MHA said family and friends are often the first to
notice behavioural changes.
It said that in past cases, friends and family members
had withheld information from authorities either out of denial or
misguidedly believing that they are protecting their loved
ones.
"The opposite is true,” it added. “The amorphous nature
of the enemy we face today means that even though our security
agencies will do what it takes to detect and prevent terrorist
attacks, they cannot do so alone.”
At stake are not just property and lives, but
Singapore’s identity as a multiracial, multi-religious society, MHA
said, calling on people to play their part in keeping Singapore
safe.
The report said the Internal Security Act had dealt
with 14 radicalised Singaporeans since 2015.
"Among the recently detained
Singaporeans, two of them said that they were prepared to carry out
attacks in Singapore on behalf of ISIS. One of them said he wanted
to assassinate the President and Prime Minister of Singapore so
that the country would become leaderless and could be turned into
an Islamic state under the 'Islamic caliphate'."
Mr Muhammad Faizal, a research
fellow from the Centre of Excellence for National Security, said:
"Singaporeans can use the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) app
or call the RRG helpline 1800-774 7747 if they have questions on
radicalisation or suspect someone is radicalised."