’afar Mistooki, Mohamed Ellias Mohamed Khan, Hashim Abas, Mohamed Nazir Mohmmed Uthman and Hosnay Awi.
The MHA said they were cooperative and responsive to rehabilitation efforts. — Today
