by Jeremy Au Yong
A FULL-time national serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces
has been detained under the Internal Security Act, said a statement
from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday.
Muhammad Fadil Abdul Hamid, 20, had become self-radicalised
after searching the Internet for jihadist propaganda and
videos.
He was influenced by the teachings of radical clerics posted
online 'and became convinced that it was his religious duty to
undertake armed jihad alongside fellow militants and strive for
martyrdom,' said a statement from MHA.
Fadil initiated communication with radical cleric Anwar
Al-Awlaki and expressed a desire to undertake militant jihad in
places like Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was detained on
April 4.
Two other Singaporeans - Muhammad Anwar Jailani, 44, and
Muhammad Thahir bin Shaik Dawood, 27 - were also placed on
Restriction Orders for two years from June 23, added the MHA
statement.
Separately, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) member Ibrahim Mohd Noor was
released on a Suspension Direction under the ISA on June 1.
Ibrahim, a trained operative, fled Singapore in December 2001
following the arrests of Singapore JI members in an ISD security
operation, but was arrested and detained under the ISA in April
2007 in a joint operation with a regional security agency.
'He had cooperated in investigations and shown significant
progress in his rehabilitation. He was assessed to no longer pose a
security threat that required preventive detention,' said MHA.
