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Eight Radicalised Bangladeshis Detained Under Internal Security Act

Eight Bangladeshis have been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), after they were found to have been planning to return to Bangladesh to carry out terror attacks and establish an Islamic state, while working in Singapore.

They were also found to have been planning to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working here, and had even raised funds to buy firearms to carry out the attacks, although investigations have not revealed indications of any planned attack here.

This is the third reported case this year of radicalised individuals being dealt with under the ISA, and the second involving the Bangladeshi community.

Ringleader Rahman Mizanur, 31, was an S-Pass holder while the other seven detainees, aged between 26 and 34, held work permits. They were employed in the construction and marine industries, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a press release on Tuesday (May 3).

The eight, who were arrested last month, were part of a clandestine group which calls itself the Islamic State of Bangladesh (ISB) set up here in March. The Investigations showed that the ISB members initially wanted to join ISIS as foreign fighters, but abandoned the plan due to its difficulty. Instead, they planned to overthrow the Bangladeshi government by force, and bring it under the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s (ISIS) self-declared caliphate.

A document titled “We Need for Jihad Fight” which identified various Bangladeshi government and military officials as possible targets was seized from Rahman. He also held documents on weapons and bomb making, and a significant amount of radical material relating to ISIS and Al-Qaeda which he had used to recruit new members since January.

According to the MHA, Rahman had said he would launch an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS to do so, but there are no indications of Singapore having been selected as one such target.

The other detainees are Mamun Leakot Ali, 29, Sohag Ibrahim, 27, Miah Rubel, 26, Zzaman Daulat, 34, Islam Shariful, 27, Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 30, and Sohel Hawlader Ismail Hawlader, 29.

The monies raised by the group has been seized. Several of the detainees may be liable for prosecution for terrorism financing, the MHA said. At least two more members of the ISB are in Bangladesh, according to the members.

Five other Bangladeshi nationals here were also investigated. While they were not found to be involved in the ISB, they were repatriated for possessing and/or proliferating jihad-related material, or supporting the use of armed violence for a religious cause.

The MHA said the Government takes a serious view of any form of support for terrorism and will deal firmly with anyone who engages in activities “inimical to Singapore’s national security and racial and religious harmony”.

“ISB poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas…Foreigners should not import their own domestic agenda into Singapore and carry out activities here in pursuit of such an agenda,” it said.

In January, the MHA revealed that 27 Bangladeshi construction workers here were arrested after they were found contemplating waging armed jihad overseas. They were detained in November and December last year. 26 have been repatriated while another remains in prison.

In March, the MHA said that four Singaporeans had been dealt with under the ISA for taking part in violence or intending to do so in armed conflicts overseas.

Source: TODAY Online

May 3, 2016
Walid J. Abdullah: Racism Only Occurs When The Commentary Fits

*When small Muslim children are called terrorists*

‘Oh this is a one-off incident. There is not much racism in Singapore.’

*When girls in hijabs are attacked*

‘Let’s not make a mountain of a molehill. This is just one person.’

*When a person is denied employment because of her race and religion*

‘This is bad judgment by an individual. Racism is not rampant.’

*When a politician suggests fencing off foreign workers*

‘This is one misquoted statement. She gets along well with foreign workers in her ward. Let’s not make a big deal out of this.’

*When a person is adjudged to be lazy solely because of his/her race*

‘Oh this is not widespread. People are generally racially tolerant.’

*When a lady who calls out racists is attacked for the colour of her skin*

‘Oh those are just social media trolls. People are in actuality race-blind.’

*When people are denied opportunities because of their faith*

‘Oh this is just pragmatism. Minorities shouldn’t complain too much. Racism is not a major issue.’

*When clear-cut, indefensible racist incidents take place*

‘Racism exists everywhere.’

—–

*When a couple of teenagers express support for terrorist groups*

‘This shows that terrorism is a major problem. We need to ensure that our entire social fabric is intact, and is not affected by self-radicalized individuals. This is a clear and present danger to the harmony of our country, and we must spare no effort to tackle this issue. If left unchecked, this scourge could destroy everything that we have ever achieved.’

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

May 3, 2016
Zulfikar Shariff: Should Malays Accommodate Other Communities, Or Should We Assimilate?

A few years ago, I had a discussion with an Australian expert on history and politics in the Malay world.

He asked me what I thought about racial relations among the Chinese and the indigenous communities in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Specifically, he asked whether the Chinese in Malaysia is happier than those in Indonesia.

While in Malaysia, the Chinese community is able to run their own schools, media, religious institutions, political associations and parties and maintain their identity, in Indonesia they had to fully assimilate, give up their Chinese names, culture and at times even their religion.

He argued that it appears the Chinese community that has largely assimilated and become part of Indonesian society is happier and better adjusted than those that are given their rights and ability to maintain their identity in Malaysia.

While the claim need to be tested, it does indicate how the Malays could have demanded full assimilation for better race relations among the communities.

Instead, they try to accommodate other communities, even if some of them may not appreciate the accommodation

Source: Zulfikar Shariff

May 3, 2016
Warga Singapura Ditahan Di Batam Dek Pakai Baju Lambang Tukul Dan Sabit

Seorang warga Singapura yang memakai baju dengan lambang tukul besi dan sabit semasa berlibur di Batam, ditahan dan disoal siasat, menurut Jakarta Post.

Lambang tukul besi dan sabit itu mirip lambang parti komunis, dan dilarang di Indonesia.

Pelancong itu, Azri Zulfarhan Kamsin, 29 tahun, memakai baju merah dengan lambang tersebut ketika bersiar-siar di Mega Mall Batam Centre kelmarin (30 Apr), lapor Merdeka.com. Beliau ke Batam untuk beriadah sempena cuti hujung minggu bersama anak dan isterinya.

Menurut Merdeka.com, Encik Azri sempat makan di pusat beli-belah tersebut, namun bajunya itu menarik perhatian ramai.

Beliau ditahan oleh para pegawai Komand Tentera Bandar Batam dan dibawa ke sebuah bilik soal siasat, lapor Jakarta Post.

Encik Azri memberitahu para pegawai bahawa beliau tidak tahu lambang tukul besi dan sabit dilarang di Indonesia.

“Itu oleh-oleh dari saudara saya yang berkunjung ke Vietnam,” katanya seperti ditukil Merdeka.com. Setelah memberikan penjelasan tersebut, Encik Azri dibebaskan pada hari yang sama.

Namun, Encik Azri diarahkan menanggalkan baju itu dan memakai baju lain. Merdeka.com melaporkan, baju merah tersebut dirampas oleh para pegawai untuk dijadikan bukti.

Belum pasti bagaimana Encik Azri dibenarkan melepasi pemeriksaan imigresen di Batam – adakah beliau ketika itu memakai baju dengan lambang tukul besi dan sabit tersebut atau memakai baju lain.

Seorang pegawai Komand Tentera Bandar Batam, Baziduhu Zebua, memberitahu Jakarta Post: “Lambang komunis itu yang menjadi masalahnya. Ia mungkin bukan satu masalah di Singapura, tetapi sepatutnya dia menghormati adat kami di sini di mana komunisme diharamkan. Ini sebabnya para pegawai memeriksanya dan mengarahkannya supaya menanggalkan bajunya.”

Source: Berita Mediacorp

May 3, 2016
PrimaDeli Incident Highlights Insidiousness Of Institutional Racism

PrimaDeli’s sacking of an employee should not be seen as a resolution to what seems to be an unfortunate one-off incident of racism (“PrimaDeli sacks staff for making racist remarks during job interview”; April 29). Rather, the incident should spur deeper thinking of the insidious ways of institutional racism.

In this incident, the racist remarks were not made by any employee, but the head of the baking department who is in a position of power to hire, dismiss and promote employees in the department. It is troubling when the few people in power who execute or have influence on company policies are prejudiced.

This raises certain questions on the company’s internal practices and management.

Does PrimaDeli send its people managers for training in setting up inclusive practices and preventing racial discrimination in the workplace? Is Mandarin the dominant language used in the workplace, which can potentially alienate other racial minorities? Is there proper racial representation in senior positions, and are there specific avenues for racial minorities to provide feedback on certain racial blind spots in the running of the company?

To be sure, institutional racism does not only come from prejudices held by people in power, but also from the dynamics of global capitalism.

The job applicant in this case, Ms Sarah Carmariah, said she was also asked if she could speak Mandarin because that is the language that most of the workers speak.

As a way of keeping costs low, many companies produce bread and cakes in central kitchens staffed by foreign nationals from China or Malaysia who speak mainly in Mandarin.

This is not the fault of any company; it is what many companies must do in order to survive in a competitive, saturated food industry.

But it does not change the fact that many racial minorities are institutionally disadvantaged in getting a job because they cannot speak in the dominant language that most of the foreign staff speak in.

Even if they are hired, it can be difficult for them to get promoted to management positions considering how the language barrier may hamper them from forming meaningful relationships with fellow workers.

It is time we begin the uncomfortable conversation on the various modes of implicit racism that exist within our industries, instead of dismissing this as yet another incident about the moral failings of an individual person.

Source: TODAY Online

May 3, 2016