SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG AT THE
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TERRORIST REHABILITATION AND COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE
Mr Eddie Teo
Chairman, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS)
Mr Barry Desker
Dean of RSIS
Ustaz Ali Mohd and Ustaz Mohd Hasbi Hassan
Co-Chairmen of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG)
DPM Teo Chee Hean
Mr S R Nathan and Mr Wong Kan Seng
Ministers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
1. I am delighted to join you for the International Conference
on Terrorist Rehabilitation and Community Resilience, organised by
the RSIS and the RRG.
RELIGIOUS REHABILITATION GROUP
2. This Conference also marks the 10th anniversary of the
RRG. The RRG has played
an invaluable role in keeping Singapore safe from terrorism. The
idea for the RRG arose after we arrested
members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Singapore in December 2001.
We realised from our investigations that just arresting the JI
members was not enough. JI members had mis-interpreted key Islamic
concepts, and convinced themselves that terrorism was “righteous”
and “legitimate”. We needed to counter, at source, this radical and
wrong-headed misinterpretation of Islam. We had to offer convincing
alternative interpretations of key doctrines central to this
ideology. We also needed an effective rehabilitation programme and
support structure to help those who had got involved with terrorism
integrate back into society after their release.
3. Several respected religious scholars and teachers volunteered
to work with the Government on this important challenge. It was a
brave move. At the time, this was an experimental approach to
religious rehabilitation. No one could foresee how it would pan
out. The ulamas took a leap of faith, and took the risk of being
seen as lackeys of the Government. They were convinced this was the
right thing to do, and necessary to arrest the spread of religious
extremism. They subsequently became the founding members of the
RRG in 2003.
4. The RRG set to work to counsel and
rehabilitate the JI detainees. They identified core Islamic
doctrines that had been mis-interpreted, and developed religious
texts to counter them. Their first publication (“Islam – Religion
of Peace and Salutation – the Path Towards Enliving the True
Jihad”) refuted the JI’s mistaken definition of jihad as “war” and
as a “religious obligation” for all Muslims. Its second manual
dealt with other religious concepts that had been distorted by
terrorist ideologues, like al wala’ wal bara (love for Muslims and
hatred for non-Muslims) and takfir (declaration of apostasy).
5. Over the years, RRG counsellors have
helped terrorism-related detainees understand how they had been
misguided by the radical ideologues. Every terrorism-related
detainee in Singapore who has been released from detention has
undergone counselling as part of his rehabilitation. Most have
since settled back with their families, found jobs and integrated
back into Singapore society. Several are still adjusting, and
continue to be counselled by the RRG. A few
hard-core elements remain in detention and will be counselled when
they are receptive.
6. Beyond the JI group, the RRG has also
counselled other terrorism-related detainees like MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) members and
self-radicalised individuals. It also educates the wider community
on the dangers of terrorist mis-interpretations through public
talks, its website and its Facebook page. These efforts sensitise
the public to the terrorist threat, and strengthen our immunity to
extremist views in the broader community.
7. The RRG has fulfilled our hopes, though
its mission continues. I thank all RRG
members for their tremendous contributions. Special thanks go to
Ustaz Ali and Ustaz Hasbi, who have co-chaired the RRG since its inception. They steered the RRG through uncharted waters, and established a strong
foundation for its continued success. My appreciation also goes to
pioneer members like Ustaz Ibrahim Kassim and Ustaz Mohamad Rais,
who are still volunteering in the RRG.
8. Over the last decade, several respected asatizah who were
involved in the RRG Resource Panel or served
as RRG counsellors have sadly passed on, such
as Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji Mohamad, Ustaz Syed Ahmad Muhammad Semait
and Ustaz Hassan Mustakim. They and their contributions will always
be remembered.
9. I also wish to thank Mr Wong Kan Seng who was the Minister
for Home Affairs when the RRG was formed. He
gave the RRG his fullest support, and backed
it up with all the resources of the Government. I am glad that Mr
Wong is here to celebrate this occasion with us.
10. The RRG’s journey is comprehensively
recorded in its 10th anniversary commemorative book. All of you
have received copies. I hope you will enjoy reading this
informative and inspiring publication.
CONTINUING THREAT OF TERRORISM
11. In the broader fight against extremist terrorism, the world
has also made much progress. Many Al-Qaeda (AQ) leaders have been
neutralised, including Osama bin Laden himself. AQ’s ability to
mount major operations has been diminished. In Southeast Asia, many
JI leaders and operatives have also been neutralised. For example,
master bomb-makers Noor Din Mohd Top and Azahari Husin have been
killed, while Operations Chief Hambali and former spiritual leader
Abu Bakar Bashir have been arrested.
12. However, extremist terrorism remains a real and potent
challenge. While JI’s organisation has been disrupted, the
underlying structures supporting terrorism in our region are still
in place. Some pesantrens continue to propagate radical ideology.
Training camps still exist, such as the one uncovered in Poso in
Central Sulawesi last November. In parts of some countries,
separatist struggles have created lawless conditions where
extremist terrorists can establish training camps and safe
havens.
13. On the wider scene, AQ still wields considerable ideological
influence in many countries, including in Africa and Asia. It is
adept at opportunistically exploiting local political developments
to win over new sympathisers. For example, AQ is taking advantage
of the civil war in Syria. AQ’s current leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
has called for jihadists to join the fight against Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad. Two Malaysians who likely responded to his call
were caught in Lebanon trying to join the rebel troops in
Syria.
14. The terrorism threat has also morphed, posing greater
challenges to security agencies. Terrorist splinter groups like the
Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia have multiplied.
These groups exploit extremist sentiments or profess allegiance
with AQ even when their objectives differ. Their fragmented,
nebulous nature makes them harder to pin down and neutralise.
15. Self-radicalisation is a growing phenomenon. The Internet
makes it easy for a person to immerse himself in narrow or
extremist groups online. Jihadist sites and sermons by charismatic
radical ideologues are just a mouse click away. A person can become
radicalised after repeated exposure. This is true of all sorts of
radical and fringe groups, and not only radical jihadists.
Singaporeans are not immune to this danger; several Singaporeans
have been radicalised by terrorist ideology through the
Internet.
16. Fortunately, Singapore has not suffered a terrorist attack
in recent years. Credit must go to our Home Team for keeping
Singapore safe, and the RRG for countering
the wrong-headed ideologies that motivate the terrorists. But the
threat has not disappeared, and we remain a target. From time to
time, we hear reports of terrorists in our region wanting to attack
Singapore or Singapore assets in our neighbourhood. We must never
let our guard down.
THE ROAD AHEAD
17. What can we do about the terrorist threat?
Deepen Communal Trust
18. First, we must strengthen trust between our ethnic groups.
Trust is the foundation for any society, especially a
multi-religious, multi-racial one like ours. It underpins our
social interactions, and helps build resilience so that people will
come together and help one another should attacks occur.
19. We regard terrorism as a national threat that endangers all
Singaporeans, not just specific communities. Terrorist attacks not
only damage physical infrastructure; they can also destroy the
social fabric that binds societies together. We have seen this
happen in many countries, where attacks have heightened suspicion
between communities, or caused outright hostility against
minorities or new arrivals.
20. Singapore has experienced first-hand damaging racial
conflicts, more than once. We have therefore worked hard to build
communal trust by enshrining racial harmony as one of our key
values, and ensuring all races progress with the nation. But trust
must be continually sustained and nurtured. That is why our first
priority after uncovering the JI network was to explain the facts
of the case to community leaders and the public, so as to dispel
misapprehensions and fears, and make sure that our communities
would stand with one another. We established the Inter-Racial and
Religious Confidence Circles and launched the Community Engagement
Programme, to build trust and resilience should crises occur.
Enhance Operational Capabilities
21. Beyond building trust, we must also build strong operational
capabilities. We cannot afford to assume that no terrorist threat
will materialise. We need to be able to pick up intelligence leads,
pursue them thoroughly, and nip emerging threats in the bud.
Keeping Singapore safe is a constant cat-and-mouse game, as
terrorist organisations become more sophisticated.
22. Good operational capabilities require people, organisation
and networks. We need intelligence officers to pick up on
suspicious activities, IT analysts to track terrorist activities
online, and financial experts to follow the money trail. We need an
organisation which can piece together the story in time, and act on
it decisively.
23. Of course, successful counter-terrorism operations also
depend on the trust of the community. It is not possible to deploy
officers or surveillance equipment everywhere. The community is a
far more effective early warning system, provided it trusts the
government and the security agencies, and is willing to cooperate
with them. It was in fact information volunteered by a local Muslim
that alerted the authorities to the existence of the JI in
Singapore. This was how the Government could thwart the terrorists’
suicide bombing plots, unravel the Singapore JI cell, and
thereafter disrupt the regional JI network. We must never lose this
important operational capability.
Strengthen International Co-operation
24. Finally, we need close international security cooperation.
Terrorism is a global threat, and terrorist groups do not respect
international borders. Therefore counter-terrorism forces must also
collaborate internationally. Developments abroad can have serious
implications at home. Conversely, timely sharing of intelligence on
terrorist suspects can disrupt terrorist plans and operations in
other countries, making the world a safer place for everyone.
25. In Southeast Asia, countries shared information on the JI
network, leading to the arrest of hundreds of JI members and
associates across the region. Such close security cooperation also
led to the capture and repatriation of Singapore JI fugitives who
had fled overseas to avoid arrest.
26. International cooperation also includes sharing experiences
at conferences like these. Singapore is happy to share our
experiences where useful, and learn from countries like Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia and Malaysia which have significant
experience in terrorist rehabilitation. Our individual
circumstances may vary, but we share a common responsibility to
keep our people safe from terrorists. I hope that you will make use
of the Conference to interact with one another, and build new
friendships.
CONCLUSION
27. Terrorism is a scourge against humanity. While great
progress has been made combating terrorism, the threat has by no
means disappeared. Let us remain vigilant and strengthen our
defences against terrorism, and work together to keep our people
safe for many more years.
28. I wish you all a fruitful Conference!
http://www.pmo.gov.sg/content/pmosite/mediacent…
