17-year-old detained under ISA among S'poreans following Indonesian preacher Somad's teachings: Shanmugam
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam speaking to reporters on Monday (May 23).
- Some people who had been investigated under the Internal Security Act (ISA) were followers of Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara
- Since Mr Somad was denied entry into Singapore last Monday, some of his followers have also publicly threatened on social media to physically attack Singapore
- Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that the authorities have known of Mr Somad’s teachings for some time
- Other jurisdictions have denied Mr Somad entry, including Hong Kong in December 2017
- Mr Shanmugam stressed that the authorities' decision to bar entry to Mr Somad was not directed at any specific individual, religion or nationality
Updated May 23, 2022
SINGAPORE — Some people who had been investigated under the Internal Security Act (ISA), including a teenager who was later detained, were followers of Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam revealed on Monday (May 23), saying that Mr Somad's teachings have "real-world consequences".
Since Mr Somad was denied entry into Singapore last Monday, some of his followers have also publicly threatened on social media to physically attack Singapore, with one calling for it to be done in a manner similar to the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001. Another comment called for Singapore to be bombed, Mr Shanmugam noted.
“I think one shouldn’t dismiss them completely,” Mr Shanmugam said as he read out these social media comments while speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) headquarters on Monday.
“Parallels have been drawn with 9/11. Parallels are being drawn with Singaporeans being led by non-Islamic leaders and that Singapore should be attacked.”
Mr Shanmugam said that the authorities have known of Mr Somad’s teachings for some time.
In January 2020, a 17-year-old boy who had watched videos of Mr Somad’s teachings was detained under the ISA.
MHA said then that the secondary school student had been radicalised by a foreign online contact who introduced him to social media groups that supported the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (Isis) and began supporting the terrorist group.
He was first investigated in September 2017 when he was 15 years old after he posted defaced images of President Halimah Yacob on social media and called on Isis to behead her for supporting Singapore, which he viewed as an “infidel” state.
Mr Shanmugam said that the boy had watched many YouTube lectures on suicide bombing, a topic MHA said Mr Somad has endorsed in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“The young boy began to believe that if you fought for Isis and if you're a suicide bomber, you can die as a martyr and receive rewards in heaven. So you can see Somad's preachings have real-world consequences.”
EXTREMIST TEACHINGS
MHA said last week that Mr Somad was denied entry because he was “known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society”.For instance, in a now deleted YouTube video published in 2017, Mr Somad said that suicide bombing was a label used by the Western press.
"The correct (term) is ‘gerakan istisyhadiah’, the martyrdom movement," Mr Somad said in Bahasa Indonesia, in response to a question about his views on suicide bombing in Palestine.
Later in the video, he said: "During the times of the Companions, of Prophet Muhammad, swords were used. Swords are not used in current times. Set off explosions. Die a martyr."
In the past, Mr Somad has also labelled non-Muslims as "kafirs" (infidels), called the Christian crucifix the dwelling for an "infidel jinn" (spirit or devil) and said that infidels and the Chinese are seldom possessed because "fellow demons" are not allowed to "tempt" each other.
The 44-year-old preacher has said he was planning to enter Singapore for a social visit with his family and friends when he was stopped by immigration officers at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal last Monday at around 2.30pm.
Mr Somad claimed on Instagram that he was kept in a 1m by 2m immigration detention room before being "deported" by Singapore authorities.
His account drew sympathy from his supporters, many of whom posted a barrage of comments on the social media accounts of Singapore political office holders and government agencies.
On Friday, members of the Islamic Sharia Ideology Defenders (Perisai) held protests at the Singapore embassy in Jakarta and the Singapore consulate-general in Medan, calling for condemnation of Singapore’s decision to deny entry to the preacher.
SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS
On Monday, Mr Shanmugam read to reporters some comments from Mr Somad's supporters on social media that threatened to attack Singapore.One of them, since removed by Instagram parent company Meta, read: "Dear You, the leaders of Singapore, the Islamophobic Countries, we are waiting 2x24 hours to apologise to the Indonesian people and Muslims.
“If you ignore our warning, then we will not hesitate to expel the ambassador of your country. We will send Islamic Defender Troops, Prosperous Justice Troops and Ulama Defender Troops to attack your country like 9/11 in New York 2001, and we will also expel Singaporeans who pretend to transit and live in Indonesia."
Other comments called for Singapore to be "destroyed" and "bombed again". One user declared: "Small country, yet so arrogant, with just one missile and you are finished."
Mr Shanmugam noted that other jurisdictions have denied Mr Somad entry, including Hong Kong in December 2017.
Mr Somad has also reportedly been refused entry in the past into Timor Leste, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland, Mr Shanmugam said.
“I find this very interesting that we are not the only place that has denied Somad entry,” Mr Shanmugam said.
“I wonder if Somad's supporters also threatened China because he was refused entry into Hong Kong and threatened the other European countries?” he added. “Or is it only that Singapore gets special mention and they are brave enough to threaten Singapore but not the others?”
Mr Shanmugam said that the response of the Indonesian government to Singapore’s decision to deny Mr Somad entry has been “very proper” and “correct”.
Saying that this was a basic aspect of sovereignty, Mr Shanmugam added: “It (Indonesia) accepts that is for Singapore to decide who can come into Singapore. That's absolutely right, just like it is for Indonesia to decide who can go into Indonesia.”
CNA earlier reported, without citing sources, that the Indonesian government has reaffirmed Singapore’s sovereign right to decide who it would allow entry.
The news outlet added that the country's Ambassador to Singapore Suryopratomo said last Thursday that the Indonesian government “could not intervene” with regard to Singapore’s decision.
'MALAY LAND'
Mr Shanmugam noted Mr Somad's popularity in Indonesia and large following online: 6.5 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million subscribers on YouTube, more than 700,000 followers on Facebook."This is in my own perspective: The denial has given him publicity. So he is making maximum use of the publicity and he is now, in my view, engaging in more publicity stunts. He has said that he will try to enter Singapore again."
In a YouTube video last Wednesday after he was denied entry to Singapore, Mr Somad said that Singapore is “tanah Melayu”, or Malay land, and claims that the people in Riau province where he is from see Singapore as part of their land.
"To say that I'm tired of going to Singapore is the same as saying I'm tired of going to Minangkabau. This is because Singapore is a Malay land. My grandmother has brothers, children and grandchildren who live in Singapore,” Mr Somad said, according to a translation by CNA.
Mr Shanmugam said: “It tells you what they really think of Singapore, and if we don't do what they tell us, then they threaten attacks.”
He added on Monday that that he was grateful that many Indonesians, officials as well as commentators, have rejected these claims of sovereignty and have defended Singapore.
Mr Shanmugam stressed that the authorities' decision to bar entry to Mr Somad was not directed at any specific individual, religion or nationality.
"I have said this on many occasions — we take a zero-tolerance approach and even-handed approach towards any form of hate speech and divisive ideologies," Mr Shanmugam said. "Our position applies equally to all."
He noted that in 2017, two foreign Christian preachers were banned from preaching in Singapore after having made derogatory comments towards Islam and Budhhism.
The following year, the Government banned American Christian preacher Lou Engle, who has made derogatory comments about Islam, from preaching in Singapore.
This year, the authorities banned the controversial Indian film The Kashmir Filesover its "provocative and one-sided portrayal" of Muslims in Kashmir.
And just last week, former Ngee Ann Polyechnic lecturer Tan Boon Lee was charged with making racist remarks against an inter-racial couple. He had allegedly told an ethnically Indian man that he thinks "it's racist that the Indian prey on Chinese girl".
Mr Shanmugam said: "You know, a Singaporean who says this gets charged, and you think we are going to let someone like Somad to come in?"
Adding that he makes no apologies for this approach, Mr Shanmugam said Singapore not only talks about the importance of racial and religious harmony but backs that up with laws.
MHA is working on a new Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act will be introduced in Parliament when ready, coming off the heels of recent updates to the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.
BE CAREFUL ABOUT DIVISIVE TEACHINGS: SHANMUGAM
Mr Shanmugam added that Singapore is very aware of the precedence or reasons that can be cited for a country to be invaded.In the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said that the Singapore Government has made clear that it considers the justification for the invasion completely unacceptable.
“And of course, Somad's comments about Singapore being 'Malay land' follow the same pattern.”
This, Mr Shanmugam said, is why Singapore took a strong position on Russia and imposed sanctions.
“I think what is necessary is for the people to be aware that there are people in this region who say similar things. Singaporeans need to be aware.”
Asked whether there was any indication that Mr Somad was planning to speak at any events, Mr Shanmugam said that even if Mr Somad was here on a private visit, it does not prevent him from “saying some things” when he is here.
“It is for us to decide what our security requires,” he said.
As for whether the Government was aware if Mr Somad has a strong following among Singaporeans, Mr Shanmugam said it was not possible for the authorities to precisely track Mr Somad's local following.
It is also not the Government's business to to dictate what people can or cannot watch, he said, but added that the authorities will intervene when they sense that people move onto the stage of radicalisation.
“Beyond that, our advice is for Singaporeans to be careful about divisive teachings,” he said.
“Everyone is free to practise their religion here… but we don’t need to cross the line and attack somebody else.”
