Singapore’s controversial Internal Security Act (ISA): national security or political persecution?

The keyword in the Singapore government narrative is becoming radicalized.

With no officially defined definition of what constitutes radicalization, the whole ISA process, and criteria for detaining someone becomes extremely subjective. Islam itself, comes into the centre of this subjectivity, because there is a diversity of ideas, theology, and beliefs, throughout the world of Islam.

Within the Religious Rehabilitation Group, there is a prevailing leaning towards Sufi Naqshbandi Tariqah doctrine. According to a former detainee, the members of the Religious Reform Group unfairly equate Salafi doctrine with terrorism. Thus, the members of the Religious Reform Group are biased against detainees with Salafi beliefs. This issue requires deep theological exploration, however, the issue is covered up with lack of transparency.

The Singapore government claims the ISA is necessary for pre-emptively neutralizing threats to peace and national security, which includes racial and religious extremism. The ISD has become very active promoting itself to the public through roadshows, public events, and media about combating terrorism. Thus, the general public has become overtly supportive of the ISA, with the positive media reports praising the ISD for capturing potential terrorists. This cultural complacency stops anyone from speaking out against the ISA. Today in Singapore, unlike the past, there are no discussions, vigils for detainees, demonstrations, or other types of protests. Just silence.

There are alternative models that enable an alleged terrorist to be trailed in a court of law. Special security courts can be set up where evidence is in camera and subject to the Official Secrets Act. However, the Singapore government's own admission, is the ISA is intended to be preventative, rather than punitive. Under such a premise, there will always be political and theological bias, which will penalize some innocent people.

A past detainee told the Asia Sentinel that "If you reject their accusations, they will keep detaining you. The role of the ISD is to nullify moral, ideological, and ideational threats to the government. By admitting you are a communist or terrorist, the ISD and government can claim the arrests and detention under ISA was justified, and more importantly, discredit any arguments and activism that the accused was involved in. Refusal to confess means they can't justify the arrest and can't afford to allow the ex-detainee to talk about the injustice, after release."

With the focus on religious radicalism, MUIS plays a new role in protecting the image of the government from criticism by the Muslim community, where the community is now more vocal against the government, than others.