Singapore: Crisis of Identity, Shared Values And Religious Rehabilitation

Abstract

Despite its impressive economic development, Singapore has not been immune against the threat of violent extremism (VEm). In January 2001 and August 2002 respectively, 13 and 21 members of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the most dangerous, militant and al-Qaeda-affiliated regional group, were arrested. The 34 JI members were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) introduced by the imperial power (United Kingdom) to deal with the Communist threat. They were charged with an attempt to carry out a series of terrorist attacks against several local installations and foreign targets in Singapore, including water supplies, a train station and vessels belonging to the American navy in Singapore.1 The 2001 and 2002 arrests ‘exposed the most serious direct threat posed by any terrorist organisation to Singapore’s security since the days of the Communist Party of Malaya’ (Bin Kader, 2007, 2009). The Singaporean government responded to the threat of VEm by introducing what has been described as ‘one of the most advanced’ and ‘successfully initiated’ ‘Religious Rehabilitation Programmes’ in East Asia (Jerard, 2009, p. 95).