Singapore arrests and repatriates self-radicalised Malaysian

A 34-year-old self-radicalised Malaysian was arrested under Singapore’s Internal Security Act (ISA) in November last year, according to the Internal Security Department (ISD) of the island state.

In a statement today, the ISD said Saharuddin Saari, who had been working as a cleaner in Singapore, had his work pass cancelled and was repatriated to Malaysia after the completion of the investigation.

He was handed over to the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) in November 2024.

The ISD noted that Saharuddin wanted to travel to overseas conflict zones such as Syria and Gaza to engage in armed violence.

The agency, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that Saharuddin had no specific attack plans against Singapore, nor had he radicalised anyone in the country.

However, he was willing to undertake acts of violence in Singapore should he perceive the country as siding with the enemies of Islam.

The ISD said it worked closely with the MSB on the investigation.

The agency also noted that Saharuddin’s path to radicalisation began in 2014 when he encountered online materials about the conflict in Syria and the groups involved.

Sometime in 2015–2016, an online contact who identified himself as a fighter advised Saharuddin to take a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Turkiye and offered to escort him by land from Turkiye to Syria.

“Saharuddin did not proceed with his travel plans, primarily due to a lack of sufficient funds,” the ISD said.

- Bernama

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